With recent environmental policies making headlines, there is a new awareness of reduced emissions and stricter environmental regulations in the future. Reducing energy use is not only good for the environment, but it also leads to significant cost savings and becomes a hallmark of corporate social responsibility.
IoT and energy efficiency
IoT technology offers businesses a powerful way to balance employee and customer comfort at the highest levels of energy efficiency. These technologies can automate manually intensive tasks such as monitoring temperature and humidity throughout a building, tracking energy usage patterns over time, and ensuring equipment is operating at peak efficiency. IoT systems are even more effective when they are integrated with service automation platforms, which can schedule maintenance when faults or anomalies are detected.
There are many use cases for IoT in controlling energy use. Here are four smart ways for businesses to control costs and reduce their impact on the environment:
1. Monitor physical spaces and adapt to usage patterns. By tracking the amount of pedestrian traffic, control systems can intelligently turn lights on or off and adjust thermostats based on how frequently certain areas are used. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, by turning down the thermostat a few degrees each day, consumers can save up to 10% on their energy bills a year. Considering the square footage that commercial buildings occupy, this 10% represents significant savings for the larger commercial environment.
2. Monitor facilities and equipment to prevent inefficiencies and accidents. Keeping large equipment well-maintained and running at peak efficiency is critical to reducing the cost of systems like HVAC and generators. IoT sensors allow devices to be centrally tracked to ensure they are functioning properly and not consuming more power than they need. By analyzing the data collected, you can identify potential failures before they occur, and automated software can trigger repair or maintenance orders to ensure no costly surprises occur.
3. Weather sensing and “preprocessing”. A combination of weather forecasts and IoT sensors can monitor environmental conditions near buildings, allowing you to “pre-condition” your facility and make adjustments in advance to avoid costly spikes in energy use. Analyzing historical weather data and intersecting it with energy use in environmental systems allows you to identify patterns and replace equipment that proves to be uneconomical.
4. Crowdsource feedback. Human feedback is another powerful tool for minimizing energy use. A mobile app or strategically placed consoles allow consumers and employees to provide feedback on building comfort, allowing you to adjust heating and humidity systems to minimum levels while ensuring a comfortable environment. Mobile workstations in areas such as kitchens or mechanical and electrical rooms also allow employees to report equipment faults on-site so they can be resolved quickly, avoiding potentially costly downtime.
Zusammenfassend
Discussions about the environment have always been a hot topic. Improving energy efficiency has great benefits for both corporate development and the global environment. Technologies such as IoT and service automation can enable building managers to achieve an optimal balance between comfort and efficiency, thereby reducing operating costs. Some businesses may also see this as a sign of good corporate citizenship, but all businesses should view these measures as simple common sense.
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