Occupancy Monitoring is Likely to become Popular even in the Post-Covid World

Although occupancy monitoring in buildings have always been a valuable tool, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it a necessity. In the past few months, workplaces have adapted and implemented safety protocols to comply with social distance practices. However, without having access to real-time occupancy data, it may be impossible for these safety measures due to the coronavirus outbreak to be enforced. Using the internet of things (IoT) sensors to monitor office spaces is the only way to understand and control how it is being used. It is vital for upholding an effective social distance policy and offering a safe and healthy ecosystem in which to work. But what is occupancy monitoring? How occupancy monitoring consists of IoT sensors that ensure workplace safety accelerating business operations?

Occupancy monitoring allows one to know the presence of people in the workplaces in real-time. IoT sensors can be placed on desks and in doorways to enable one to see usage and monitor space and equipment.

Types of Sensors that Identify Occupancy

Occupancy monitoring requires the deployment of sensors that can reliably spot tenants' presence in desks, offices, and other building spaces. Here are the 5 types of sensors that identify occupancy:

• Smart Lighting Sensors
• Cameras and People Counting Sensors
• Blutooth Low Energy Solutions
• Ultrasonic Sensors
• Infrared Sensors

Benefits of Occupancy Monitoring

Combining occupancy detection sensors with smart building management systems provide a foundation for smarter and more efficient decisions about space allocation in the workplace. Occupancy detection sensors can trace desk occupancy to make an overview of how effectively space is being used. Then this overview can drive space optimisation decisions like space-saving strategies when desks are not in use.

Following are the most common occupancy monitoring applications in smart buildings and facilities management:

Real-time Space Management

Occupancy monitoring enables the effective management of desks, offices, and meeting rooms. Its sensors offer real-time visibility on the usage of rooms, desks, and breakout areas to enable instant information accessibility about spaces while neglecting double-bookings. It also meets the requirements for checking room availability by accessing the space physically. Occupancy monitoring is capable of providing an entire picture of the usage status of several offices, rooms, and buildings through a single-entry point. This can optimize organizational business operations.

Efficient Resource Allocation

Apart from delivering real-time information on working places usage, occupancy monitoring facilitates the extraction of credible data on the minimum, average, and peak usage of workspaces, including insights into when such peaks happen.

This information allows facilities managers to estimate the exact requirements of several enterprises and offer them solutions accordingly. By following this way, enterprises can save on operating costs.

Besides, building owners can have opportunities to lease extra spaces to other tenants. Nowadays, these optimisations can be challenging given changing working patterns, making it hard for enterprises to estimate the spare space they need. After the COVID-19 pandemic, companies will be increasingly concerned with accelerating office space costs as teleworking may become a widespread practice.

Relief for Tenants and Workers

Real-time occupancy monitoring ensures tenants' and workers' comfort. For example, it can drive the fine-tuning of heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) functions based on proper incorporation with the building's management system.

Facilities managers are likely to consider space occupancy density due to the number of people in each space impacts HVAC requirements. Similarly, it ensures proper lighting conditions for occupied spaces. Occupancy monitoring helps optimise tenant comfort while reducing energy costs at the same time.