Dive Brief:
- Analyst firm Gartner predicted that commercial buildings will lead the way in Internet of Things (IoT) adoption rate until its implementation in homes gains real traction, which Gartner estimated will occur in 2017. Gartner also predicted that 1.6 billion connected things will be used by smart cities in 2016 — an increase of 39% from 2015.
- BIM technology and associated apps for operations and energy management are fueling IoT adoption in commercial buildings, Computer Weekly reported. In 2016, commercial security cameras, webcams and indoor LEDs will drive that growth, representing 24% of the IoT market for smart cities, Gartner said. Building regulations, such as the U.K.’s requirement for building information modeling (BIM) in all public sector projects, will also drive growth in commercial IoT adoption.
- According to Gartner, smart homes will represent 21% of total IoT use in smart cities in 2016. However, the increased use of smart TVs, smart set-top boxes, smart bulbs and other smart home automation tools, such as thermostats, home security systems and kitchen appliances, will increase that home adoption rate to such a degree that it will likely overtake IoT use in commercial buildings by 2018.
Dive Insight:
Bettina Tratz-Ryan, research vice-president at Gartner, told Computer Weekly that, through collection of sensor data, IoT creates a single view of facilities management and operations.
"Especially in large sites, such as industrial zones, office parks, shopping malls, airports or seaports, IoT can help reduce the cost of energy, spatial management and building maintenance by up to 30%," Tratz-Ryan said.
The National Association of Homebuilders projected that single-family home starts will reach 1.7 million by 2017, and many of those homes will come smart home-enabled. Security and convenience are considered the primary drivers of the smart home movement to date, in addition to cost savings, even though some smart features can be expensive to adopt at first.
IoT can also play a part in the aging-in-place movement. Home security systems can be adopted to screen for strangers in a senior’s home and alert a third-party monitor if residents have not moved around the home for a certain time period. Smart water heaters can regulate temperature to avoid burns, and appliances, which might be left on accidentally, can be turned off remotely.
