SensorFlow, a Singapore-based tech firm with the stated goal of transforming the hotel industry into being smart and energy-efficient via internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) energy management services, today announced its partnership with ST Hospitality in Singapore.
SensorFlow, founded in 2016 by Saikrishnan Ranganathan and Max Pagel, uses installed sensors in hotel rooms and service apartments as well as predictive AI technology to monitor occupancy rates and humidity levels. They analyse this data and, along with hospitality firms, plan strategies to make the rooms more energy-efficient and productive.
“At SensorFlow, our mission is to make every building more productive, energy-efficient and sustainable, so we started by focusing first on hotels and resorts due to their high levels of energy consumption,” said Saikrishnan Ranganathan CEO and Co-Founder of SensorFlow. “In Singapore, ST Hospitality has taken a bold step towards showing how corporate residential buildings can be more energy-efficient.”
Aiming for a swift rebound from the challenges of COVID-19, the firm is partnering with ST Hospitality to remotely optimise HVAC consumption in the rooms, while the team is working closely with the hotel’s staff to optimise housekeeping and predictive maintenance strategies for maximum productivity and minimum contact with guests for their safety.
On average, SensorFlow conducts approximately five to eight hours of A/C automation daily per installed room to minimise excess heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy consumption arising from wasteful guest behaviour, which could help buildings save up to 30 per cent in their energy savings. Beyond energy savings, SensorFlow’s solution also helps buildings be more operationally efficient and save them up to 40 per cent in maintenance costs.
Under the partnership, SensorFlow and ST Hospitality brands ST Residences and ST Signature have signed on a total of 312 rooms, including their properties in Tiong Bahru, Novena, Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown and Jalan Besar.
This new partnership officially marks the expansion of SensorFlow’s portfolio into residential corporate properties and spaces, initiating a new direction for the company’s growth and business in the region.
Managed by ST Hospitality, ST Residences offer luxurious and well-furnished corporate apartments at affordable rates for business travellers. Currently, ST Hospitality are servicing clients that range from individuals to large corporations like Airbus, Uber, Rio Tinto, Ernst & Young and also Universities such as Insead, Essex and NUS.
“SensorFlow’s technology is easy to set up and intelligently manages the room environment with minimal involvement from our staff. We are saving costs and lowering our carbon footprint, so SensorFlow’s solution helps us maximise efficiency and productivity on all fronts,” said Ng Xin Fang, Senior Operations Manager, ST Hospitality.
Hotels are big consumers of energy, from lighting and HVAC to catering, cleaning and laundry services. SensorFlow's systems provide a way for them to reduce their carbon footprint through improving energy efficiency by optimising energy management.
With SensorFlow’s technology, ST Hospitality can also access room occupancy data and trends to optimise housekeeping and service planning aiming for proper social distancing and minimum interaction with guests.
SensorFlow’s ability to provide remote oversight of room environments and HVAC systems helps ST Hospitality meet the new demand for contactless services. Housekeeping teams can plan their routes based on live occupancy data to prevent any accidental guest contact in the post-COVID-19 environment.
SensorFlow has formally announced expansion plans in other markets in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Hong Kong. So far, it has signed on over 10,000 rooms across different markets in the region, with projected figures of covering 100,000 rooms by the end of 2020.
