Managing complex environments with building occupancy counters
In this article, we will look at how building occupancy counters help to manage complex environments and the advantages this brings.
Knowing how many people enter and exit a building, or a designated space, through occupancy monitoring, enables building managers to make data-driven decisions based on actual use of the facility.
Who utilizes occupancy monitoring?
Occupancy monitoring is used across many different types of building complexes, for a variety of reasons. It can be to count how many staff are using a highrise office facility, to know the number of visitors to a museum or art gallery, to gauge student use of libraries and auditorium facilities, or to have insights on how many people are using meeting rooms and washroom facilities at a congress venue. Regardless of what kind of complex environment occupancy counting is being conducted in, the end goal is to have accurate data to make informed business decisions.
Businesses
The COVID-19 pandemic saw more businesses having to limit the number of people who can be in one area at the same time. This includes entertainment venues, offices, restaurants, shops and other complex environments where social distancing might need to be enforced.
There are also maximum occupancy limits to be respected in terms of security, safety and building regulations. Occupancy monitoring is a very useful tool in both these cases.
Museums and art galleries
Museums, art galleries and other public-focused institutions can rely on footfall data to show the popularity of exhibitions and events, in order to gain charitable donations and government grants. Therefore, accurate monitoring of visitor numbers is crucial for them.
In addition to using people traffic insights for fundraising and safety purposes, occupancy counters can provide data on the number of visitors in a specific period, for staff planning, to maximize retail opportunities and to analyze the popularity of certain exhibitions and events.
Universities and higher education institutions
In universities and higher education centers, occupancy counter data can enable informed decision-making on budgets and allocation of resources such as cleaning, maintenance, security and catering. Having reliable occupancy data for on-campus facilities such as lecture theaters, auditoriums, libraries, cafeterias, student services, gives university administrators useful tools, while offering 100% privacy-protection to those using these spaces.
This is achieved through Time-of-Flight occupancy sensors, which do not possess a camera or record any individual details of people they count.
The benefits of building occupancy counters
Having accurate data about the number of people entering or leaving a space or a designated brings many benefits for building managers. Building occupancy counters provide insights into the use of spaces, which enable data-driven decisions to be made. Workspaces and meeting room use can optimized, for example. Based on peak and off-peak demands, cleaning, maintenance and security staff planning can be more efficient. HVAC and lighting levels can be set to work when they are needed, so energy is not wasted heating, cooling and lighting empty areas.
Occupancy counter solutions from Terabee
Terabee offers a range of occupancy counters that provide accurate data without invading individuals’ privacy or revealing personally identifiable information (PII). It is not about who enters the building, but how many people enter and leave the defined area.
People Counting L-XL
The Terabee People Counting L-XL device is the ideal solution for capturing data about the number of people who enter or exit a space through a wide doorway or passageway. This includes congress centers, hotels, large office buildings, restaurants, schools, universities and other similar areas. This model is GDPR compliant by design and provides over 98% accuracy whilst protecting the anonymity of those passing through.
This product can be provided with an Ethernet or LoRaWAN data transmission option to suit your requirements.
People Counting M 2.0 LoRa
More suitable for narrow corridors and single doorways, the Terabee People Counting M 2.0 LoRa is a people counter that is compact and discrete. It gives 95% counting accuracy and is GDPR compliant by design.
If you would like to discuss occupancy counter solutions with us, request more information or schedule a demo, please contact a member of the Terabee team, and we’d be happy to help you.
