6 Ways IoT Sensors Can Reduce Energy Waste

The impact that we have on the environment is incredibly important and many individuals and businesses are now looking at ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprint and the damage that they create.

The energy sector is probably at the heart of this, with energy efficiency being of paramount importance to everybody. Thankfully, the rise of technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) is starting to revolutionise the energy landscape, allowing us to boost our energy efficiency and reduce energy waste.

In this article, the Pressac team discuss the role of IoT sensors in reducing energy waste, and the different ways in which they can be effective.

1. The use of smart thermostats

One of the big issues with energy use is through heating and cooling. We spend vast amounts of money on our heating bills throughout the winter, and with prices seeming to be constantly on the rise, it is important to do all we can to reduce our use.

Smart thermostats are playing an incredibly important role in saving energy and reducing bills at the same time. They are able to monitor the temperature in a room or building and alter the heating or air conditioning needs to help it remain consistent.

This means that heating or air conditioning is only used when it is needed and also allows for remote monitoring so it can be turned off when there is no one there to benefit from it, or its use can be restricted to certain areas if the rest of the building is empty.

This means that the smart thermostat is able to keep up with ever-changing variables such as outdoor weather conditions and control the temperature of the building accordingly.

It is estimated that smart thermostats can save as much as 8% on energy bills, which means it can make a significant difference to the energy that is being wasted.

2. Smart lighting

Smart lighting sensors have also proved to be very effective in safeguarding energy conservation. These sensors are able to detect when someone is in a room and will turn the lights on or off accordingly. This means there is no risk of the lights staying on because someone forgot to turn them off when they left, so they are only ever used when they are needed.

In addition to this, IoT smart lighting requires energy-efficient LED bulbs which can present another saving. It is also possible for these systems to adjust the dimness and colour of the bulb in different rooms, if necessary, to help reduce energy use even further.

Smart lighting often also provides remote control facilities so that lighting can be controlled through a smartphone or network-enabled device to ensure that the lighting system can be managed from anywhere in the world.

This means lighting can be turned off or changed from a distance and customisable lighting can change the intensity to create the perfect ambiance for any time of the day. It is also possible to set timers for lights to turn on or off at specific times to not only enhance convenience but also security as well.

3. Energy monitoring and management systems

In order to reduce your energy consumption, you need to understand exactly what it is and how it occurs. There are a number of IoT devices that can help to monitor and manage your energy consumption to help you achieve net-zero emissions as well as energy efficiency.

An energy monitoring and management system helps to track energy consumption and highlight any areas of inefficiency. A network of sensors can be distributed around a business to collect data on occupancy, temperature, humidity and even air quality on a continual basis.

This provides real-time data to enable building systems to be adjusted in order to maximise energy efficiency and occupant comfort at the same time. It will then assist you in creating strategies to reduce your energy consumption and optimise your energy usage.

4. Predictive maintenance

Maintaining all forms of equipment can have a massive effect on energy efficiency. When things are working properly, they will put less strain on your energy usage, but staying on top of this maintenance can be a full-time job in itself sometimes and in the past, this has relied on time based manual inspections.

IoT can help with this by continuously monitoring the performance of different pieces of machinery. It can then detect any deviations from the norm to help identify potential issues. This early detection means that you can react much more quickly and therefore prevent bigger, more expensive and wasteful problems from occurring.

It is also able to analyse sensor data to anticipate future maintenance needs, allowing maintenance teams to focus on issues that are likely to occur, ensuring that they can make more efficient use of their time.

5. Smart grids

It is not just individual businesses that can benefit from the Internet of Things, but also the electricity supply networks themselves. These are now using digital technology to help optimise the production and distribution of electricity by monitoring energy usage across an entire facility in real time.

This will help to give businesses comprehensive visibility over their energy consumption so that they can dynamically adjust energy distribution based on demand. This can create some significant energy savings, which go a long way to reducing energy waste.

6. Transmission of data

IoT sensors are involved in many different processes, and they can play a very important role in enhancing energy efficiency. They are able to collect and transmit data in many different ways, providing businesses with the ability to monitor a wide range of aspects of their operations.

Whether it is occupancy sensors, temperature sensors or even humidity sensors, there are huge amounts of data that can be tracked, recorded and analysed to help create even greater efficiencies.

Integrating IoT technology into homes and businesses revolutionises how buildings operate to make them more cost-efficient, environmentally friendly and to reduce energy waste.