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Digital access and sustainability over the building life-cycle: in-use stage

2024-10-02

1 min read

According to the IEA, buildings consume around 30% of global energy. This is a figure which businesses all over the world are trying to improve. Digital access can help. Tackling sustainability performance, including targeting energy savings, needs a holistic, strategic perspective. The physical structure itself is one place to start. The use stage for any digital building system involves ongoing energy consumption, 24/7 and year-round for most premises. Traditional wired security and access systems can be surprisingly power-hungry.

Wireless vs wired systems

Wireless systems work differently. During operation, instead of an ‘always on’ mains electricity connection powering lock magnets, wireless devices only ‘wake up’ when presented with a credential.

Energy use in operation is eliminated altogether if locks are powered by energy harvesting technology. These self-powered devices do not require batteries or any other external electricity source.

Case study – energy harvesting digital access

At A Place To, a 400-apartment mixed-use development in Esbjerg, Denmark, doors are secured with ASSA ABLOY PULSE key-operated electronic cylinders with energy harvesting technology. PULSE devices are self-powered: the cylinder’s encrypted electronic security is energized with power generated through key thrust.

‭«It was a big plus with PULSE that keys and locks are battery and cable free», explained Peter Høpfner, A Place To’s COO and Founder.

Benefits of smart key technology

Smart key technology also offers the opportunity to cut wasted journeys. ASSA ABLOY’s award-winning CLIQ^{^®} Connect keys and app, for example, are designed to minimize travel to and from a base to collect, return, update or revalidate access rights.

When everyone carries their own programmable, battery powered digitalkey and keeps its permissions up to date on the move via a Bluetooth connection to their smartphone, they drive fewer miles and spend less on fuel.

This offers an easy win for businesses examining the impact of a mobile workforce on their sustainability performance. Additionally, fuel savings also help with budget concerns.

There’s a concrete, immediate ROI with digital smart key technology.