Shopping Malls and Business Centers: Separate Tenant Metering with LoRaWAN

Why Traditional Metering Doesn’t Scale

In the classic model, readings are taken manually or transmitted over wired networks. In malls and business centers, this results in kilometers of cables, complicated installation through finished interiors, and dependence on the human factor. A simple error or a missed month easily turns into a dispute between tenant and administration.

For multi-tenant metering solutions, LoRaWAN changes the very logic of the process. Sensors and smart meters transmit data over radio across long distances, without requiring mains power or complex installation. A single gateway can serve dozens of floors, while device autonomy reaches several years. For a facility, the adoption of NB-IoT utility meters means rapid deployment and minimal intrusion into existing infrastructure.

Transparency as the Basis of Trust

Separate LoRaWAN tenant metering gives management companies their most valuable asset—accurate data, while each tenant sees their actual consumption rather than a share of the total. The ground for any mistrust disappears, automated tenant billing becomes faster, and financial planning is made easier. For utility providers, this is also a step toward more predictable loads and correct balancing.

Utility transparency for tenants has a significant impact.. When consumption from wireless meters for commercial buildings becomes measurable and visible, behavior changes. Stores, offices, and cafés begin optimizing equipment, lighting, and climate systems. With separate utility billing, resource efficiency becomes conscious rather than an abstract clause in a lease agreement.

Scalability for Complex Facilities

In large complexes, LoRaWAN is especially valuable for its flexibility. The smart building utilities system grows effortlessly with the property: new spaces, floors, or buildings are added, and new devices simply join the network—there is no need to redesign the architecture, pull cables, or interrupt operations.

For municipalities and developers, this opens the path to “smart” facilities where metering becomes part of a unified digital ecosystem. Data from devices can be integrated into IoT-based billing automation systems, control panels, and analytics platforms. Resource management and operational efficiency in business centers reach a level unattainable with analog schemes.

How to Design LoRaWAN Metering for Malls and Business Centers So It Works from Day One

From an architectural standpoint, LoRaWAN is ideally suited for facilities with a large number of distributed metering points. The network follows a star-of-stars model: end devices (meters and sensors) send data to one or more gateways, which forward it over IP to a network server and then to the application layer (billing, dispatching, analytics). 

This structure is especially effective for shopping malls and business centers, as it separates responsibility between the “radio layer” (gateways), the “network logic” (Network Server), and the “business logic” (Application Server), without complicating installation on the tenant side.

In terms of devices, practice shows that retrofitting existing meters is often the most efficient approach. Pulse inputs and optical reading allow already installed meters to become remotely readable without replacing the entire fleet. That is why multifunctional buildings widely use pulse interfaces and modules/meters that collect data from water, heat, gas, and electricity meters and transmit it via LoRaWAN. Many solutions are specifically designed for integration with pulse output meters and long автономous operation—up to a claimed 10 years, depending on the transmission profile.

Reliable connectivity in dense urban environments is achieved not through “magical long range,” but through proper radio planning. In large concrete and monolithic buildings, signal losses through walls and floors can be significant, so relying on a single gateway often creates blind spots. Research and field observations for indoor scenarios emphasize the benefit of deploying multiple gateways to reduce packet loss and increase reliability. 

Practical guidelines often cite empirical rules such as placing gateways roughly every ~30 meters and every five floors to achieve stable indoor coverage. Equally important are correct installation points (height and clear line of sight), a preliminary site survey, and maintaining sufficient distance between devices to avoid self-interference.

Continuous Control That Works

Separate commercial building metering is not only about finances—it is also about safety and control. Consumption anomalies highlighted by  energy and water monitoring make it possible to quickly detect leaks, equipment failures, or unauthorized connections. For large facilities, predictive maintenance for meters ensures a proactive approach, reducing the risk of accidents and lowering emergency repair costs.

LoRaWAN also makes this control continuous in smart city commercial buildings. Data arrives automatically and regularly, forming a consumption history. And by using the data, forecasts can be built, engineering systems modernized, and tariffs discussed with suppliers using solid arguments.

A Technology for New and Existing Buildings

LoRaWAN is equally suitable for new construction and for existing facilities. In operating malls and business centers, it often becomes the only realistic way to move to individual metering without major renovations. Compact sensors are installed on existing meters, and network deployment takes weeks, not months.

For developers, the use of NB-IoT meters for business centers and shopping malls is a chance to embed digital infrastructure at the design stage, increasing a property’s attractiveness to tenants. For HOAs and municipalities, it’s a tool for transparent management that easily scales from a single building to an entire district.

Separate tenant metering with LoRaWAN transforms engineering networks from a “black box” into a clear and manageable system. Scalable commercial metering using wireless infrastructure deployment reduces conflicts, builds trust, saves resources, and lays the foundation for smart buildings. 

In an era of rising tariffs and growing infrastructure complexity, real-time consumption tracking is no longer just a technological novelty—it is a logical step toward sustainable property management.