Cost-effective solution for
remote reading of water meters

When four turn-of-the-century buildings were renovated and turned into a luxury apartment complex in 2013, the contractor, Swietelsky, replaced the existing mechanical meters with Kamstrup’s MULTICAL® 21 ultrasonic water meters.

Changing with the times

While the renovation contractors wanted to maintain the elegant facades and charm of the historic buildings, they saw the need to replace the mechanical meters. Due to deteriorating accuracy, the mechanical meters could not be relied upon to ensure fair and accurate billing for the residents. Nor were they able to provide the leak detection capabilities of their modern day counterparts.

In intelligent metering solutions, the contractors saw the potential to offer the residents of what is now known as Avenue Gardens with accurate bills, only paying for what they have used, while giving the building management the ability to run a streamlined and effective business. 

Interoperability is key

When the decision was made to install intelligent water meters, the building’s management needed a solution that could be integrated with its existing software in order for the purchase to be cost-effective. The interoperability of Kamstrup’s solutions meant that meter data was compatible with a data collection system made by Hungarian company Winet Informatics Ltd, which would be integrated with the building’s management software. 

The solution also included a wireless M-bus concentrator developed by Winet Informatics, based on descriptions given by Kamstrup. 

Winet Informatics worked in partnership with Kamstrup’s Hungarian distributor, Comptech Engineering Services and Trading Ltd, who explain the reason behind choosing the Danish company:  

“One of the main reasons was that Kamstrup’s products have got a very good reputation in Hungary. They chose the MULTICAL® 21 because it is an accurate and reliable meter with a long lifetime and long-term stability,” explains Dr. Péter Macskássy, an Executive Director at Comptech.

Today, there are 158 intelligent water meters throughout Avenue Gardens’ 79 apartments as well as common areas like the pool, sauna and the gym.

Whereas mechanical meters have to be read manually, often only once a year and at great inconvenience to residents, intelligent water meters support remote reading.

 
Via the concentrator, all water meters at Avenue Gardens, including those placed in the basement, are now read remotely. This provides a regular flow of data from the meters, which allows for monitoring and analysis that enable detection of irregularities like leaks and bursts, ensuring water loss is discovered quickly.

As a result, remote reading does not just save time and money, it also protects the building and its resident’s homes from the potential effects of water damage:

“There is a dispatcher who observes all the data from the buildings. If, for example, a tenant has forgotten to turn off a tap, leaving the water running, then the dispatcher can see the problem,” explains Comptech’s Dr. Péter Macskássy.

This provides residents with an increased level of service and peace of mind. Meanwhile, the building’s owners have a long-term solution to run a sustainable business as Kamstrup’s intelligent water meters have low operating costs and are able to maintain their accuracy throughout their lifetime of up to 16 years.