Sustainability is one of the defining themes of the decade. Having risen to the top of agendas worldwide due to concerns over climate change, during 2022 yet more emphasis has been placed on sustainability due to ongoing geopolitical disruptions.
For decades, one of the key drivers for the adoption of numerous IoT applications has been to enable the more efficient use of all types of resources for reasons of efficiency, cost reduction and, particularly in a smart cities context, to improve the quality of life of city dwellers.
Essentially, each IoT device that is deployed needs to have an associated ‘business case’ of benefits. Often, and particularly in the case of enterprise IoT and smart city applications, these benefits are based on reduced levels of consumption of (hydrocarbon) fuel, electricity, water, and other resources, or reduced pollution.
Smart grids reduce power losses, fleet management makes for more efficient route planning and therefore lower fuel consumption and lower pollution, building management systems can adapt operation of power-hungry devices and therefore reduce electricity use, precision agriculture makes more efficient use of water, and numerous other examples.