Vonovia prevents elevator malfunctions with digital remote monitoring 

• The housing company has installed a remote monitoring system for its around 3,500 passenger elevators.
• Digital sensor box on elevator reduces downtime and thus increases tenant satisfaction.
• Vonovia acquires Dr. Schönberger GmbH and offers system to other service providers for use.
• Cooperation with start-up Othermo helps reduce CO₂ emissions and optimizes heating systems.

Bochum, August 31, 2023 – Vonovia has installed new remote monitoring technology in all of its passenger elevators as part of the digitization strategy that the company is systematically pursuing for its buildings. With Vonovia’s acquisition of Dr. Schönberger GmbH, the innovative service solution is not only being used for the company’s own elevators but is also being offered to external interested parties.

Diagnostics through digital information

The functionality of the passenger elevators is of utmost importance to the tenants: The newly installed technology is used to prevent downtime and ensure the seamless operation of the systems. With around 5,000 elevators in its portfolio – including not only passenger elevators but also freight elevators, elevators for the disabled, and lifting platforms – the housing company is the biggest operator of elevators in Germany. The company has equipped its entire contingent of 3,500 passenger elevators with Vonovia Asset Observation (VAO), an innovative remote monitoring technology. Together, these elevators complete more than 300,000 trips a day.

Using the digital sensor boxes, the status of the elevators can be assessed remotely, and the maintenance service has all the relevant information at its disposal at a glance. Data collected at the elevator is transferred to a cloud in real time and visualized in a key performance indicator dashboard. This data is evaluated in such a way that both trends, over a longer period and unusual conditions, are detected at an early stage.

The VAO system works with all types and years of manufacture of elevators, regardless of brand. This means that other service providers can also work with VAO. Dr. Schönberger GmbH, for example, has been using this digital solution for the remote monitoring of elevators for its own services since it was acquired by Vonovia in June and adds to Vonovia’s expertise in elevator management.

Vision of the digital building

Leveraging the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT), Vonovia has developed a diagnostics and monitoring platform that makes downtime and technical status available at any time and from any location. This also enables preventive maintenance of the elevators. The number of potential downtimes can be significantly reduced via monitoring. Should a downtime occur nonetheless, repairs can be initiated even faster.

Wilhelm Köhler, Head of IoT at Vonovia, explains the possibilities: “We develop the systems and sensors from VAO ourselves, adapted to our needs. After installing them in several thousand elevators, we can draw a very positive interim result: We receive data from the elevators in real time, can take preventive action and, moreover, are enabled to precise planning.”

In addition to the passenger elevator systems, Vonovia also plans to gradually equip the other elevators with the remote monitoring technology. The development team, part of Vonovia Engineering in Munich, Bochum, and Berlin, is constantly refining the platform. It is now also being used for remote monitoring and for optimizing heating systems.

15 percent energy and CO₂ savings

For use on central heating systems, Vonovia has teamed up with the start-up Othermo to develop a digital solution that is part of its climate-neutral modernization strategy. This tool detects heating failures in real time and provides support for the optimized setting of system technology. In this way, the environment is protected, and 15 percent of energy and CO₂ can be saved, directly benefiting tenants.

Vonovia acquired a stake in Othermo GmbH in 2021 to further pursue Vonovia’s IoT strategy. Building data-driven models to reduce CO₂ emissions and cut downtime offers enormous potential for increased efficiency and enhanced service.