There are a number of smart IoT (Internet of Things) sensors that can be incorporated into your energy saving smart system, each of them with their own set of pros and cons allowing you to choose or combine them for the best use in your institution. Because working in an office-like setting often involves holding still for long periods of time, motion sensors are mostly useful in hallways, however, they can also be placed at doors to keep a count on the number of people who have entered or left a building or floor. Heat sensors, on the other hand, are able to track the heat signatures of even stationary people who could be grading papers or taking tests but the sensors.
Of course, for everyone with an employee badge, IoT has yet another solution. Badges that emit a small signal can tell you exactly where each staff member or visitor is in the building. With this setup, all you need are sensors that can detect the badges themselves in order to create programs that are both cool and energy efficient like light groups that turn on and off as employees move through the building or doors that only unlock for authorized badges. Even your HVAC system can become absolutely responsive, switching itself on when an employee remains on a floor for more than ten minutes or, alternatively, at the press of a button for those with authorized access. With IoT badges, you can not only track the comings and goings of known staff members but the locations of visitors and maybe even students as well.
Of course, the lights and HVAC system aren’t the only power consumers in your company, just the most profound. Everything from the coffee pot in the teacher’s lounge to the industrial-sized printers could be creating undetected energy drains that, combined, could significantly contribute to your energy costs. Fortunately, the IoT has yet another answer. Small sensors that can be clipped onto power cords can not only give you a live feed on appliance energy consumption, they can also be used to remotely switch these items on and off in the same way the lights and the HVAC system work, allowing you to save energy by turning off your appliances without having to walk from room to room hitting dozens of individual switches.
Whether you choose to control each light and appliance individually or group them into easy-to-control room units, IoT remote control is the new wave of energy efficiency through ultimate responsiveness. You can monitor their consumption, control them by hand, or allow the sensors to do their thing and turn everything on and off when approached or left by active employees. This means no more lights on over the weekend, no more wasted heating or cooling when nobody is in the building, and no more well-meaning but inconvenient timer systems. When every power switch from the lights to the classroom projectors can be controlled from a central location, mobile devices, and by local sensors, you’ll forget to even consider your light switches until the next significantly lighter power bill comes in.
While the IoT revolution may have come about in an effort to create a world of convenience, it has achieved something much more impactful. Through the simple act of remote control, grouping, and programmable responsiveness, incorporating IoT sensors and control into your school lights, HVAC, and appliances you have the opportunity to save energy both in large blocks and from moment to moment as items turn themselves off when floors and even individual rooms go temporarily out of use.
For more interesting, useful, and innovative advice or a consultation on viable energy efficient strategies for your school, contact us today!
