Latin America. IoT is a word that in 2018, more than a trend, will be a palpable reality. But what is it? The Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept (and in many areas already a reality) that refers to the digital interconnection of everyday objects with the Internet. Alternatively, the Internet of Things is the Internet connection to more "things or objects" than people. Explained in a practical way, it is when objects of everyday life can be identified and operated by devices (via wireless connections) in the same way that a person would.
This means that, in not many years, the devices will be interconnected, achieving greater efficiency – through the information generated and analyzed – for humanity, industries and organizations.
One of the applications that are increasingly seen and in which IoT has become a reality, is the Connected Buildings. In cities where there are many buildings and people, the concept of Connected Building is increasingly heard and necessary. A Connected Building brings great benefits to those who build, own and inhabit them. By 2020 there will be 20.8 billion connected devices worldwide, and according to Gartner, a large percentage is related to smart buildings.
Buildings are home to a large number of workers and companies, therefore, today they are full of hidden potential, which, according to Trane - a leading provider of interior comfort systems and services and a brand of Ingersoll Rand -, once this potential is deciphered, valuable information is obtained with which buildings can be transformed into more solid assets: "One of the many benefits we identified in this new trend is savings in operating costs, keeping people comfortable, therefore greater productivity, in addition to having the data required to make key operational decisions that are aligned with business objectives," says Jaime Jiménez, CEO of Trane Mexico.
This can be achieved thanks to the information that is collected in the buildings (using the objects and devices) and then processed by the system. Thanks to this, energy use can be optimized and monitored in each of the rooms, offices or floors (boardrooms, individual office coffee stations, etc.) that make up the buildings. A very broad example of how the Connected Building would work would be detecting the absence of people in a room and, consequently, turning off the lights and air conditioning.
Other benefits that Trane finds when moving to this trend, which is also a great ally of an ecological and sustainable culture, are the following:
- • Manage buildings from anywhere: Dashboards and mobile interfaces allow you to securely access current information and run systems from anywhere, providing more freedom and greater productivity.
- • Integrate more and diverse systems that make up a building: Scalable applications simplify the integration of HVAC systems with other building systems (lighting, security and water) both existing and new.
- • Optimize the operation of the building: the path to improvement can be found in the data that is collected from the building with analysis systems that indicate in which areas or aspects they are being executed correctly, where things could improve and what to do about it.
- A Connected Building is not only greener and saves money, but it becomes an excellent asset for those who own it, thanks to the energy it has circulating through its veins: heating, air conditioning and lighting; this energy produces data, information that is waiting to be capitalized and give value to the business.
