Data Analytics & Smart Building Science Articles | Buildings IOT Blog

The best way for building owners and facilities managers to make Internet of Things (IoT) technology effective involves thinking first about what this technology can accomplish for their particular situation. When looking at creating a smart system with advanced automation, IoT devices should be chosen with careful consideration of the problems they are meant to resolve and the practicality of any possible solutions in each building. By identifying specific objectives, you can make better decisions about which technologies to introduce. 

Every hotel has to adjust to the changing demands of travelers or risk being left behind. This can be as simple as putting desks in a room and calling it an office suite or as complex as revamping your energy system to become more eco-conscious. But increasingly, the latter is becoming an important way to appeal to guests, reduce energy costs, and create more sustainable infrastructure.

Administrators of healthcare facilities worldwide are increasingly deciding to incorporate new technologies to achieve greater energy efficiency in hospitals. In India, for example, Kohinoor Hospital recently achieved platinum certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for using LED and CFL light bulbs, along with photovoltaic solar power to run its air conditioning equipment. In Singapore, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital uses energy-saving lighting and solar panels along with sensors and other IoT devices to regulate its energy usage. At the heart of these systems is a building management system (BMS) that continuously monitors electricity consumption and building equipment to minimize waste. 

Wilcox’s Pier Restaurant, 1931. The first automatic doors in the world debuted between the kitchen and the dining room as a way to prevent servers laden with trays from having to kick the doors open. Ninety years ago, this now-unnoticed bit of technology arguably made Wilcox’s Pier the first “smart” building. 

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, Internet of Things (IoT) technology has provided important tools for countless industries. IoT enables doctors and other healthcare workers to diagnose and treat patients remotely, deliver vital medical equipment and medicines to remote areas, and IoT-enabled robots are even helping keep healthcare facilities clean, reducing the risk of transmission. Office buildings are turning to IoT devices to monitor air quality to prepare buildings for reopening and keep occupants safe. IoT sensors are increasingly being paired with intelligent analytics in all types of commercial buildings to improve fault detection and diagnostics to allow for remote monitoring and to minimize the need for on-site personnel.

Motel 6’s “We’ll leave the light on for you” slogan spoke to the hospitality of the brand, but it could also apply to two main libraries on the University of California at Berkeley campus thanks to their newly installed smart lighting system. The new system gives facility managers the ability to control and automate anything from a single fixture to entire circuits, allowing them to curb energy usage and reduce waste. In the Doe Library, fluorescent lighting shuts off during daylight hours when skylights can provide natural lighting. Using a web interface, Berkeley’s Moffitt Library now regulates lighting according to holidays, exams, and other nuances of the university’s academic year. Facility managers can control lighting on a customizable schedule, using a software scheduling application that is accessible via a web portal and allows overrides for when cleaning crews are on premises.

People who work in commercial buildings naturally have some idea how many systems are working together at any one time to make the building operate.