ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: COVER STORY


BETTER BUILDINGS START WITH BETTER DATA


After more than two years of development, Sontay is launching WELLSense, a new approach to indoor environmental sensing.


Stacey Lucas, commercial & marketing director at Sontay, explains why its development reflects a wider shift in how we think about energy, sustainability and the people inside our buildings


T


his autumn marks an important moment for Sontay as we launch WELLSense, the


result of more than two years of research, development and questioning what the next generation of sensing technology needs to deliver. For more than 50 years, Sontay has


developed sensors that help buildings operate efficiently and effectively. But the expectations we place on our buildings are changing. Energy efficiency remains


fundamental, but today we are asking broader questions. How healthy is the indoor environment? What conditions are occupants experiencing? And how can we balance wellbeing with the need to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions? WELLSense has been developed in


response to that changing conversation.


AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVOLVE Standards such as the WELL Building Standard and RESET have helped bring indoor environmental quality into greater focus. At the same time, net-zero ambitions and pressure to reduce operational energy mean building operators need better information on which to base decisions. For Sontay, we saw an opportunity to evolve our


existing expertise. We understood sensing, BMS integration and the practical challenges faced by consultants, installers and building operators. We wanted to explore whether we could bring more environmental information together while making the overall solution simpler. Rather than continuing to add individual devices,


could we streamline how indoor environmental conditions are measured? That question became the starting point for WELLSense.


TWO YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT The concept sounds straightforward: combine


multiple environmental measurements within one platform that can integrate with the BMS. The reality presented considerably more challenges. Bringing particulate matter – PM1, PM2.5 and


PM10 – together with CO2, carbon monoxide, total volatile organic compounds, temperature


and relative humidity required careful consideration of accuracy, airflow, calibration, positioning, communications and enclosure design.


6 For us, this is where sensing technology


is heading: from a component within the controls architecture to part of a building’s operational intelligence.


SUSTAINABILITY STARTS WITH HOW


WE MANUFACTURE How WELLSense is made is also an important part of its story. WELLSense is designed and manufactured


at Sontay’s facility in Edenbridge, Kent. In June 2026, Sontay became officially certified by Made in Britain, recognising our commitment to UK manufacturing. Manufacturing in the UK keeps design,


development, technical expertise and production closely connected, giving us greater control throughout the process and supporting the reliability and longevity we expect from our products. There is a wider sustainability


consideration too. Manufacturing closer to the markets we serve can help reduce transportation requirements and associated carbon emissions, while shorter supply chains can offer greater transparency and resilience. We also want to demonstrate that UK manufacturing and affordability do not have to be competing objectives. For Sontay, Made in


WELLSense is designed and manufactured at Sontay’s facility in Edenbridge, Kent


Yet those challenges became opportunities. Could


multiple devices become one? Could installation complexity be reduced? Could we provide the information increasingly required by consultants and building owners while keeping the product practical for installers and operators? Most importantly, could we make the resulting data useful?


DATA NEEDS A PURPOSE Simply collecting more data does not make a building more sustainable or healthier. Its value comes from what we do with it. CO2 can provide insight into ventilation


conditions. Temperature and humidity help us understand comfort. Particulate matter and VOC measurements give visibility of pollutants we cannot necessarily see. When environmental information is considered


alongside occupancy, ventilation, energy and other building-services data, operators can develop a richer understanding of how their building is performing. Rather than operating against assumptions, data can support informed decisions based on actual conditions.


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Autumn 2026


Britain represents more than a mark on a product. It reflects a commitment to considered design,


responsible manufacturing and


products built for long-term performance. That commitment has received further


recognition, with being shortlisted for Inspiring Leader of the Year at the 2026 Made in Britain Impact Awards. WELLSense is only at the beginning of its


journey. But after two years of development, its launch represents an important step in Sontay’s evolution and our view of where sensing technology is heading. As energy, sustainability and wellbeing


become increasingly interconnected, better decisions will depend upon better information. Sensors give us visibility. Data gives us


understanding. The opportunity now is to turn that understanding into better buildings for the planet and the people inside them.


SEE WELLSENSE IN ACTION Discover how WELLSense can provide greater


insight into your indoor environment. WELLSense product demos can be booked via the website.


Sontay www.sontay.com


www.essmag.co.uk


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