IoT Technologies, the Working Landscape and Energy Consumption

The Covid-19 pandemic has touched almost every aspect of our lives and, despite restrictions easing, the impact will be felt for many years to come. One of the areas that has experienced a radical change is how we work.
 
Pre-pandemic, working from home was a rarity for many; however, now the landscape looks quite different, with workers across many sectors opting to make hybrid working a permanent arrangement. This seismic shift in working habits has a knock-on effect on how we use our homes and, most notably, how energy use is managed in the home and the office.
 
This hybrid working model, in which workers spend some of their working week at home and some of it in the office, poses challenges to the way we have traditionally managed our energy consumption. Previously, it was simply a matter of shutting down the heating system at home during the day, however now homeworkers need to heat their homes for more extended periods resulting in higher energy expenditure.
 
Hybrid working also impacts how heating systems within office settings need to be managed. Pre-pandemic, building management systems within offices were configured based on the building being at near-total capacity. As workers entered the building, the HVAC would vary the temperature control based on external conditions as well floor area or based on the number of colleagues in the office. Today, many office buildings run with far fewer staff present, however the BMS still operates to heat or cool the entire space to ensure the environment remains warm and comfortable for those colleagues in the office.
 
This need to heat both home and office settings has both environmental and financial implications.
 
This is where IoT technologies come to the rescue. These devices can help to alleviate the concerns of managing the internal environment and energy consumption at home and in the office; and this is why I love all things IoT. 
 
With a background in IoT from my previous technology business here are just a couple of top tips on how IoT can help you both at home and in the office today.

• For business settings, IoT devices can monitor the external conditions and respond accordingly by heating or cooling the building based on the seasons, building fabric and internal activities. They can manage staff locations and heat/cool only the occupied areas. Also, post-pandemic, we are more aware than ever before of the importance of good ventilation; IoTs can help here, by tracking the air quality and adjusting accordingly.

 

• At home, IoT can also be used to significant effect by providing a level of insight into energy use and internal air quality that was not previously possible. User-friendly apps and devices make it easier than ever before to become energy savvy. At the tap of a button, users can manage the temperature in a way that is beneficial to their comfort and health whilst at the same time improving the property’s energy efficiency, thereby reducing the financial and environmental cost of running the home.

 
Ultimately, IoT technologies can help you become better informed about energy use and energy spend at home and at work.
 
We all know there are endless applications where IoT can benefit home owners and commercial properties; but right now, it’s time to embrace IoT to manage heating at home especially in light of the increase in the gas wholesale price.  It’s now even more financially critical that home owners embrace IoT in the same manner commercial properties have been doing for the past 15+years.
 
Thanks for listening.
 
If you’d like to know more top tips or wish to be pointed in the direction of some great innovative residential and commercial IoT solutions providers, please contact [email protected]
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