Semtech and Kairos Water have teamed up to protect the iconic Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco by deploying LoRa-based sensors to detect water leaks that can cause damage to property.
Ghirardelli Square is largely considered to be the first successful real estate adaptive reuse project in the US. With its more than 100-year history, this specialty retail and dining complex today houses shops and restaurants. It was originally a chocolate factory established by Italian immigrant Domenico “Domingo” Ghirardelli.
“Water detection systems for commercial and multifamily properties must be affordable, require minimal maintenance, and consume little energy to provide a good return on investment and environmental benefits."
Dean Fung-A-Wing, chief executive officer and founder, Kairos Water
Kairos Water specialises in operational risk management solutions for commercial and residential properties. For the project, the company’s leak detection strip sensors and gateways based on Semtech’s LoRa technology operate on a LoRaWAN network and connect to the cloud to enable real-time monitoring.
If any water leaks are detected, these LoRa-enabled sensors send an instantaneous alert to facilities management so that any potential damage to the property can be greatly reduced or eliminated with quick action.
Previously, rainfall led to water intrusion into one of the main switchgear rooms at Ghirardelli Square, resulting in temporary interruptions for the building and neighboring businesses. With the application of Noah Multifunction Leak Sensors, based on LoRa technology and running on a LoRaWAN network, the site team addressed this challenge comprehensively. The patented asset protection system detected multiple leaks within the first month itself, successfully preventing substantial damage.
“With Semtech’s LoRa technology, our discrete Kairos sensor solutions significantly impact even the most challenging real estate assets. Our sensors install in seconds while providing data, coverage, and protection for up to 10 years,” said Fung-A-Wing.
Non-intrusive facility management systems
Integrating state-of-the-art leak protection systems without disrupting the tenant and customer experience, or critical infrastructure, is a typical challenge that acquirers and restoration teams encounter across the United States.
“Having built a real estate home service business and witnessed the aftermath of over 3,000 water damage incidents made me realise the size of this problem that plagues about 14,000 homes a day in the US,” said Fung-A-Wing.
Putting modern, non-intrusive facility management systems at the heart of all risk mitigation efforts is critical to preserving these iconic assets.
“The United States spends upwards of one billion dollars annually on restoration projects, promoting economic, environmental, and educational benefits for businesses and consumers,” said Tom Mueller, executive vice president and general manager, IoT System Products Group at Semtech.
“As we modernise and preserve more historical locations, we must use minimally invasive, low-power and long-range risk mitigation solutions that do not disrupt the cultural experience."
Tom Mueller, Semtech
"From water leaks to smoke detection, to air quality, to power management, and more, LoRa is the answer. And, in the case of Ghirardelli Square, who doesn’t like a wonderful piece of chocolate?” Mueller said.
Semtech’s LoRa technology continues to be the de facto LPWAN wireless platform of IoT devices with more than 300 million LoRa end nodes deployed across the globe. Semtech's LoRa chipsets connect sensors to the cloud and enable real-time communication of data and analytics. This prompt management helps to enhance the efficiency and productivity of sustainable IoT use cases such as agriculture, industrial, transportation, and more.
