Scaling ESG Solutions for Large Residential Buildings with RAKwireless’ Smart IoT

Scaling ESG Solutions for Large Residential Buildings with RAKwireless’ Smart IoT

Quick Look: Use Case Summary
Principal Emphasis RAKwireless Product Value
Supporting Themes LoRaWAN® Education
Industry Smart Energy-Saving Buildings
Sub-Industry Real Estate and Residential Facility
Deployment Area Large Building Complexes
IoT Stack Used RAK3172 module, LoRaWAN Network, Biotiva proprietary environmental sensors

Highlights

Biotiva is an ESG solution provider. With rapid growth in the ESG industry, they needed IoT hardware that was consistently reliable and could keep up with the pace. However, constant supply delays and complicated equipment were slowing everything down, especially in large residential buildings. They decided to switch to LoRaWAN, which provided strong signals across vast spaces and helped Biotiva expand its network coverage. The company then collaborated with RAKwireless to procure the latest IoT hardware that was cost-effective, easy to set up, quick to deliver, and helped them scale to new international markets.

Company Profile

Let’s look at the case of Biotiva, an ESG data solutions company, and how they started their business. Biotiva’s example becomes even more meaningful when we look at what apartment properties are expected to deliver in today’s times.
We all have seen that residential buildings nowadays face extra pressure to do more than just provide shelter. Investors are looking for stronger returns, building operators are trying to run things more efficiently, and residents expect comfort alongside lower utility bills. At the same time, there is a growing demand to reduce energy use and meet sustainability goals at the government level. Biotiva is helping meet all these needs with their latest ESG system.
The company started by sourcing electric meters from Chinese manufacturers and prebuilt sensors. However, they soon figured out that they needed to maintain quality standards and keep costs low, so they decided to make the sensors in-house.
Therefore, they started creating their own environmental nodes in 2019. This design was outsourced to Censis. Their strategy is to provide a cost-competitive solution by avoiding collaborations with BMS (building management systems) vendors. This is because BMS provides systems that handle safety-related equipment in buildings, and Biotiva wanted to focus on energy-saving and making homes more comfortable. This saves the end user from paying for extra layers of tech integration and relying on proprietary systems with expensive vendor contracts.

The ESG Technology and Its Target Market

Biotiva’s objective is to improve energy efficiency in residential buildings and ensure comfort for its occupants. Their smart sensors gauge parameters like temperature, light, air quality, noise, humidity, movement, and how much energy a building is using. All this data is sent to an online platform that shows dashboards with easy layouts and helps with ESG reports to optimise energy use.
The main purpose is to increase asset value, ensure higher occupancy rates, reduce energy consumption, and achieve top ESG rankings. This is how Biotiva has carved out its niche, and instead of creating a generic solution, they have designed their system to serve three very specific groups.
  1. Investors who want higher returns
  2. Operators who need simple management.
  3. Residents who care about comfort and lower bills.
The new ESG system improves energy efficiency, boosts property value, and helps buildings perform better in ESG rankings. Biotiva’s mission is to make homes that are not just good to live in but also better for the environment.

Investor Perspective and Market Size

From an investment point of view, it all comes down to results. If a building can use less energy, attract more tenants, and rank higher on ESG benchmarks, it becomes more valuable. Biotiva helps make that happen. Their solution is built to improve asset performance while supporting sustainability goals like reducing carbon emissions.
Right now, their focus is on the UK and Europe, where around 22 million apartments need these types of upgrades. However, their vision is much bigger. They have plans to take their solution global and expand into the US market, which is nearly ten times larger.

Problem Statement

Many ESG technology providers reach a point where their current hardware setup can’t handle the scale anymore. Usually, supply issues with sensor modules slow down the progress. Then come the challenges of functional compatibility, pricing pressure, and longer shipping times, all of which add friction to an already complex rollout.
In dense residential environments, where every building is unique, and speed is crucial, these problems escalate rapidly. On top of that, using gateways that lack proper PoE support or require complex installations makes things even more complicated.

Technical Challenges in Sourcing IoT Hardware

Soon after Biotiva expanded into the massive apartment market across the UK and Europe, its product line became inadequate. This is because they were using Murata modules to build their sensors, and ongoing supply shortages made it difficult to procure them as scheduled. These hold-ups affected their timelines, and the company couldn’t afford this.
Furthermore, the gateways they were using from Kerlink made things even harder. These devices didn’t support PoE (Power over Ethernet) well, so teams had to use extra cables, more gear, and spend more time setting everything up. It became a hassle, especially when they had to install in lots of residential buildings.

Location

United Kingdom

The Solution

To overcome both connectivity and hardware supply challenges, Biotiva’s solution had two core components. First, transitioning to a LoRaWAN-based network for scalable communication, and secondly, partnering with RAKwireless to stabilize hardware supply and simplify deployment.

  1. The Transition to LoRaWAN Network
    As Biotiva started working with more clients who had large residential buildings, they needed a smarter way to keep all their sensors connected. The company ran into one major issue, and that was keeping all their sensors connected across wide spaces with thick walls.


    Their earlier systems struggled as signals would drop. Extra cables were needed. Installations took too long. Therefore, managing it all became too complicated for the company. That is where LoRaWAN made a big difference by providing:
    • Reliable signals that can easily travel through concrete and reach across entire apartment blocks without extra wiring or repeaters.
    • The ability to add more sensors across big apartment complexes without changing much in their setup.


    Also, LoRaWAN is way better if we compare it with other network solutions. Standard Wi-Fi often loses signal in big buildings, and NB-IoT runs on telecom networks, which brings extra costs and less control. On the other hand, LoRaWAN gives broader coverage by using fewer gateways.


    A single indoor gateway can cover up to 100 homes within a block with a regular internet connection. Whereas a strategically placed outdoor gateway can handle 500 to 700 homes per unit for larger residential areas. This gave Biotiva a much easier and more cost-effective way to scale without running into the usual network or setup issues.


    While LoRaWAN solved the connectivity layer, Biotiva still needed a reliable hardware partner to properly execute the deployment.

  2. RAK’s Expertise in Industrial-Grade IoT
    Earlier, we discussed the serious challenges Biotiva faced with supply shortages of Murata modules and the complicated gateways from Kerlink. At this point, they needed a reliable provider who could help keep their growth on track. Therefore, the company decided to source the products from RAKwireless due to the following selective benefits:
    • Functional compatibility of RAK3172: The RAK module perfectly integrates with Biotiva’s in-house sensors. Scaling their setup became easy without having to rewrite the code or redesign circuits.
    • Fast delivery lead times: Reliable shipments kept rollouts on track and protected their client timelines. They no longer had to pause projects because of missing components.
    • Better price rates: Fair pricing allowed Biotiva to manage its costs better.
    • Comprehensive product range: RAK’s catalog gave Biotiva a long-term pathway to grow without changing its setup each time it scaled.
    • User-friendly device management tools: Tools like WisDM made it easier for Biotiva to monitor their devices remotely. Teams no longer had to revisit each building to check sensor performance, which saved both time and effort.
Biotiva is also exploring other RAKwireless products like the RAK7431 sensor and Bridge Lite devices to expand their capabilities. They are also interested in trying out the RAK7268 gateway and the WisDM platform for device management. These tools promise to make future deployments even easier and more efficient.

Conclusion

This shows how the right technology provider can remove barriers and accelerate growth. What could have become a major roadblock for Biotiva turned into a competitive edge with LoRaWAN and RAKwireless working together. This is because Growth demands flexibility, and flexibility needs the right partners.

~ Real breakthroughs don't exist in just building smart technology, but in knowing when and how to evolve it.

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