The Internet of Things has fundamentally transformed building monitoring from periodic manual inspections to continuous, automated data collection across thousands of sensing points. Modern commercial buildings leverage extensive IoT sensor networks to measure temperature, humidity, occupancy, air quality, energy consumption, equipment performance, and countless other parameters that inform operational decisions and optimization strategies. This comprehensive course introduces building professionals to the technologies, applications, and implementation strategies for IoT sensor systems in building monitoring applications.

The global market for building IoT sensors is projected to reach $28 billion by 2027 according to MarketsandMarkets research, reflecting both declining sensor costs and expanding recognition of value generated through enhanced operational visibility. Sensors that cost thousands of dollars a decade ago now cost tens of dollars, while wireless connectivity eliminates expensive installation infrastructure that historically limited monitoring density. This course examines how these technological and economic shifts enable comprehensive building monitoring strategies previously considered impractical.

This course provides practical guidance on sensor selection, deployment strategies, and data management approaches for environmental monitoring, occupancy detection, energy management, equipment condition monitoring, and water quality applications. You will learn about wireless communication protocols including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and LoRaWAN, understanding the trade-offs between range, power consumption, and data rates that influence sensor network design. The course examines specific sensor technologies for measuring temperature, humidity, air quality, light levels, occupancy, electrical power, thermal energy, vibration, and water quality parameters.

Whether you are a facility manager, building engineer, HVAC professional, energy manager, or design professional, this course will equip you with the knowledge needed to evaluate, specify, and implement IoT sensor systems that enhance building performance, reduce operational costs, and improve occupant experiences.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the four-layer IoT sensor architecture including sensing, communication, platform, and application layers, and explain how these components work together to enable comprehensive building monitoring capabilities.
• Compare wireless communication technologies including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, and LoRaWAN, identifying appropriate protocols for different building monitoring applications based on range, power consumption, and bandwidth requirements.
• Identify temperature and humidity sensor technologies including thermistors, RTDs, and capacitive sensors, explaining measurement principles, accuracy specifications, and proper placement considerations for building applications.
• Describe indoor air quality sensors including NDIR CO2 sensors, VOC sensors, and particulate matter sensors, and explain how these measurements inform ventilation control and air quality management.
• Compare occupancy sensing technologies including PIR sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and computer vision systems, identifying appropriate applications for presence detection versus people counting requirements.
• Explain electrical power monitoring approaches using current transformers, smart circuit breakers, and power quality analyzers, and describe how sub-metering enables energy consumption analysis and equipment fault detection.
• Describe thermal energy metering for chilled water, hot water, and steam systems, including flow measurement technologies and BTU calculation methodologies.
• Identify equipment condition monitoring sensors including vibration sensors, infrared temperature sensors, and acoustic emission sensors, and explain how these technologies enable predictive maintenance strategies.
• Describe water quality monitoring sensors for pH, conductivity, chlorine residual, and turbidity, and explain their application in potable water systems and cooling tower management.
• Explain leak detection technologies including point sensors, water rope sensors, flow-based detection, and acoustic correlation methods, identifying appropriate applications for different building systems and risk scenarios.