Image source: HARCA
Poplar HARCA (Housing and Regeneration Community Association) is extending the deployment of internet of things (IoT) devices across 6,000 homes in East London.
The HomeLINK environmental sensors from Aico will monitor the homes for issues such as damp and mould, ventilation, fuel poverty and indoor air quality.
The initiative follows a pilot, beginning in November of last year, which involved the installation of 2,000 devices in 486 homes. The second phase will run for the next 12 months and provide 15,000 devices to 3,000 homes.
The devices will also collect data on temperature, humidity and CO2 levels, and tenants will be able to use the HomeLINK app to access information on the condition of their homes, and can ask for any alerts in the form of SMS messages, emails and post.
Each property has its own gateway, giving the housing association a complete overview of conditions, whether for one house or a block of flats.
Insight tool
Aico said the devices come with a Signature of Mould Insight tool for the analysis of root causes of damp and mould, which compares structural issues in the fabric of the property with environmental ones relating to how it is used. This can enable the housing association to take targeted action to resolve damp and mould.
It is also able to use notifications from the devices to automate repair requests.
Elizabeth Williams, assistant director of asset management at Poplar HARCA, said: “The goal is to have safer, greener, healthier homes. While still at a relatively early stage, this roll out is already having tangible benefits to asset management at Poplar HARCA.
“In properties where devices are fitted, we’re able to support residents before mould proliferates which benefits their health and reduces our operating costs. This is a great achievement in itself.”
"The association has set up a dedicated project team including experts in IoT, data analysis and project management to support the deployment and ensure it aligns with overall business objectives."
