How IoT Sensors Can Help Facilities Managers Hit Sustainability Goals

Sensor for IT equipment As facilities managers face mounting pressure to see their properties hit mandated sustainability targets, it would seem help is on the way with IoT‑driven solutions. Here, Pippa Boothman, Vice‑President of Marketing and Communications for Disruptive Technologies, tells us why wireless sensors and remote monitoring represent a breakthrough in transforming existing buildings into smart, sustainable buildings.

The global push for a more sustainable world has hit every industry in every corner of the globe and the buildings sector is no exception. International summits such as the Paris Accord have set strict sustainability guidelines for new construction in an effort to make buildings carbon neutral.

It’s little wonder as to why.

Buildings use about 40% of global energy, 25% of global water, 40% of global resources, and they emit approximately 1/3 of GHG emissions. The World Green Building Council released a report suggesting that every building on the planet must be net‑zero carbon by 2050 to keep global warming below 2°C.

New buildings are being designed to be more sustainable, however, even the greenest of new buildings may not be the most sustainable option. The National Trust for Historic Preservation studied the relative environmental impacts of building reuse and renovation vs. new construction over an assumed 75‑year lifetime. They found a new building that is 30% more efficient than the average building takes 10 to 80 years to overcome the negative climate change impacts resulting from construction.

It is unrealistic to expect that these issues will be addressed through renovation and construction retrofitting. The current pace of building renovation sees only 0.5‑1% of the building stock renovated annually.

The answer lies in IoT sensors that monitor and gather data which, in turn, improves sustainability through aspects such as resource conservation, energy efficiency, and overall waste reduction.



How IoT Can Play An Important Role

The advancement in wireless sensor technology now enables facilities managers to digitally retrofit older buildings and assets. In minutes, assets can be smart and sustainable at a rate never seen before, and at a price never imagined. Not only are sensors enabling a quick transformation, but also an easy and affordable transformation. The power of IoT can bring sustainability to places never before thought possible.

Here are just some of the ways IoT technology can help reach building sustainability targets.

  1. Water Conservation - Many compliance issues engender a significant amount of waste in facilities management. With routine full system flushing, thousands of gallons of water are wasted annually in the prevention of legionella. With remote monitoring, building managers can see when water has flowed through individual sections of pipework, and at what temperature, allowing for targeted action on low‑use areas, rather than a blanket approach. This will save water and energy which will go a long way to reducing a building’s carbon footprint.
  2. Optimising Indoor Climate Controls - Using wireless sensors to monitor environmental conditions in real‑time allows facilities managers to manage the space proactively and get actionable insights and alerts. For example, heat mapping provides invaluable space‑measurement metrics such as temperature, humidity, light, noise, energy consumption, and human activity. This then becomes an excellent tool for identifying the peak usage of spaces and their HVAC (Heat Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems. This information helps tremendously in optimising a building's efficiency, therefore saving on energy and reducing your carbon footprint.
  3. Desk Occupancy Optimisation - Occupancy sensors and solutions provide real‑time visibility on the utilisation of rooms, desks, and breakout areas, to enable instant access to information about space availability. By placing sensors underneath desks, you can, in real‑time, analyse the peak occupancy of desks and use this data to set up specific and targeted cleaning regimes. We are also able to use these sensors in washrooms to provide feedback and alerts if replenishment of products is required, or increased cleaning is required. All of this reduces unnecessary cleaning efforts which waste products and energy, thus improving overall sustainability.

No longer does the idea of making existing buildings more sustainable seem out of reach. The advancement in IoT wireless sensors now makes it possible for facilities managers everywhere to quickly and easily reduce water, energy and resource consumption. This, along with the other measures discussed here, will go a long way to helping communities reduce their carbon footprint and reach emissions targets.

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How IoT Sensors Can Help Facilities Managers Hit Sustainability Goals