There’s a reason why living in cities is highly preferred by a lot of people. Better opportunities, higher chance of employment, a comfortable lifestyle, and many more. With the recent advancement in technologies, cities become more efficient as they have the task of keeping up with the increase in population. That’s also why smart cities will come soon because of the norm in major metropolitan areas.
Here’s how smart cities and IoT will change our communities.
For starters, the smart city is a city that utilizes technology, specifically IoT devices, such as intelligent construction cones, connected sensors, and lights to gather and analyze primary data. These data are used to improve public utilities, infrastructure, and many more.
Better Architecture and Infrastructure
Project managers and construction experts all over the world are always in search of ways on how to utilize IoT devices and solutions into infrastructures with hopes that it would improve the overall quality of the building while reducing costs at the same time.
According to surveys, almost 60% of building managers in the US are familiar with IoT, and the rest of them believe that IoT is capable of shaping how they operate their buildings in the following years. One of the few areas with massive potential for improvement is lighting.
With IoT technology, building managers could make a switch to using LED bulbs as a way of saving energy and money. There are also elevators embedded with IoT that promotes greater efficiency. Though, the most remarkable implementation of smart architecture would be the smart grids that help in resource conservation.
Another country that has been experimenting with what IoT has to offer would be Amsterdam. Basically, it has been working on ways on how energy storage units can be used, together with solar panels for a household to conserve energy as these will be connected in the city’s smart grid.
Since these come with batteries, it lowers the stress on the network, especially during peak works. Meaning, residents will be able to store energy during off-peak hours. It also allows residents to sell excess heat from the panels, back to the grid.
Possible Projects, Together With Its Applications
There are a lot of ways on how smart cities are implementing IoT technology. For example, EU has been pretty proactive in influencing its member nation to focus on developing intelligent cities.
The efforts being exerted to these are already starting to show results. Paris started to implement an electric car-sharing program which they refer to as “Autolib” back in 2011. Since then, there has been an increase in the fleet of vehicles.
These connected vehicles are trackable through GPS and drivers can conveniently use the car’s dashboard to get a parking space ahead of time.
Even London is starting to join the trend. Earlier, this year, it has made a formal announcement that it would begin testing on smart parking project that would allow motorists to locate parking spaces quickly, and this would remove the need for lengthy searches for an open spot.
This would resolve traffic problems, such as traffic congestion. The UK is also starting to test their electric car and bike sharing programs.
The Use of Sensors
In Copenhagen, they are starting to use sensors that are capable of monitoring the city’s bike traffic, and send the data in real time. Through this, bikers get the necessary data that could improve their routes in the city. This is very important because around 40% of their residents use bicycles when commuting.
Building a Sustainable Society
With the power of IoT, it has become easier for distributors, generators, and consumers to plug the leakage of energy and ensure that there will be an outstanding improvement when using IoT devices that it would even keep carbon emission at bay.
Likewise, even with the management and monitoring of electricity and water supplies would enjoy a positive impact through the intervention of IoT. Essential equipment will be connected to one another, and it’ll be easier for service providers to keep track.
The Future of IoT and Smart Cities
There’s definitely a lot to look forward to with smart cities, and it would continually grow in the following years. It’s also important to note that as IoT develops, it will definitely have an impact on some areas.
Author Bio
Chris Giarratana is a digital marketing consultant who works with small business and nonprofits. He helps drive conversions and boost sales through SEO marketing, freelance copywriting, and PPC management. Learn more about Chris at www.strategybeam.com