Energy Saving in University Buildings: The Potential Role of Smart Monitoring and IoT Technologies

Environmental monitoring systems integrated with IoT networks have rapidly evolved, enabling the collection of vast amounts of data accessible to facility managers and authorized users via smartphone apps. This paper presents a system developed to monitor environmental parameters across multiple buildings at the University of Pisa, with a focus on its potential for improving energy efficiency. Efficient energy management has become increasingly important, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which introduced legal requirements for mechanical ventilation. These measures have significantly increased energy consumption during both winter and summer seasons. Our system, built using low-cost components and a secure IoT network, demonstrates how CO2 monitoring and smart controls can reduce energy waste in buildings. In a case study conducted on selected buildings, the system achieved up to 40% energy savings. The paper highlights both the benefits and the limitations of current technology in this context, emphasizing the role of IoT in enhancing sustainability while ensuring safety and security within academic institutions.