Kii taking IoT into empowering the building sector through collaboration with HOUZE

Kii is a Japanese company that provides a cloud-based IoT platform. I had a recent briefing with their CEO, Masanari Arai – more of which in a later blog. Their platform covers all three layers of things, services and apps, and is provided with a flexible deployment model of public cloud, dedicated cloud or private cloud.

On March 11^th 2017, Kii announced its collaboration with HOUZE to help integrate disruptive technologies into consumer and commercial real estate development and buildings. Their joint offering creates net-zero energy homes specialising in the commercialisation of advanced building technologies. The HOUZE zero-energy home uses modern technology and building material to meet the highest energy efficiency standards while creating a safer, stronger structure and touts a near-zero carbon footprint.

HOUZE has been developing and building zero-energy, affordable homes in a suburb of Houston in the USA. These homes produce significantly more electricity than they use through the utilization of natural gas co-generation Power Cells. The specifications of these homes include:

• Near zero carbon footprint
• 44 hers rating
• 130 mph wind tolerance
• 100% powered by natural gas & power cell
• Zero energy payments for 10 years
• 40% discount on homeowners insurance
• 15 year siding no-paint warranty

HOUZE is establishing a network of ‘living labs’ across the globe that will illustrate the lifestyle benefits of IoT in both residential and commercial buildings. Kii will be the platform enabling smart automation and monitoring in these living labs, which will contain smart devices and solutions from a variety of device manufacturers that operate within the HOUZE IoT Ecosystem.

David Goswick, CEO, HOUZE, in the announcement stated, “IoT is a disruptive force that will revolutionise the housing and building industry by redefining quality of life. In order for us to capitalise on applying IoT to homes and buildings and to achieve our zero-energy vision, we chose Kii as our IoT platform partner provider to help us build upon the HOUZE Ecosystem.”

Masanari Arai, CEO, Kii stated. “Kii will help HOUZE to create IoT solutions and services for the real estate development and building industries, for both new development and retrofit.  Combining the innovative energy management from HOUZE and IoT platform solution from Kii, this will revolutionise the way all homes are built and retrofitted with advanced energy-saving technologies.”

Both Kii and HOUZE are actively collaborating with the AllSeen Alliance; a cross-industry consortium dedicated to enabling the interoperability of billions of devices, services and apps that comprise the Internet of Things.

Look up for my blog about the Kii platform in the next few days.