IoT Academy (IoTA) worked to improve the air quality in UK. It is employing sensors and other gadgets for improving the air quality in London. IoTA proposed a solution named “BuggyAir project”. According to this, to measure the street level smog various sensors are to be installed in strollers (buggies) and the data will be recorded for analysis. The exact location of the pollution will be given the GPS installed in the stroller. This way, with the usage of IoT it will be easier to understand the complexity of the pollution and to control the air quality also to the great extent [34].
1.10.3.3 Waste Management
It has become a serious problem due to the rapid rise in the volume of solid and hazardous waste. It causes a serious impact on the environment. It is challenging because the costs for waste disposal are significant especially in densely populated countries. There are many types of waste such as biomedical waste, municipal waste, electronic waste, industrial waste, and biomedical waste. Various corporate and municipal bodies are working day and night to lessen the impact of waste dumping. RFID technology can be helpful in the handling of waste management. RFID-enabled trash is thrown into the bin, as it receives the trash the antenna and reader communicate through RFID tags, and automatic bin identifies the junk and helps in reprocessing accordingly. This leads to better health management [34].
1.10.3.4 Smart Water
Various sensors can be used to monitor the emissions of factories, the quality of tap water, toxic gages generated by cars, etc.
1.10.4 Suburban Sector
1.10.4.1 Smart Buildings
A homeowner can monitor all their instruments and devices easily and can track which device is wasting unnecessary energy in order to save energy. Solar panels are one of them to save energy and to promote green energy. Various IoT solutions suggest how to allocate energy properly without wasting money. The better the analysis of data provided by IoT; the more energy can be saved. It is directly proportional. Now, we have heat and motion sensors, with this energy can be saved. When a person comes into the room, the light automatically turns on and when he/she goes out, the light automatically turns off [35].
1.10.4.2 Garbage Collection
These days, some cities are using smart dust bins that tell automatically once they get full. This saves a large amount of time for dust bin collectors and helps in keeping the environment clean.
1.10.4.3 Water Sensors
These sensors help in finding where the taps are open unnecessarily and which restaurant and hotels are blocking the sewers.
1.10.4.4 Smart Metering
Smart meter provide the reading of consume electricity to the electricity board which helps for better billing and monitoring purposes. Traditional meters only provide information such as total consumption only while Smart meters provides information about how the energy is being disbursed. By using smart meters, a householder can manage their energy consumption in proper way, can save his/her money by cutting the bills, and can help to mitigate the carbon emissions [36].
1.10.5 People and Goods Transportation
With the passage of time, the world population has been grown also. Therefore, to manage the traffic in a sustainable way these days, trains, cars, bicycles, buses, and roads are equipped with tags, actuators, and sensors to provide accurate and real-time information to traffic controllers. This advanced transportation system is the backbone of on-time delivery and keeping the information up to date for better services. It provides the tourists with appropriate information on the go.
1.10.5.1 Smart Parking
IoT helps to ascertain the vacant space for packing in densely populated cities.
1.10.5.2 Smart Traffic Congestion Detection
Now, the world’s population has become the biggest problem and it is rising by leaps and bounds. Therefore, in this scenario, managing the traffic is a tough job. Here, vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) provides a way to escape traffic jamming. This enables the vehicles to connect nearer one for gaining traffic information in a better way. It helps to build a green environment by cutting carbon emissions to a larger level [37].
1.10.6 Marketing and Shipment Management
1.10.6.1 Smart Logistics/Shipment
Supply chain management provides real-time monitoring information by RFID, NFC, and sensors. With the help of these technologies, companies are now able to handle responses to the demands of the market within a short span. Enterprises such as Metro and Walmart are using the technology to meet the demands of customer within days.
1.10.6.2 Managing Quality
Product quality and quantity can be monitored by using such technology which helps to the customer to getting quality product from company. Many products like meat and fruits dairy products need to be monitored regularly to ensure quality standards. It is possible due to IoT to maintain the transparency in marketing. IoT also helps in limiting the carbon footprint [38].
1.10.7 Recycling
Public is now more aware and serious about the new paradigm of energy resources. Now, all are focusing on several renewable resources rather than traditional nuclear energy or fossil resources. IoT is emphasizing the more flexible design of the electrical grids which can handle power fluctuations efficiently according to the consumption behaviors of the consumers. IoT has changed our lives dramatically [39]. Day by day, all the IoT-based companies are making our life easier and greener. Moreover, IoT is leading us to a better and greener environment and making this planet safer for future generations.
1.11 Challenges and Opportunities for Green IoT
There is an important role of Green technologies in empowering the energy competent IoT [40]. Various constraints are to be measured. Some issues for further consideration are as follows.
1.11.1 Architecture of Green IoT
For any type of network communication has to follow either TCP/IP model or ISO OSI model. In the network, when IoT devices will be used, they must be compatible according to the network. It is also important that used IoT devices can be energy efficient, environment friendly, and compatible according to network architecture [41].
1.11.2 Green Infrastructure
Using the redesign approach, energy-efficient infrastructure for IoT can be attained.
1.11.3 Green Spectrum Management
Green mobile services are the current restriction of RF system which can be eliminated through the cognitive radio approach [42].
1.11.4 Green Communication
Constant energy supply to the component is really a big challenge in the way of energy-efficient communication. It supports energy-efficient communication protocols to communicate reliably with peers. IoT seems promising in the efficient implementation of new sources like solar, thermal, and wind.