The University of British Columbia and Cisco Collaborate on Smart+Connected Buildings and Smart Energy
I’ve written several times over the last few months about Cisco’s commitment to Canadian universities and the tremendous success we have had with institutions across our country. From Research Chairs in bioinformatics to distance education, Cisco is playing a vital role in the research that will help ensure Canada’s innovation for years to come.
Today I’m happy to share that Cisco and the University of British Columbia (UBC) will collaborate on Smart + Connected Communities (S+CC), specifically Smart+Connected Buildings and Smart Energy initiatives, including the use of the UBC campus as a ‘living lab’ for projects in energy efficiency and smart buildings.
Simply put, Cisco and UBC aim to help create smarter, more energy-efficient buildings while identifying best practices and innovative solutions to reduce UBC’s net greenhouse gas emissions and associated carbon costs. Together with UBC, we’ll explore solution approaches for a campus-wide Smart Energy System that can integrate energy generation, demand and supply to all buildings at UBC’s Vancouver campus.
What gets me really excited about this announcement are the possibilities it represents. The Cisco S+CC initiatives to be undertaken at UBC will serve as an industry benchmark for making communities in Canada and around the world greener through better efficiency and advanced technologies. The work to be done at UBC will impact far beyond the campus, transforming communities and buildings for the future. What we do here has the opportunity to change energy consumption around the world.
Photo courtesy @CiscoSCRE
And of course this will be of great benefit to UBC faculty, students and staff, which can use the new solutions as valuable learning resources. UBC will also witness firsthand the effectiveness of Smart+Connected Buildings and Smart Energy so that together we can create smarter, more energy-efficient buildings. Personally, I cannot wait to see what we discover together.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Internet of Everything (IoE) before I go, since our Smart+Connected Communities initiatives are a perfect example of the IoE at work. Using technology and network connections as a means to enrich people’s lives and create new opportunities otherwise not possible, whether they be economical, social or environmental, is at the heart of the Internet of Everything. And connecting our households – our environmental controls, surveillance, entertainment devices and everything in between – is where the IoE becomes real.
It transforms it from a seemingly otherworldly connection between traffic lights and pressure sensors underneath roadways to a very comfortable place where your blinds close when they detect rising temperatures in your home. And increasing the awareness, and tapping into the potential, of the Internet of Everything is of great benefit, not only to Cisco, but to all of Canada.
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