There is a natural connection between energy management and access control. A key area of energy management is the connection between energy consumption and occupancy. Access control systems provide the data that building automation systems need to manage energy usage.
“Access control itself, unless you power it with renewable energy like solar panels or wind energy, is not doing much with sustainability. But the richness of the information that an access control system contains can be vital for all the elements of building automation, energy management and conservation. An integrated access control system itself can be the trigger for energy management, providing data that can be used to optimize lighting, HVAC and energy usage,” Vince Lupe, senior channel marketing manager, Honeywell Systems, explains.