The Internet of Things or IoT is the hottest new technology on the block, and everyone wants it. They are seemingly the solution to everything. Some even think that you just have to put in some shiny new devices in their building, and everything would get better. The real world, however, doesn’t work like that. A lot of thought and careful planning is required to make any IoT investment actually worth it.
A Smart building isn’t smart because it contains a lot of smart devices and sensors. It is smart because it smartly uses those devices. When looking for IoT smart devices for your building, look for things that will provide a tangible return on investment first.
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Practical purpose devices:
Here are a few examples of smart IoT devices that are actually practical and provide ample return on investment, in one form or another.
Wireless sensors:
The best way to conserve energy and improve the building conditions is by gathering plenty of data. You need wireless sensors to collect this data in an effective manner. You can purchase sensors for pretty much anything as well. So, whether you want to understand the temperature of the building, the air quality, or the occupancy at any given time, a wireless sensor is there to provide all the data you need.
Analytics software:
Of course, all that data is useless if you can’t understand it properly and make an informed decision based on that. The software can also be used to automate a lot of the regular tasks, such as turning the heating and lights off in an empty room or kicking the heater into overdrive if the temps fall too much.
Actuators:
Actuators are the smart devices that take the command from the software and physically implement it throughout the building. These devices are connected to your network and work in sync to make sure that everything works as intended.
Consider the device life-cycle:
IoT devices are not one and done, instead they require constant maintenance, both physical and digital. Continuous monitoring is also extremely important as a malfunctioning device could mean disaster for the building, which would lead to expensive repairs and damage control. All of these ongoing costs add up fairly quickly. So, you have to factor those in when thinking about converting your building into a smart building with IoT devices.