Smart Sensors and Data Management – Shaping the Future of Defence with IoT and Data-Driven Strategies
Guest blog by Richard Green, Managing Director - Defence & Justice at North
Emerging technologies are transforming traditional Defence strategies, evolving to embrace smarter more agile solutions. At the heart of this shift is the critical role of data. By integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) and other sensors across military bases, valuable insights into utility consumption such as water and energy usage, and other key metrics become accessible. This data not only streamlines operations but also has the potential to dramatically reduce costs, making IoT a pivotal element in enhancing site security and increasing the living experience for personnel.
Smarter Facility Management can utilise advanced technologies and data analytics, to manage and optimise the operation, maintenance, and security of military bases. Integrating multiple systems within a facility—lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), security, energy, and water management, amongst others—into a single dashboard enables real-time monitoring, automation, and data-driven decision-making.
From Smart Cities to Smarter Bases – Intelligent Lighting
A useful analogy for understanding the benefits of a Smart facility is the concept of Smart cities. Just as Smart cities leverage technology to enhance the quality of urban life, Smart facility management in military settings aims to streamline operations and optimise resource use. These solutions provide military bases with the same benefits: increased efficiency, improved safety, and a more sustainable approach to facility management.
Aberdeen City Council partnered with North to transform the city’s street lighting through IoT-enabled intelligent lighting systems. The project, covering over 37,000 lighting units, focuses on energy efficiency, precise control, and automated maintenance to reduce energy costs and improve sustainability.
Benefits
- Significant Energy Savings: Aberdeen’s LED replacement program has reduced energy consumption for street lighting by over 50%, resulting in substantial reductions in annual energy use.
- Cost Reduction: With intelligent dimming and optimisation, the project saves the city approximately £1.5 million annually in energy costs, demonstrating how targeted efficiency improvements lead to long-term savings.
- Improved Efficiency: The automated system enables enhanced operational efficiency, allowing the council to monitor and control each lighting unit in real-time.
- Environmental Impact: By reducing energy consumption, the program has helped Aberdeen City Council cut its carbon emissions by 7,500 tonnes of CO₂ per year, contributing to the city’s sustainability targets.
- Sustainable Urban Infrastructure: This project sets a model for sustainable urban management, highlighting how smart city technology can achieve both financial and environmental benefits.
Aberdeen’s smart lighting system is a powerful example of how IoT technology can enable cities to meet financial savings and environmental goals through smart, connected infrastructure. The success of this initiative demonstrates the impact of intelligent lighting on creating sustainable, efficient, and resilient urban spaces.
Smarter Bases: IoT in Defence Facility Management
The MOD’s strategy highlights the critical need of a unified digital ecosystem that can seamlessly connect various data-driven capabilities across Defence. By integrating multiple systems within a facility into a single, interactive dashboard, Defence personnel can monitor and manage resources efficiently, reduce operational costs, and promote long term improvements.
The journey toward energy efficiency and sustainability in military bases starts with installing smart sensors to collect essential data across buildings and infrastructure. This data is then analysed to uncover inefficiencies, such as buildings consuming energy around the clock despite limited use or sudden spikes in water usage that may signal leaks. By identifying these areas, military bases can optimise resources and make smarter, evidence-based decisions that drive both operational and environmental improvements.
As the Defence sector focuses on reducing its carbon footprint, IoT-enabled energy management becomes a critical tool. These systems monitor energy consumption across lighting, alarms, electricity, gas, and more, enabling bases to significantly reduce energy usage, cut costs, and progress toward more sustainable operations. Through this approach, military installations can achieve greater resilience, efficiency, and alignment with sustainability goals.
To realise these benefits fully, IoT solutions must be agile, scalable and tailored to the unique demands of military environments. Aligned with the MOD's Digital Strategy, these solutions will support Defence’s broader goals of operational efficiency, multi-domain integration and enhanced security. Embracing smart facility management is not merely about adopting new tools; it represents a fundamental shift in how Defence operations are conducted, with a focus on sustainability, resilience and informed decision-making. By integrating these advanced technologies within the MOD’s digital framework, Defence can transform its operational landscape, setting the foundation for a secure, data-driven future.
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Authors
Richard Green
Managing Director - Defence & Justice, North
