Multi-residential property owners across the nation are quickly embracing the benefits of multi-utility metering, with British Thermal Unit (BTU) metering leading the charge as the latest growing trend. Thermal energy meters measure the quantity of thermal energy transferred to or from a heat-conveying liquid. A popular European option for a decade, thermal submetering is now emerging as a powerful solution in Canada. With 50% of thermal costs used in suite in non-metered buildings, this is a heavy cost for a landlord to bear if you don't submeter. Thermal (BTU) submetering solutions offer the most accurate way to monitor and bill for in-suite heating and cooling consumption costs.

A thermal (BTU) meter captures thermal energy used in a unit in an effort to maintain a comfortable temperature. It converts the amount of energy in terms of British Thermal Units that are released to heat and cool the unit into a kWh equivalent. This calculation measures each suite’s actual thermal consumption. Thermal metering has proven to save up to $600 per suite per year, with an average 20% reduction in annual consumption for metered units in both retrofit and new construction projects. 

Submetering providers like Wyse Meter Solutions are now deploying an innovative and convenient new wireless solution for thermal (BTU) metering, which uses a power line carrier communication technology that piggy backs on the existing electrical infrastructure. By using electrical wiring as a data transfer medium, the data will end up collected in a centralized collector or gateway. This new wireless option saves up to $225/suite by eliminating the cost of conduit, wiring, and labour costs to run wires. This offers huge advantages and major savings for multi-residential property owners, as there is no longer a need for invasive new hard wiring with traditional communication networking on these types of thermal meters. As long as there’s power in the building, you’ve got data transfer that’s reliable. 

Where historically the technology for thermal (BTU) meters has relied on a point-to-point data transfer that can be somewhat undependable, this new power-line carrier wireless technology creates a mesh network, which offers convenience through almost unlimited data transfer options and tremendous reliability. The new wireless thermal metering technology also offers a seamless installation process. While this option is highly beneficial for new construction projects, it allows for simplified retrofitting in existing buildings as well, which has historically been quite difficult to do for BTU metering. 

For further convenience, as opposed to creating separate networks for each utility, once the mesh network has been created, you will have the ability to add additional metering equipment (ex. water meters) on to the system, and integrate it using this technology so that the data transfer will run on the same backbone or network. Simply put, this new wave of wireless metering technology allows for multiple utilities to seamlessly run on the same data network. 

This new wireless thermal metering solution is cost effective, reliable, data rich, and will enhance the green objectives that all Canadian property owners are looking to achieve in the near future. Like other utilities such as electrical and water, thermal metering will boost your net operating income, energy efficiency and sustainability, and prevent potential budget challenges that arise from in-suite usage spikes. Through BTU metering, residents will reduce costs through reduced consumption, and are able to stop subsidizing their neighbour’s high usage. 

For more information on Thermal (BTU) Wireless Metering, contact our team at sales@wysemeter.com.