Interoperability in HVACR systems: Delphis accelerates its offering by using Wattsense as its connectivity IoT solution
Delphis Group, a technical and commercial Proptech specializing in air-conditioning, refrigeration, maintenance, energy management, and automation services, uses the Wattsense IoT solution to communicate with HVACR systems and easily make them more efficient.
Interoperability was a constant challenge for Delphis when deploying its services. How to get different types of equipment and brands to connect, communicate and exchange data with each other without restriction?
The long hours of development needed to create an interoperable connector just for the deployment of Delphis products would increase prices and take the focus away from their core offering.
Wattsense, a connectivity IoT solution for small and medium buildings, allows Delphis to quickly connect and monitor buildings using the Box, an interoperable universal connector. This remotely managed IoT device collects data and controls equipment through the Cloud. It is compatible with ten communication protocols.
"When IoT technology was not very mature, we decided to build a whole building management stack on our own as we couldn't find a trustworthy and affordable 3rd party platform. We learned that a Building Management technology stack involves at least three layers (Equipment connectivity, Semantics, and Analytics). It is very hard to excel in all of them. Having Wattsense focusing only on Equipment Connectivity took a big burden out of our backs and helped us accelerate the core features of our offering." Explains Thanos Daskalopoulos, Chief Innovation Officer at Delphis.
Building connectivity is essential for Proptechs such as Delphis, focusing on making HVACR more efficient.
IoT solutions for building connectivity
Delphis needs to connect directly to different types of equipment such as AHUs, rooftops, energy meters, elevators, escalators, or already installed BMS systems to collect data for analytics take over control sequences for optimization or grid flexibility.
Delphis has installed 43 Wattsense Boxes in 14 airports, two shopping malls/retail stores, nine food retail stores, and one education campus.
The Delphis team uses the Box to:
- Generate KPIs for equipment performance,
- Serve as a gateway for other control services.
"Usually, our customers are responsible for doing the installation of the Box under our guidance, and sometimes we do the installation for them." Describes Thanos.
Delphis use cases
Airports - Need to report "Equipment Uptime" to comply with comfort and operational standards required by the Greek government,
Shopping Malls: Customers need to understand better the temperature variations in their spaces, and others run energy analytics on their energy meter data.
"Delphis is a company that achieves climate comfort and energy efficiency in tertiary buildings. The building management sector needs more access to PropTechs like Delphis to improve operations. And this is where Wattsense comes in. Our goal is to enable the adoption of innovative Proptechs and their services by providing interoperability with HVACR systems and all types of building equipment.”
Louis Vermorel
CEO of Wattsense
Game-changing results
Thanks to the plug-and-play installation of the Box, its lower costs, and intuitive user console, with fewer resources Delphis can handle more projects. For installation and commissioning with Wattsense, the Delphis team spends only 2-3 hours.
"Our digital services need less troubleshooting. Wattsense's outstanding support team is like having more internal team members." Concludes Thanos.
"A plug and play device for the BAS integration industry has been for years simply unimaginable. Wattsense is now unlocking the dream by combining an exceptional product-service approach with near to real-time customer service. The super-simple installation and configuration process make it our "look no further" choice of one single integration gateway for multiple applications. At the same time, the growing libraries and other automation features being regularly released are convincing us every day that with Wattsense, this plug-and-play future is actually not that far away."
Thanos Daskalopoulos, Chief Innovation Officer at Delphis.
About Delphis
Delphis Group is a technical and commercial Greek Proptech founded in 1976 specializing in air-conditioning, refrigeration, maintenance, energy management, and automation services. With its 37 employees, It provides a wide array of services around climate control and asset management.
About Wattsense
Since 2017, Wattsense has enabled real estate players to optimize their buildings' monitoring and energy management. With an innovative IoT solution that combines simplicity and interoperability, Wattsense contributes to a future where buildings can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while improving the comfort and daily life of occupants.
As of October 2021, Wattsense was acquired by Siemens Smart Infrastructure. Though it operates independently, it benefits from the support and expertise of Siemens.