How IoT Smart Building Solutions Increase Weather Preparedness

Insured losses from natural disasters in the U.S. last year totaled nearly $36 billion, 50 percent higher than the average during the previous decade. - National Geogrpahic

You can never be too prepared, because weather forecasts are predictions. As natural disasters and extreme weather become more common, it is becoming increasingly important to improve our weather preparedness.

When IoT is integrated into infrastructure, there is a shift from reactive management to proactive management. Real-time data and analytics give managers the ability to peek under the hood and see exactly what’s going on in a building. Armed with actionable data, managers can swiftly pinpoint and reinforce vulnerabilities. This day-to-day management optimization will lead to more effective policies and standards for weather emergency preparedness.

4 Benefits of IoT That Improve Weather Preparedness:

1. Off-Site Controls

Off-site controls allow managers to easily access, manage, and maintain essential operations of multiple buildings and facilities off-site. This breaks the constraint of limited personnel and response time in emergency responses. Automatic controls, such as water shut-off, can also ensure damage is minimized. A user interface that provides the current status of an infrastructure, makes it easier for managers to identify irregularities and monitor facilities that are at risk.
Since natural disasters yield a strong geographic correlation and can impact a cluster of buildings, managers can take a strategic approach to prepare for the weather.

2. Real-Time Data

Extreme temperatures and water damage require immediate response. IoT and real-time data can send red alert notifications when thresholds are passed or trends and extreme fluctuations are detected, and can send recommendations when monitored levels change. This drastically decreases response time and reduces potentially substantial damage costs.

How monitoring and correlating weather impacts building efficiency

3. Analytics

Vulnerability assessments and impact analyses are key to maintaining safety and functionality in aging infrastructure and critical facilities such as transit, emergency response, electricity, and water infrastructures. These infrastructures require consistent investment and maintenance. IoT analytics can provide insights in repairs and redevelopments. As commissioning and vulnerability assessments become routine, reinforcement becomes strategic and resilience increases. Effective investment will lead our infrastructure and critical facilities to be well equipped to handle natural crises.

4. Diagnostics

Unfortunately, damage caused by natural causes can’t be completely avoided. As a result, after a storm has passed, assessing damage is key to restoring full functionality in critical facilities. Diagnostics minimizes down time by providing a complete picture of where key mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems have been compromised and operating inefficiently or sub-optimally. This allows infrastructural maintenance to be prioritized and re-optimized.

To conclude, the benefits of IoT increase weather preparedness and mitigate risk of damage from aging infrastructure to natural disasters. The ability to control infrastructural systems off-site, while gaining access to real-time data, IoT analytics, and diagnostics, gives building managers the tools to increase resilience.