Runwise FAQs

Runwise consists of a single control (computer) and wireless network across your entire building. Once this control and wireless network are installed in your building, it can power dozens of different services - like heating control, cooling control, natural gas detection, floor detection, running toilet detection, smoke detection etc. The single platform approach has several benefits:

1. 90% cheaper

Once you have the control and wireless network installed for one service, every other service can use it, and is extremely inexpensive to install. We estimate a single platform approach to buildings is 90% cheaper than using many different services and platforms. 

2. Everything in one app

With a single platform approach, all of your buildings, all of your systems, all of your team members will be in one app. This means less training, higher usage, and a much easier experience for everyone.

3. Better experience

Instead of installing 3 sensors in each apartment - one to monitor temperature for cooling control, one to monitor temperature for heating control, and one to detect gas leaks, a single sensor can do all three when all three services use the same platform.

Runwise invented the world’s most powerful wireless technology for building, that allows us to replace multi week control installs that require miles of wiring, electrical work, and plumbing work, with a completely wireless install. And every device we install has a 10 year battery life. This means we can do most installs in less than a day, and nothing needs to be updated or replaced for 10 years afterwards. 

Runwise is the first control platform that is so fast and easy to install, and so effective at reducing utility costs, that most buildings (when applying financing) can pay $0 upfront, and be generating thousands of dollars of profit in month one. On top of the energy savings, buildings get (for free) modern technology that detects critical issues before they harm the building to tenants, the ability to view and control their entire portfolio of buildings and every system in them on their smartphone, and algorithms that make the buildings precisely comfortable and easier to manage (rather than having the team constantly have to guess arbitrary settings). 

You can see live (transparent) results for our 7,500 buildings here.

Legacy control companies make money by selling expensive equipment with large upfront costs. That’s great for them, but terrible for customers. Once the equipment is installed those vendors disappear. Will your team actually use the control? Will it actually deliver energy savings? Will the company show up when you have a problem and need service? The answer is almost always no. Because they have no financial incentive. 

We designed Runwise to be the first building control platform that aligns our incentives with yours’ as building owner or manager. We make no money on upfront costs and only make money if you choose to continue to work with us (and pay us) over many years. And since we have no long term contracts, if we don’t deliver results (energy savings, a great user experience, service and support 24/7/365 when you need us) you’ll stop paying us. It means we’re truly accountable to delivering results, not products. 

We also include a number of elements that have ongoing costs for us that our subscription fee helps pay for. These are critical to being able to consistently deliver results every year:

• Dedicated & secure internet line - for security reasons we bring in our own wireless internet connection (that we pay for) that is encrypted and never touches the internet to ensure your critical systems are always secure.  
• 24/7/365 support - seriously try calling us at 3am, we will pick up. 
• Live training  -On going live training for all of your team members (including new ones that join) to ensure they know how to use the platform 
• A dedicated building systems expert - who is responsible for making sure your buildings save energy as we estimated. This person will pick up the phone when needed if the building is not getting results.
• 365 technician service - have a major issue with any of our technology? We have a dedicated service team to come to your building to fix it.

No, Runwise is the first completely open platform built on open APIs. What are open APIs? Open APIs mean you can connect / download / change or interact with anything our systems does with any other system or customer technology you want. We have dozens of integrations with other software systems, and hundreds of custom integrations building owners have built themselves. Every aspect of our platform is transparently open and accessible with open APIs. 

More importantly, we believe being open is also about being open with your results. We believe there isn’t enough transparency in this industry. Every day we see vendors make promises we know they will never deliver on. To address this, we have become the first company to publish 100% of our building’s savings information publicly so you can see how we have performed in every single building we have ever been installed in. We believe if a vendor isn't willing to publish its results, it’s because they aren’t delivering them. See our live results here.

The first generation of heating controls back in the 60s and 70s used a basic timer and an outdoor thermostat to decide when to run heat in a building. The idea was, if it’s below a certain temperature outside, the control will run the heat for a certain amount of time to make sure the building doesn’t get cold.

The problem with this is that just because the temperature drops outside, that doesn’t always mean the temperature inside the building has dropped enough to need heat. So when the outside temp drops and the heat kicks on, the building is overheated and quickly gets uncomfortable.

The only solution for the building tenants has been to complain and open their windows. Building managers then get inundated with constant complaints and the owners end up paying higher utility costs while the tenants literally let that expensive heat go right out the window.

Even though these types of timer-based heating controls were developed 50+ years ago, most buildings (even brand new buildings) still operate on the same type of tech based on outside temperatures.

Buildings using Runwise save an average of 21% on heating fuel costs, with $70 million saved across more than 7,500 buildings. Before installation, we’ll provide a savings estimate specific to your building, and Runwise offers a money-back guarantee if you don’t save money. 

Runwise is effective in buildings of all ages, including those with distribution challenges. While we don’t fix plumbing issues, the wireless temperature sensors we install around your building and heating system immediately identify any issues (such as specific lines or apartments that are cold, or a heating system that goes down) so you can resolve them before they become major problems.

Runwise heating is quantifiably one of the best financial investments most centrally heated buildings can make, independent of carbon compliance goals or costs. Most Runwise buildings do not have compliance issues, and choose to do Runwise heating because it’s a better way to operate their building (financially and otherwise). By implementing Runwise heating you save money, make your building safer and more comfortable AND compliant with your local carbon legislation requirements.  

The Runwise system uses battery-powered sensors that easily attach to water risers non-invasively without plumbing or electrical work. These sensors monitor water flow and immediately send alerts if a leak or running toilet is detected. You’ll receive notifications through the mobile app, as well as email and text alerts, allowing for quick repairs and reducing water waste.

Yes, smart gas detectors can also serve as temperature and humidity sensors, helping your building’s heating and cooling systems run more efficiently. This dual-purpose functionality improves both safety and energy efficiency. It also reduces the total cost of management systems in a building - when one device has multiple purposes, the cost of having a lot of single-purpose devices around the building is eliminated.