Michael Laas, founder of Sustainable Futures Group, a sustainability consulting company, says IoT sensors make it much easier for hotels to track key performance indicators such as energy use, water and waste. This, in turn, gives operators a better understanding of their resource use and thus, their sustainability footprint.
Here’s what Laas says hotels should keep in mind when deploying IoT:
Before: “Get the best price. Remember that the price of hardware and software has come down significantly over the years, so don’t get stuck into an expensive system. Also, make sure it has some integration into your building management system and has useful back-end tools like a dashboard where the data can be presented and analyzed.”
During: “Make sure all the sensors are properly installed, commissioned and calibrated to ensure the data is accurate, which is critical.”
After: “Use the data! A common mistake is to not use the data effectively or ignore it altogether. If staff is limited and you are unable to dive into what the data means, then consider using a third-party analytics company.”