Building automation and smart HVAC controls for St. Louis-area properties
Smart thermostats, occupancy sensors, lighting control and HVAC integration, aimed at the energy your building burns when nobody’s there. Savings vary widely by building, baseline and the systems controlled.
Automation pays when it reacts to real occupancy
Building automation isn’t about gadgets. It’s about cutting the energy a building uses when nobody’s in it and improving comfort when somebody is. For multifamily owners it also means fewer temperature complaints and faster turns between leases.
The biggest waste in most buildings is predictable: HVAC holding full setpoint in empty units and rooms, common-area lights on all night, and ventilation running outside business hours. The sensors and control logic that fix this are now affordable and mostly wireless.
Most of our automation work is retrofit. IP thermostats, wireless sensors and modern controllers talk to existing HVAC through BACnet, Modbus or vendor APIs, so you don’t need new equipment to start. We assess what you have and begin with the changes that pay back fastest.
Where buildings waste energy, and what we change
If any of these sound like your energy bill or your maintenance log, automation can help.
Vacant units keep running at the last resident’s setpoint.
Vacancy setbacks tied to lease status: an energy-saving setback (for example, about 80°F cooling and 60°F heating, set by you) until the next lease starts.
Common-area lights run all night.
Occupancy sensors and schedules, so hallways, gyms and garages light up when used and dim or shut off otherwise.
Conference rooms heat or cool for hours after the meeting ends.
Occupancy-based HVAC. A room comes online when it’s badged into and returns to setback when empty.
The HVAC schedule doesn’t match how the building is used.
Schedules based on occupancy data, adjusted as your usage patterns change.
You can’t see which units or zones use the most energy.
A dashboard at unit or zone level, so outliers surface and you can target them.
Residents call constantly about temperature.
Per-unit smart thermostats residents control from an app, with building-wide visibility for managers.
Automation components we install
Thermostats, sensors, lighting, HVAC integration and the dashboard that ties them together.
Smart thermostats
IP thermostats with schedules, setpoint limits and remote diagnostics. Per-unit control for multifamily, with property-manager oversight.
Occupancy and daylight sensors
Lights and HVAC respond to whether a space is in use and how much daylight it gets. Usually the simplest, fastest-payback piece.
Lighting control
Scenes, schedules, dimming and daylight harvesting for common areas, conference rooms, retail and restrooms.
HVAC integration
Connection to existing commercial HVAC via BACnet, Modbus or vendor APIs. Older systems may need a controller upgrade; we check at the walk-through.
Access-control triggers
Door reads can bring a room’s HVAC and lighting online, closing the loop between access and energy.
Energy dashboard and utility programs
Zone- or unit-level usage for owner reporting, plus enrollment help where your utility offers efficiency or demand-response rebates.
What drives the cost of building automation
The scope is set by what you want to control and what’s already there.
Unit and zone count
Each apartment, office suite or HVAC zone adds a thermostat or controller.
Existing HVAC equipment
Modern equipment with open protocols integrates easily; older units may need controller upgrades.
Sensor coverage
How many rooms, hallways and common areas get occupancy or daylight sensors.
Lighting scope
Scheduling existing fixtures is simple; adding dimming or new control wiring adds cost.
Retrofit vs. new build
Wireless gear keeps retrofits light; new construction lets us wire controls during the build.
Platform and app subscriptions
Some thermostat and resident-app platforms charge per unit each month. We list those separately.
Every project gets a free walk-through and a line-item design at three price levels.
Building automation for St. Louis & Metro East properties
St. Louis summers are hot and humid and winters are cold, so HVAC is usually the largest controllable energy cost in a building. That makes vacancy setbacks and occupancy-based scheduling worth a look for apartment communities, offices and restaurants across the region. Common starting points are garden-style apartments with individual HVAC units and older office buildings running fixed schedules with no occupancy sensing.
We install automation from Maryville throughout Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties in Illinois and St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles and Jefferson counties in Missouri, including Edwardsville, Collinsville, Belleville, Fairview Heights, Clayton, Kirkwood and St. Charles. Ameren and other utilities offer efficiency programs that change from year to year; we check what applies during the walk-through. See our service area.
From energy audit to a tuned system
Four phases, with a payback estimate before you commit. Ongoing optimization is available under an optional service agreement.
Where automation pays back fastest
Multifamily leans on vacancy setbacks, commercial buildings on after-hours HVAC, and restaurants on lighting and HVAC schedules.
Pair automation with these systems
Automation saves the most when it’s tied to occupancy, access events and the resident app.
Building automation questions
Retrofits, HVAC integration, payback, utilities and resident control.
Yes. Most of our automation work is retrofit. Wireless sensors and IP-based thermostats reduce the need to open walls. Older HVAC may need a controller upgrade; we assess at the walk-through.
Most modern commercial HVAC supports BACnet, Modbus, or vendor APIs. Older equipment may need a controller upgrade or replacement of specific components. We assess and quote at design.
They get one app, the resident app, that controls thermostat, lighting, door and intercom. Property managers get a separate dashboard with building-wide visibility.
Industry estimates put most multifamily and commercial deployments at 2–4 years; results vary by building and market. Buildings with high baseline energy use or a lot of after-hours waste tend to pay back faster. We estimate your specific case before you commit.
Yes. Automation works with any utility. Some utilities offer rebates for efficiency or demand-response participation; we help you enroll where your equipment qualifies.
Yes. Per-unit thermostats give residents control of their own space from the resident app. Property managers see building-wide patterns but don't override individual units.
Resident settings take priority in their own unit. The vacancy setback you choose only applies when the unit is vacant according to lease records.
Yes, and most projects work this way. Thermostats usually pay back fastest. Common-area lighting and HVAC controls follow when the budget allows.
In-unit lighting control is usually limited to lamps and outlets (smart plugs) unless the wiring supports it. Common-area lighting (hallways, gym, lobby) is where most multifamily lighting automation happens.
Ready to talk about building automation?
Your free three-option design: Good / Better / Best, line-item, yours to keep. We respond within 24 hours.