Environment and the IoT - 5 cases

12 Jan 2021

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Average reading time: 5 minutes

Last updated: January 2021

Connectivity and sensor technology help create a greener world, and the tech world is beginning to see IoT devices increasing energy efficiency in homes and on farms.

Here are five ways the IoT is helping to reduce strains on the environment.

Let's dig in.

#1. Green on the go

Intelligent, autonomous cars can usher in a new era of green driving by allowing cars on the road to communicate and process what other vehicles are about to do.

This allows traffic to move at one speed with only a few meters between vehicles, reducing the fuel inefficiency by the speed and gear changes of human-operated vehicles.

IBM'S Watson IoT Platform has been used to create a driverless car called Olli. The Watson IoT platform analyzes the vast amounts of data from the vehicle's sensors, allowing it to accelerate, decelerate, and change lanes without driver input.

#2. Connected wildlife

IoT has been used to bring species back from the brink of extinction, with great success.

The Iberian Lynx was re-established in Spain after using IoT technologies to track and monitor the few remaining wild lynxes.

How?

Using collars for geomapping their location and habits, together with connected drones, which were much less invasive when tracking the animals, scientists and wildlife experts were able to help re-establish the species.

#3. Waste not

Leaving lights on, heating an empty house or heating water that no one will use are all big energy wastes.

But smart and connected homes can prevent unnecessary energy use.

Like the Loxone Smart Home, there are programs already available that allow users to turn lights on or off and control the temperature and boiler activity when out of the house.

Not only that, but cars can also connect to homes, creating a more comprehensive array of efficiency-saving options.

#4. Sensing change

Sensors are more sophisticated than ever and can now be carried around by people with ease.

A range of sensors measure air quality and warn users through apps on their smartphones when they are at dangerous levels or are likely to cause asthma.

This is helpful for the user and can also raise awareness of pollution and high emissions in populated areas.

Similar devices are also used for working with radiation and miners. It's a good way of driving communities and governments to combat rising pollution levels.

#5. Smarter farming

Using smart sensors, farmers can reduce the amount of waste they produce and monitor their agricultural processes depending on weather, humidity, sunlight, and other external factors.

It's also possible to reduce the amount of water used to hydrate growing crops when a sensor discovers that the soil's moisture levels are just right. An IoT approach can help reduce waste and increase energy efficiency in the farming world.