Another Aspect
When one thinks of Biometrics, of course, the first thing that comes to mind is Security, James Bondonian technology, international airport body scans, the Federal Government misusing the Biometric Templates, and of course, who can forget the Privacy Rights Issues??? So as you can see, unlike really any other Security Technology, Biometrics encompasses both the technical and the social spheres of business and life.
But now, there is another realm in which Biometrics is touching upon (I guess you could really say that it is a newer application). And, that is the market area of energy conservation and usage. In the Press Release in which I found this new information, a Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “Hirsch” is mentioned, and they have developed a rather innovative solution to help tenants save energy costs in a borough of New York City.
Here are the details into this: “Hirsch, a security systems manufacturer and a business unit of Identive Group, Inc. has delivered an access control solution to New York City's first supportive housing project to be Silver-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Hirsch's access control system provides security for residents and also tracks and shares occupancy data with the building's energy management system using communication protocols developed and published by BACnet(R) International, a building industry standards organization. As a result, building systems such as heating and lighting are automatically turned on or off as residents enter and leave their apartments, reducing energy use and providing protection against appliance-related fires and other accidents . . . In this application, each resident is required to present his or her individual ID card to pass through Hirsch reader-controlled turnstiles when entering and exiting the building, which helps ensure the safety of all residents in the facility. Upon entering through the turnstile, heat and electric power circuits are enabled in the resident's apartment. Upon leaving, the exit reader at the turnstile switches off those services. Energy costs are reduced by turning off unnecessary lights, heating and other electrical services, and life safety is enhanced by ensuring that residents cannot leave items cooking on the stove, electric irons turned on, etc.” (SOURCE: http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8850/).
Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting
First, it should be noted that the dwelling in which this application is being used is not in some high end district in NYC. Rather, it is located on the lower east side of Manhattan, and I guess the actual, physical complex is known as “The Lee”. It is 99,000 square feet of space (now, that is huge) and can hold up to 263 tenants. This housing complex is designed for the lower income workers, those on government subsidy programs, homeless people, foster kids, as well those who have special needs which cannot be met in a normal housing environment.
As you can see from the above quote, the tenant is required to present some sort of ID card, and they have to enter into a turnstile, and once they enter it, the heat and electricity is turned on automatically, and as the tenant has to leave the housing complex, and exits the turnstile, the heat and electricity is turned off. This can also greatly help to prevent fires and other such accidents if the tenants forget to turn off their stove. Although Biometrics is not specifically mentioned here, it can be used in two different places. First, the tenant can be give a Smart Card which can consist of the Biometric Templates, or a Hand Geometry Scanner, Iris Scanner, or even a Fingerprint Scanner can be used in lieu of the turnstile.
When it comes to the latter, I often imagine a housing complex as a place which is your own space and abode, not a place where there are turnstiles, so in my view, using actual Biometric hardware would be much more appealing than using turnstiles. In my years in Biometrics, I have seen numerous kinds and types of applications, but I have never come across a story like this where it can be used for energy conservation and management. In today’s economy, saving money and trimming costs is on everybody’s mind, and now it seems like that Biometrics can even help in this regard as well.
There may be people who question out there if the benefits of a Biometric energy management system outweigh the costs, and in the short term, it could very well be a capital expenditure. But in the long run, it can save a lot of money for people, especially for those whom are low income workers, or on Federal Government assistance. But, there is one point I want to caution on. As housing complexes start to realize the benefits of Biometrics in this regard, it is important that they implement the Biometric Systems in such a way that tenants feel that they are not inmates being monitored as they enter and exit their apartment building. Just a thought from the ergonomic perspective of things . . . . . . .
information about highly accurate measurement Amazing how simple it can be to communicate with people and have them understand a certain topic, you made my day.
(Building energy management system)http://www.entouchcontrols.com/
Posted by: Ashok455 | March 21, 2012 at 05:06 AM