IoT implementation for energy management within residential buildings in Sri Lanka: drivers and barriers

Abstract

Effective energy management is essential to address the growing energy demand and sustainability challenges in Sri Lanka. The Internet of Things (IoT) offers promising solutions by enabling real-time monitoring, automation, and data-driven decision-making to enhance energy efficiency. While IoT adoption has advanced in many developed countries, its application within Sri Lanka’s residential building sector remains limited. Existing literature lacks a focused examination of the contextual drivers and barriers influencing IoT adoption in this domain. This study aims to bridge this gap by identifying and analysing the key factors affecting IoT implementation for energy management in Sri Lankan households. Adopting a qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen industry experts, each possessing over ten years of experience in construction and at least five years in energy management with IoT knowledge. The findings highlight eleven key drivers, including cost efficiency, ease of control, and government support, and ten significant barriers, such as high initial costs, data privacy concerns, and low-quality devices. The study contributes to the academic literature by offering an understanding of IoT adoption in residential building for energy management. Future research should focus on addressing specific technical integration challenges, exploring infrastructure limitations and the integration of renewable energy sources.