COVER STORY
Energy harvesting The access solution you choose can help save costs and reduce energy use
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uildings consume around 30% of the world’s energy. How much of it is really needed? According to one estimate, perhaps 30% bought for commercial, manufacturing and education premises is wasted. A simple way to save costs and reduce energy use is to ensure doors are shut. A 2010 Cambridge University study estimated that closing doors could reduce energy use in a typical shop by up to 50%. Of course, a task that is simple to address in a shop with two entrances
4 | October 2023 | IN SECURITY
is not so easy for a 1,000-door office building. An access control system combined with intelligent door closers ensures reliable, tight closing while at the same time, maintaining barrier-free access to and through a building. Inside, a closed door helps to maintain temperature differentials — between an office and the corridor, for example, or a server room and a glass atrium exposed to climate variations. Fully closed interior doors also reduce stack pressure, unwanted inward airflow on the ground floor which is caused by
rising warm air inside the building. However, the energy-efficiency performance of access control solutions varies widely. A traditional wired access control system, for example, brings its own challenge: These systems can be energy hungry. A more effective, efficient solution may be offered by choosing wireless. Installation savings from choosing wireless access control Choosing wireless over wired locking can play an important role in reducing energy use — and therefore expenditure. Savings begin right
