Smart Buildings

How will IoT Make Building Smart and Greener
admin
June 20, 2022
IoT, Technology

How will IoT Make Building Smart and Greener?

Smart building technology is becoming a new fashion, fuelled by a global need for better sustainability, reduced waste, and optimal use of resources.

Smart buildings are accessorized with technological advancements of the latest technology, i.e., the Internet of Things, to manage resources, assets, and services effectively, boosting building operations, energy consumption and resource management, and overall resident experience.

Today, buildings are responsible for around 38 percent of global CO2 emissions and 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption; therefore, remodeling buildings’ energy consumption and sustainability are vital to meeting global climate goals.

To adapt this remodeling has already been made clear by U.S. President Biden’s administration, who informed the Buildings Performance Standards Coalition in January. It will be a first-of-its-kind partnership between 33 states and local governments working hard to deliver cleaner, healthier, and more energy-efficient buildings.

The process of optimizing energy consumption in the building sector is a gigantic undertaking; it can begin at the smallest level, i.e., from the tiny chips that power the IoT.

Smart buildings integrate IoT technology into many areas- from digitizing people’s flow and space usage to reconstructing water supply networks. One of the biggest prospects for smart buildings is revolutionizing energy consumption, beginning with smart energy distribution systems and smart HVAC equipment.

Smart Energy Distribution Systems:

Traditional energy distribution systems are positioned in a unidirectional fashion in which energy is expected to flow from generators into loads. 

Usually, power plants generate energy and collect it in the urban centers of these systems.

The introduction and utilization of renewable energy sources like solar and wind have changed the picture of the energy distribution as the energy distribution system has to permit omnidirectional energy flow. A building that consumed energy could now integrate rooftop solar panels to produce and return excess energy into the grid.

Smart energy allocation systems authorize this omnidirectional energy flow and facilitate the integration of renewable distributed energies to collect energy back into the power grid. This whole system reduces energy consumption by enhancing the system’s efficiency and even uncloses a distributed energy generation model. Buildings are becoming energy producers and giving up their earlier character that is consuming energy, ultimately shifting towards green energy.

Advanced sensors and wireless IoT technologies are laying the foundation for smart energy grid transformation, where smart buildings play a pivotal role in fostering a greener, more connected power grid to shape a more sustainable future.

Smart HVAC Systems:

Smart HVAC systems are exciting evolution in smart buildings, which provides energy efficiency, air quality, and resident comfort. With the hit of the COVID-19 pandemic, vendors are looking at a shortened HVAC upgrade cycle. Dealers and distributors are integrating their HVAC systems with new and smart technologies. Today, when everything is shaping into a smart version, building residents are now expecting granular control of HVAC settings in each room and area of their building. In this situation, IoT is a savior as it adds a new level to the comfort experience inside the buildings.

Motorized vents and dampers integrated with wireless connectivity to phones and tablets allow residents to set the temperature and the CO2, humidity, and air quality. Building managers can also benefit from IoT connectivity to know the room occupancy, reduce energy usage, and optimize energy use throughout the premises.

Monitoring Building Health:

Monitoring building health is another important aspect of smart building growth areas. More environmental sensors are being added to buildings beyond traditional temperature and humidity. These sensors control smart dampers for better airflow and outdoor air exchange, manage connected equipment for predictive maintenance to avoid equipment failure, flow meters for real-time leak detection, gas sensors to detect air particles, and many other things.

We are already familiar with connected fire and smoke detection sensors, but with the addition of the latest technology, we can witness more wireless connectivity with long-range wireless and Bluetooth to develop an installer interface.

All three major applications, i.e., energy management, fire safety, and building health monitoring add more connectivity and digital capability.

The Importance of Reliability and Cybersecurity:

Well, aside from the great benefits offered by smart building, there are some challenges faced by smart building to be dealt with with skilled engineering.

The first challenge is technological: wireless networks of such complex systems should be reliable and stable. Though wireless mesh network technology is highly adept, vendors and manufacturers are required to ensure the reliability of their products to estimate the true potential of wireless networks in building environments.

Integrating wireless networks makes buildings vulnerable to cyber attacks. Silicon vendors and product manufacturers have stepped up their cybersecurity game to combat such threats. Uncompromised efforts and constant focus on security while developing and distributing smart solutions will be highly helpful in transforming the building sector.

A Smarter, Greener Future:

The best part about smart buildings is that they are not limited to just brand new structures; these buildings can be retrofitted with smart technology as well. Implementing wireless connectivity in existing systems allows for smooth adoption and speeds up the adoption of wireless communications in buildings.

The initiation of both public and private sectors to improve energy use in the building sector signifies that the coming years will be the era of smart building adoption. Today, when it has become important to reduce CO2 emissions in all sectors and maximize energy efficiency and consumption, the employment of the latest technology and the use of IoT in buildings can charter the way to sustainability and improve the quality of life for individuals and group level.

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How is IoT Making Buildings Smart and Efficient
admin
July 21, 2021
IoT

How is IoT Making Buildings Smart and Efficient?

Internet of Things is making space for its growth in almost every sector. We can say that the day is not far when the Internet of things will become a primordial need of every industry. It has just not changed the outlook of the manufacturing or retail or logistic industry or dairy but is contributing in enhancing the profits as well as helping in providing better service to customers. 

So, today most of the sectors are willing to adopt the most innovative technology, i.e. IoT, because of the favours and benefits provided by it. As per surveys, the global IoT market would grow by $421.28 billion during 2021-2025 — a CAGR of 33% and $8 billion in 2019 to $19 billion by 2027 in the construction industry. 

Well, if we talk about managing facilities and buildings, you might take some time to calculate the work and task and feel burdensome. Maintaining facilities in a building requires effort and cautiousness because a bit of delay may end up in an unhealthy environment along with disappointment. 

So, let us see how IoT applications are helping in managing facilities and buildings. 

Today, facility managers have to work proactively to stay competitive and ahead of the curve. They should have knowledge of technology and innovations. They should offer new digital services and ensure that their buildings are adapted for the future while ensuring the most reliable environment for everyone who will be using it. 

Let us check some of the ways through which IoT is improving buildings and facilities. 

How is IoT improving facility management?

Internet of Things-enabled devices can improve facility management and make premises a better place for employees and everyone else working with the organization.

The advantages of including IoT in building management are:

  • IoT reduces operational costs by creating cost-effective, energy-efficient buildings that operate efficiently and handle resources in the most optimal way.
  • IoT keeps employees safe and healthy by encouraging clean, tidy, and hygienic environments that are regulated and cleaned as per the need caused by the constant movement of humans.
  • IoT promises to maximize productivity, ensuring all team members have everything they require to complete their tasks and stay relaxed and concentrated all the time.
  • IoT devices ensure safety and risk mitigation; they detect risk areas, automate relevant action, and keep physical and digital assets safe and secure as long as possible.

Facility Management Examples:

Managing Desk and Workplace Occupancy using IoT:

As the COVID-19 pandemic has hit globally, one of the biggest challenges was running a business to sustain the economy. Most of the organizations and companies adopted the startling trend and provided remote employment. There is a massive rise in remote working, i.e. from early COVID-19 to March 2021; remote employment increased from 15% to 70%. 

It is supposed that this work from home facility won’t be a temporary change- about half of the employees expect this work from home culture would continue for them into the near future, and 31% believe it will be permanent.

Internet of Things can support businesses in managing their premises effectively and efficiently during this challenging time. In coming years occupancy can fluctuate between days as we move towards a model where employees will join the office a few days each week. 

IoT enabled devices such as sensors attached to desks can trace, predict and inform office occupancy. It creates digital plans that would allow employees to find space promptly. It offers the tools to optimize the existing space by grouping desks as per the need of the office. IoT even saves energy and helps in freeing up space for new uses.

Air Quality Monitoring using IoT:

Air quality issues have been a significant concern, but pandemics brought this issue into the spotlight. Air quality and proper ventilation have always been a priority concern in offices. Before COVID-19, poor ventilation has caused:

  • Easily disease developed
  • High possibility of respiratory diseases such as asthma
  • Allergies
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Dry eyes

Improper ventilation also impacts productivity- one study saw that poor ventilation at the workplace decreased employees’ cognitive ability, making them perform worse at their jobs and decreasing their productivity. 

One of the best solutions to this issue is adopting IoT devices to measure air quality conditions such as humidity, temperature, CO2 levels, etc. This feature enables pinpointing the areas for concern and taking relevant actions to create a safe and healthy environment for employees which ultimately improves productivity for the entire team.

Washroom Monitoring using IoT:

A clean washroom is a priority and no doubt, keeping a restroom clean in a busy office with limited cleaning staff and resources is challenging. Keeping the washroom tidy is an essential part of managing a pleasant, healthy and safe environment.

Thankfully, IoT is a saviour in this situation also. IoT devices can track the washroom business, enabling the prediction of when rooms will require cleaning and how many times in a day.

Thus, one can allocate a building’s cleaning resources more efficiently and help cleaning staff spend time more effectively. Therefore, this helps develop a cleaner and more enjoyable environment for employees in the organization and reduces extra expenditure and saves resources.

Conclusion:

Smart buildings hold a great scope in future. IoT is becoming part of every sector. It is widely used, more affordable and can manage a wide variety of jobs. No doubt it will soon become part of the furniture in offices and other commercial building globally.

We can doubtlessly say that IoT technology is ideal for facility management and brings the smart building revolution. It just not benefits the organization but also take care of employees. It smoothens the working process of the organization without compromising on quality.

If you become a part of this expanding trend now, you’ll be capable of managing your facilities in the most effective, productive and cost-efficient way. But if you are still in a dilemma and choose to work using the old-tradition method, you might face failure and loss.

So, don’t waste your time and become a part of this trend.

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