How IoT Is Improving Energy Efficiency in Buildings

The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming how businesses manage energy in buildings. By networking appliances and equipment, IoT allows for greater visibility into energy usage and opportunities for efficiency. As an energy manager, I am excited about the potential of IoT to reduce costs and environmental impact. Here is an in-depth look at how IoT is improving energy efficiency in buildings.

Monitoring Energy Usage in Real-Time

One of the key benefits of IoT for energy management is the ability to monitor energy consumption in real-time.

With smart meters and sensors, I can get granular data on the energy usage of individual devices and systems. This allows me to identify anomalies and quickly address issues like:

• Faulty equipment drawing excess energy
• HVAC systems running longer than needed
• Lights and appliances left on in unoccupied spaces

By combining real-time monitoring with analytics, I can also identify usage trends and peaks. This helps optimize operations for efficiency.

For example, I can adjust temperature setpoints to match building occupancy schedules. I can also pinpoint ideal times to run energy-intensive processes to avoid peak demand charges.

Case Study: Office Building Cuts Energy Use By 10%

An office building in California installed wireless sensors and dashboards to monitor their lighting, HVAC, and plug loads.

By getting real-time data, they identified opportunities to optimize equipment schedules and eliminate phantom loads from idle devices. Within 6 months, they reduced the building’s energy use by 10%.

Automating and Optimizing Energy Management

IoT allows me to go beyond monitoring to actually automate and optimize energy management.

Smart devices can self-adjust usage based on occupancy and other conditions. I can also centrally control devices to match usage to business needs.

Examples of how I use IoT to automate efficiency include:

• Smart thermostats that adjust temperature setpoints based on occupancy schedules and weather data. This reduces HVAC energy use.

• Smart lighting that dims or turns off lights when spaces are unoccupied. Occupancy sensors and schedules optimize lighting needs.

• Smart plugs that cut idle phantom loads by turning off appliances and equipment when not in use.

• Building automation systems that integrate HVAC, lighting, security, and other systems for whole-building optimization.

Case Study: 20% Lighting Energy Reduction Using IoT

A retail chain installed smart LED lighting and an IoT lighting control system across 150 stores. With occupancy sensing and daylight harvesting, they reduced lighting energy use by 20% on average. The system optimizes lighting levels for sales while minimizing energy costs.

Identifying Equipment Faults and Failures

IoT monitoring provides an early warning system for equipment faults and failures. Analyzing performance data helps me identify degradation and predict maintenance needs.

Sensors can detect abnormalities like:

• Refrigerant leaks and low efficiency in HVAC systems
• Failing bearings or cracks in motors
• Overheating equipment
• Leaking compressed air lines

By catching issues early, I can prevent catastrophic failures and avoid energy waste. Proactive maintenance also improves uptime for critical equipment.

Case Study: Early Diagnosis Avoids Unplanned Downtime

An industrial facility used IoT vibration sensors to monitor critical pumping equipment. Analysis of the vibration data identified misalignment issues. During a planned outage, they corrected this alignment problem. Two months later, the pump failed completely. Thanks to the early warning from the IoT monitoring, the facility avoided unplanned downtime and saved over $100,000 in downtime costs.

Unlocking New Opportunities for Savings

The data and visibility provided by IoT opens up new opportunities for energy savings that were not possible in the past.

Some examples include:

• Using machine learning to analyze energy patterns and predict optimum settings for efficiency.

• Employing power consumption caps to shift non-critical loads to off-peak hours.

• Identifying underutilized equipment to consolidate or repurpose assets.

• Benchmarking energy use between facilities to replicate savings strategies.

As an energy manager, IoT gives me a powerful new set of tools to continuously improve efficiency, cut costs, and meet sustainability goals. The key is using data insights to drive action. With the real-time optimization and automation enabled by IoT, I can achieve greater energy performance than ever before.