🌿 Green IoT & Wireless Smart Sensing

The “Go Green” concept focuses on minimizing energy waste and eliminating unnecessary cooling - especially in environments where consumption often goes unnoticed.

⚡ Common Areas of Energy Waste

Energy inefficiencies are most prevalent in cooling systems across various spaces, including:

• Offices, meeting rooms, work lounges, and halls
• Classrooms, malls, and large shopping centers
• Pharmacies, drugstores, and laboratories
• Hospitals, cold storage rooms, and warehouses
• Data centers, open spaces, and many more

🔍 The Need for Smarter Monitoring

Uncovering hidden inefficiencies and conducting effective energy audits requires innovative, non-traditional monitoring techniques. That’s where smart sensing technology comes into play:

• Smart Temperature Plug-&-Sense Sensors: Enable rapid installation without drilling, dust, or wiring - deployable anywhere as needed.
• Wireless Electrical Power Meters: Measure power consumption per zone without interrupting electricity flow.

🌐 The IoT Advantage

By integrating IoT, we unlock real-time monitoring and instant issue resolution—delivering both visibility and action in one seamless solution.

Objective: Minimize Energy Waste and Cut Operational Costs

Deploy smart sensing technology to dynamically regulate cooling based on actual needs across various zones.

Leverage Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for remote monitoring and rapid issue resolution.

Unlike conventional approaches, the combination of Smart Sensing and IoT enables the detection of hidden inefficiencies, such as:

  

Over cooling (التبريد الزائد)

  

Non-Optimum Temperature Set point (درجة حرارة غير مثالية)

  

Non-uniform cooling in same zone (التبريد غير مُوحَّد لنفس المكان)

  

Lack of zoning - cooling large areas uniformly regardless of occupancy (عدم وجود تقسيم للمناطق - تبريد المناطق الكبيرة بشكل موحد بغض النظر عن الإشغال)

  

Cooling unoccupied spaces such as meeting rooms, offices, or lounges (تبريد الأماكن غير المشغولة مثل غرف الاجتماعات أو المكاتب أو الصالات)

  

Running A/C systems during off-hours or weekends (تشغيل أنظمة التكييف خارج ساعات العمل أو في العطلات)

  

Warm (or hot) areas (مناطق دافئة أو ساخنة)

  

“Cooled air” doesn’t reach desired areas (الهواء البارد لا يصل إلى المناطق المطلوبة)

  

Airflow blockage (انسداد تدفق الهواء)

  

A/C system is not well-designed (نظام تكييف الهواء غير مصمم بشكل جيد)

  

Issues related to A/C parallel operation (مشاكل متعلقة بتشغيل مكيف الهواء بالتوازي)

  

Existing hot-spots due to A/C malfunctions (وجود مناطق ساخنة بسبب أعطال التكييف)

  

Old or poorly maintained equipment with reduced efficiency (أجهزة التكييف قديمة أو سيئة الصيانة مما يجعل الكفاءة منخفضة)

  

Poor Insulation leading to coolness loss (العزل الحراري رديء مما يؤدي إلى فقدان البرودة)

Hot Summer revealed the reduced Cooling System Efficiency in a Data Center [May 2020]

This temperature pattern appeared during hot summer and revealed the reduced efficiency of AC Split Units in a Data Center room.
The temperature rise was due to the inefficient thermal isolation of the room and possibly the increased IT load.
The temperature, which clearly increased, was measured at the front of the cabinets to show the actual temperature flowing into the servers. This is indeed better than having few probes hanged from the ceiling (as seen sometimes!) measuring average temperature in the room.

الصيف الحار أظهر إنخفاض كفاءة نظام التبريد في أحد مراكز البيانات [أيار 2020]

نمط درجة الحرارة هذا ظهر خلال الصيف الحار وكشف عن إنخفاض كفاءة التبريد لوحدات تكييف الهواء في غرفة مركز بيانات أحد العملاء.

إرتفاع درجة الحرارة كان نتيجة لقلة كفاءة العزل الحراري للغرفة وربما أيضاً بسبب زيادة الضَّغط على الخوادم.

تم قياس درجة الحرارة، والتي إرتفعت بشكل واضح خلال هذا الوقت، على مقدمة الكبائن لإظهار درجة الحرارة الفعليَّة المتدفِّقة داخل الخوادم. وهذا في الواقع أفضل من إستخدام عدد أقل من حسَّاسات الحرارة المُعلَّقة من السَّقف (كما نُشاهد في بعض الأحيان!) والتي تقيس متوسِّط ​​درجة الحرارة في الغرفة.

showcase-01: Switching OFF A/C Units Outside Working Hours

In a standard office setup equipped with 5 ducted split air conditioning units, cooling was only required during official working hours. However, the units were previously left running continuously - even during nights and weekends - leading to unnecessary energy consumption and inflated electricity bills.

By implementing smart control to ensure the A/C units operate only when needed, the monthly savings reached approximately **JD1200 (~$1700).

Showcase-02: Smart Temperature-Controlled A/C in a Typical Storage Room

During the winter season, a wireless temperature sensor was used to automate the operation of a heating-mode air conditioner. The system was configured to:
** Activate heating: when the temperature drops below 17°C
** Deactivate heating: when the temperature exceeds 19°C

This setup ensures the A/C unit remains off when the room temperature stays within the desired range, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption.

Estimated monthly savings: ~JD75 (~$100)

Showcase-03: Automatically Switching Off A/C Units in Unoccupied Offices

Significant energy savings were achieved by implementing automated checks to identify and shut down air conditioning units in offices that are not in use. These checks begin daily after 4:00 PM and run at two-hour intervals.

Previously, A/C units were often left running unnecessarily, consuming electricity without benefit.

Estimated monthly savings: ~JD20 (~$30)

Showcase-04: Managing A/C Usage in Open Spaces

Open areas often lack proper control over air conditioning systems, leading to continuous operation and unnecessary energy consumption. By implementing smart management strategies, A/C units in these spaces can be monitored and regulated effectively.

This approach prevents wasted electricity and ensures cooling is only active when truly needed.

Estimated monthly savings: ~JD80 (~$120)

Showcase-05: Scheduled Shutdown of A/C Units During Night Shifts

This example highlights automated scheduling for a single zone containing approximately 15 air conditioning units. Since night shift hours vary across offices, the system performs automatic checks every two hours to detect vacant offices.

When staff leave, the corresponding A/C units are switched off, while units in occupied offices continue operating as needed.

Estimated monthly savings: ~JD300 (~$450)

Showcase-06: Integrating Human Presence Detection with A/C Control Systems

This example showcases an advanced approach to automating air conditioning based on actual human presence in office spaces.

Unlike conventional IR or ultrasonic motion sensors — which may inaccurately report absence when occupants are stationary — the human presence detector reliably identifies individuals even when they are seated or inactive.

Sensor data clearly reflects occupancy levels, averaging below 50%, allowing the system to deactivate A/C units in unoccupied areas with precision.

The correlation between presence detection and energy savings is remarkable.

Estimated overall savings: 30% to 70%, depending on office usage patterns.

Showcase 07: Identifying Cooling Irregularities During Data Center Audit

This example highlights a data center audit revealing non-uniform cooling patterns, as detected by temperature sensors installed at the front of server cabinets. The readings clearly show significant temperature variations across different cabinets.

The audit was conducted using AFKAR DIGITAL Data Center Optimization Tool, which leverages smart wireless BLE sensors and gateways. One of its standout features is the ability to replay historical temperature data, offering deeper insights for analysis.

The root cause of the cooling imbalance can be investigated further. Potential factors include airflow obstructions beneath the raised floor or a malfunction in the CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioning) system.