IoT-based BTU metering and tenant billing solution for UAE residential buildings using VINDIS, enabling automated data collection, accurate tenant-wise billing, real-time visibility, and transparent chilled water energy management.
The Challenge
The residential building operated a centralized chilled water system supplying cooling to multiple apartments. While BTU meters were installed at individual tenant levels, the building management faced challenges in accurately collecting, consolidating, and utilizing this data for tenant billing and energy analysis. BTU consumption data was available locally at each meter, but there was no centralized platform to automatically acquire readings, generate tenant-wise bills, or analyze cooling usage patterns. Manual meter reading was time-consuming, prone to errors, and difficult to scale across multiple apartments. Additionally, the absence of a unified monitoring and billing system resulted in: Delays and inaccuracies in tenant billing Limited visibility into real-time and historical cooling consumption Difficulty in identifying abnormal or excessive usageLack of transparency for tenants regarding their BTU consumption Manual effort in report preparation and billing reconciliation The client required a reliable, automated BTU metering and tenant billing solution that complied with regional practices and could operate continuously with minimal manual intervention.
Our Solution
Volkkommen Industries implemented an IoT-based BTU Metering and Tenant Billing solution using VINDIS, an on-premise data acquisition and processing system, to integrate BTU meters communicating via the M-Bus protocol. All BTU meters installed across individual apartments were connected to VINDIS through M-Bus communication, enabling secure and continuous data collection. The system captured key parameters such as cooling energy consumption (BTU), flow rate, supply and return temperatures, and cumulative energy usage for each tenant. The collected data was processed through a customized metering and billing software platform, designed specifically for residential tenant billing in the UAE. The platform enabled: Automated tenant-wise BTU consumption tracking Accurate and transparent billing based on actual usage Real-time and historical data visualization Configurable billing cycles and tariff structures Downloadable reports and billing statements for tenants and facility management Centralized monitoring of all BTU meters from a single interface The solution was scalable and compliant with the operational requirements of large residential facilities, allowing additional apartments or meters to be added without system redesign.
Key Results
The implementation delivered measurable improvements across operations, efficiency, and cost reduction:
The implementation delivered a reliable and transparent BTU metering and billing system for both building management and tenants.
Key outcomes included:
Accurate and automated tenant billing based on actual BTU consumption
Elimination of manual meter reading and data handling
Improved transparency and trust between tenants and facility management
Better visibility into cooling energy usage across the building
Faster billing cycles and reduced operational overhead
Enhanced ability to identify abnormal consumption and optimize cooling efficiency
Overall, the solution enabled efficient energy accountability, improved operational control, and a scalable foundation for long-term chilled water energy management in the residential building.