Building Services & Environmental Engineer: Better connected

摘要

Can new technology help us meet the challenges of achieving energy efficient, usable and productive buildings? It's a big question, but one that the building services sector is examining closely. The answer seems to be 'Yes' - but only if we apply it sensibly and don't simply adopt technology for its own sake. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a topic that we're hearing a lot about. The IoT is all about connectivity to the Internet from anything and anywhere. That includes everything from wearable technology tracking our exercise levels, to building services equipment with software that can be updated wirelessly. The IoT is also about scale. According to the networking giant, Cisco there are currently, 15 billion devices linked together, and estimates are that there will be 50 billion devices connected to the internet by 2020. And according to leading IoT visionaries, many of those devices will be in buildings.