X2M Connect Limited CEO, Mohan Jesudason, explains the important role of the Internet of Things (IoT), energy monitoring and automation in achieving net zero.
Each year Australian’s waste around $222 million on wasted energy — this is from leaving appliances like the air conditioner on when it isn’t needed or inefficiently using energy and home energy storage. Fortunately, innovations like Internet-of-Things (IoT) and home automation can intelligently address the energy waste issue.
IoT can help solve the wasted energy problem and even wasted water following a simple three step process.
The first step in solving this issue is identifying places where wasted energy can be saved or redeployed. The easiest way to start to tackle this problem is with monitoring. By placing low-cost IoT monitors throughout the energy chain from the generation site, to the utility infrastructure to the home level, we can identify areas where energy is being wasted.
Once the sources of waste have been identified, the next step is to set up an automation to intelligently redistribute the energy to turn off the energy source.
Finally, the last step is looping back around to the beginning for continuous monitoring. This creates a smart feedback loop that will continuously look for efficiencies in the energy supply chain to ensure there is no waste.
The same technology can be used in the very same way for water supplies. The scale of the problem in water is massive with billions of litres each year going to waste from undetected leaks.
A leaky household tap can waste over 9,000 litres of water a year which adds up across an entire city, state or country.
Decarbonisation requires a two pronged approach, one side is creating and incentivising renewable energy generation and the other prong is overhauling energy consumption. We can make large leaps in progress just by effectively utilising the energy that is already being generated.
The great thing about IoT and home automation is that it is getting cheaper. At the same time devices are getting smaller and smarter.