IoB Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Built Environment (SBE): Understanding the Complexity and Contributing to Energy Efficiency; A Case Study in Mediterranean Climates

To meet the 2050 targets about climate change and decarbonization, accomplishing thermal comfort, Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems are key enabling technologies to move the Built Environment (BE) towards Smart Built Environment (SBE). The first contributions of this paper conceptualise SBE from i...

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Main Authors: Ignacio Martínez Ruiz, Enrique Cano Suñén, Álvaro Marco Marco, Ángel Fernández Cuello
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/4/1724
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author Ignacio Martínez Ruiz
Enrique Cano Suñén
Álvaro Marco Marco
Ángel Fernández Cuello
author_facet Ignacio Martínez Ruiz
Enrique Cano Suñén
Álvaro Marco Marco
Ángel Fernández Cuello
author_sort Ignacio Martínez Ruiz
collection DOAJ
description To meet the 2050 targets about climate change and decarbonization, accomplishing thermal comfort, Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems are key enabling technologies to move the Built Environment (BE) towards Smart Built Environment (SBE). The first contributions of this paper conceptualise SBE from its dynamic and adaptative perspectives, considering the human habitat, and enunciate SBE as a multidimensional approach through six ways of inhabiting: defensive, projective, scientific, thermodynamic, subjective, and complex. From these premises, to analyse the performance indicators that characterise these multidisciplinary ways of inhabiting, an IoT-driven methodology is proposed: to deploy a sensor infrastructure to acquire experimental measurements; analyse data to convert them into context-aware information; and make knowledge-based decisions. Thus, this work tackles the inefficiency and high energy consumption of public buildings with the challenge of balancing energy efficiency and user comfort in dynamic scenarios. As current systems lack real-time adaptability, this work integrates an IoT-driven approach to enhance energy management and reduce discrepancies between measured temperatures and normative thresholds. Following the energy efficiency directives, the obtained results contribute to the following: understanding the complexity of the SBE by analysing its thermal performance, quantifying the potential of energy saving, and estimating its economic impact. The derived conclusions show that IoT-driven solutions allow the generation of real-data-based models on which to enhance SBE knowledge, by increasing energy efficiency and guaranteeing user comfort while minimising environmental effects and economic impact.
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spelling doaj-art-47eb91ce00fa4d37bb5d006d4ffcb50e2025-08-20T02:44:36ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-02-01154172410.3390/app15041724IoB Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Built Environment (SBE): Understanding the Complexity and Contributing to Energy Efficiency; A Case Study in Mediterranean ClimatesIgnacio Martínez Ruiz0Enrique Cano Suñén1Álvaro Marco Marco2Ángel Fernández Cuello3Human OpenWare (HOWLab), Engineering Research Institute of Aragon (I3A), University of Zaragoza (UZ), 50018 Zaragoza, SpainHuman OpenWare (HOWLab), Engineering Research Institute of Aragon (I3A), University of Zaragoza (UZ), 50018 Zaragoza, SpainHuman OpenWare (HOWLab), Engineering Research Institute of Aragon (I3A), University of Zaragoza (UZ), 50018 Zaragoza, SpainHuman OpenWare (HOWLab), Engineering Research Institute of Aragon (I3A), University of Zaragoza (UZ), 50018 Zaragoza, SpainTo meet the 2050 targets about climate change and decarbonization, accomplishing thermal comfort, Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems are key enabling technologies to move the Built Environment (BE) towards Smart Built Environment (SBE). The first contributions of this paper conceptualise SBE from its dynamic and adaptative perspectives, considering the human habitat, and enunciate SBE as a multidimensional approach through six ways of inhabiting: defensive, projective, scientific, thermodynamic, subjective, and complex. From these premises, to analyse the performance indicators that characterise these multidisciplinary ways of inhabiting, an IoT-driven methodology is proposed: to deploy a sensor infrastructure to acquire experimental measurements; analyse data to convert them into context-aware information; and make knowledge-based decisions. Thus, this work tackles the inefficiency and high energy consumption of public buildings with the challenge of balancing energy efficiency and user comfort in dynamic scenarios. As current systems lack real-time adaptability, this work integrates an IoT-driven approach to enhance energy management and reduce discrepancies between measured temperatures and normative thresholds. Following the energy efficiency directives, the obtained results contribute to the following: understanding the complexity of the SBE by analysing its thermal performance, quantifying the potential of energy saving, and estimating its economic impact. The derived conclusions show that IoT-driven solutions allow the generation of real-data-based models on which to enhance SBE knowledge, by increasing energy efficiency and guaranteeing user comfort while minimising environmental effects and economic impact.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/4/1724building thermal comfortenergy savings in buildingshybrid twinsInternet of Things (IoT) ecosystemsknowledge-based decisionssmart built environment (SBE)
spellingShingle Ignacio Martínez Ruiz
Enrique Cano Suñén
Álvaro Marco Marco
Ángel Fernández Cuello
IoB Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Built Environment (SBE): Understanding the Complexity and Contributing to Energy Efficiency; A Case Study in Mediterranean Climates
Applied Sciences
building thermal comfort
energy savings in buildings
hybrid twins
Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems
knowledge-based decisions
smart built environment (SBE)
title IoB Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Built Environment (SBE): Understanding the Complexity and Contributing to Energy Efficiency; A Case Study in Mediterranean Climates
title_full IoB Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Built Environment (SBE): Understanding the Complexity and Contributing to Energy Efficiency; A Case Study in Mediterranean Climates
title_fullStr IoB Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Built Environment (SBE): Understanding the Complexity and Contributing to Energy Efficiency; A Case Study in Mediterranean Climates
title_full_unstemmed IoB Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Built Environment (SBE): Understanding the Complexity and Contributing to Energy Efficiency; A Case Study in Mediterranean Climates
title_short IoB Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Built Environment (SBE): Understanding the Complexity and Contributing to Energy Efficiency; A Case Study in Mediterranean Climates
title_sort iob internet of things iot for smart built environment sbe understanding the complexity and contributing to energy efficiency a case study in mediterranean climates
topic building thermal comfort
energy savings in buildings
hybrid twins
Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems
knowledge-based decisions
smart built environment (SBE)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/4/1724
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