In security, video surveillance has played a key role in protecting buildings and properties. Yet video surveillance can also help make buildings green and sustainable as well. This article looks at how video surveillance can help drive building sustainability.
Globally, the trend of building sustainability has become quite obvious and clear. More and more, commercial and residential buildings are built with greenness and the environment in mind. These buildings are characterized by the ability to reduce waste, pollution and energy consumption.
In fact, security systems can help support the building sustainability trend. In particular, video surveillance, which has long been tasked with keeping buildings safe and secure, can also contribute to building sustainability in various ways. These are summarized as follows.
Smarter building operations
With video surveillance, building operations can become more automated and efficient. Similar to access control which provides detailed building occupancy data, video surveillance with AI-powered video analytics can “see” whether areas are full or empty. This information can then trigger HVAC or lights to turn on or off based on the occupancy level at the time, thus avoiding energy waste. Surveillance data can also reveal underused areas, helping facility managers optimize space usage.
Preventing resources waste
Cameras combined with advanced analytics can pinpoint water leaks, smoke, or abnormal equipment behaviors in the building early, preventing large-scale waste or damage. Monitoring energy-intensive processes is also possible. For example, in warehouses or data centers, surveillance can ensure doors remain closed, and refrigeration units are not left open.
Reducing carbon footprint
If well-implemented, video surveillance can help reduce the carbon footprint of the building. A cloud setup, for example, can reduce the number of on-site servers and related equipment, which tend to consume a lot of energy. Cloud-based video surveillance can also allow remote monitoring, reducing the need for physical patrols at the building and cutting vehicle fuel use and emissions. With AI, predictive maintenance is possible as AI can flag malfunctioning cameras or infrastructure before they fail, reducing unnecessary service trips and hardware replacements.
Supporting green certifications
Internationally recognized building certifications such as LEED provide the framework for creating healthy, efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. In this regard, video analytics can document sustainability initiatives (for example recycling compliance, and safe handling of waste), supporting LEED or WELL building certifications.
Environmental features in cameras
In fact, many camera models today come with green and environmental features that can in part contribute to building sustainability. Take Axis for example. It has rolled out the AXIS Q6318/15-LE, AXIS Q6215/25-LE and AXIS Q6135-LE cameras that have a low power mode feature. The company has also announced all future Q-line products will come with low power mode features as a standard.
According to a
blogpost by Axis, low power mode refers to a mechanism that deactivates the heater inside the camera. The internal temperature of a camera should be kept at 20 degrees Celsius. Yet in areas where the weather is cold, cameras rely on internal heaters which consume a lot of energy. Through the low power mode feature, the heater in the camera will be disabled when the ambient temperature is high enough, thus reducing power consumption.
Further, the aforementioned camera models feature built-in power meters that measure the camera’s power usage. “The power meter gives the opportunity to measure the energy consumption of almost every component of the camera – from the speed that PTZ cameras move, to whether infrared illumination is activated, to different frame rates, and more,” the blog said. “With that information and the right tools, users could individually configure cameras to optimize energy consumption while still being right for the customer use case.”