A beachfront hotel in Ajman, open to guests throughout, could not take new RS485 cabling. MachineSens IoT installed hotel energy monitoring with wireless LoRaWAN electricity meters, gateways and a cloud energy platform. Wireless meters cost about 30% less than an RS485 retrofit, and installation caused no disruption to hotel operations.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Client | Beachfront hotel, Ajman |
| Location | Ajman, UAE |
| Sector | Hospitality |
| Devices | Wireless LoRaWAN electricity meters, LoRaWAN gateways |
| Network | LoRaWAN EU868 |
| Platform | BuildOT One, Energy and Utilities module |
| Cost | Wireless meters about 30% less than an RS485 retrofit |
Results at a glance
- About 30% lower cost than an RS485 wired retrofit
- Wireless meters installed in an operating hotel with no rewiring
- Electricity use visible by hotel zone on one cloud dashboard
- More meters can be added later without new cabling
1. Client
The hotel is a luxury beachfront property in the UAE. It started an energy efficiency programme to understand where electricity is used, lower operating costs and support its sustainability goals.
2. Challenge
- The hotel is an existing, operating building, so RS485 meter wiring was impractical.
- Cabling would have added cost and disrupted guests and staff.
- The hotel needed accurate, real-time electricity data for different zones.
- It needed one place to see the data, with room to expand later.
- The system had to be cost-effective and reachable remotely through cloud software.
3. Solution
- Devices: wireless LoRaWAN electricity meters on key supply points across the hotel.
- Network: the hotel meters run on a LoRaWAN EU868 network, and gateways give long-range coverage through the building.
- Platform: BuildOT One collects every meter reading in the cloud for live monitoring, analytics and reports, accessible from anywhere.
4. Deployment
The meters report over the air, so no RS485 cable runs were needed. Installation did not interrupt hotel operations. Further areas can be added by fitting more meters.
5. What did hotel energy monitoring deliver?
- Wireless meters cost about 30% less than an RS485 retrofit would have.
- Facilities staff read consumption remotely, so manual meter reading is no longer needed.
- Zone-level data shows where energy is being wasted. Cooling can account for about 70% of peak electricity load in Gulf buildings (PwC Strategy&), so zone data shows where cooling runs without need.
- The same network can grow with the hotel.
Products and modules used
- Energy and water meters
- LoRaWAN gateways
- BuildOT One module: Energy and Utilities
Related: Hospitality | Energy management | See all smart building case studies
Frequently asked questions
Why did the hotel choose wireless meters?
It is an operating building, and RS485 cabling would have been costly and disruptive. LoRaWAN meters install at the panel and report over the air.
How much did wireless save compared with a wired retrofit?
Wireless meters cost about 30% less than an RS485 retrofit.
Can the hotel add more meters later?
Yes. New meters join the existing LoRaWAN network and appear on the same dashboard, with no new cabling.
