The City of Rotterdam was looking for an access control method for 70 unmanned gymnasiums. A bespoke security solution was designed which has not only improved the operational efficiency of the gyms, but has significantly reduced the consumption of lighting, heating and air conditioning by 20pc.
The gymnasiums are clustered in city districts and are visited throughout the day and evening by tenants who hire out a specified time slot. The gyms are supervised by on site managers who, prior to the installation of the new access control system, were handing out keys to the tenants renting the facility. This was less than ideal as managers found it difficult to cope with the large numbers of keys in circulation and they were reliant on the tenants to keep to their allocated time slot and turn off the lights when they left the building.
The managers would set timers to manage the heating, so that the hall was at the right temperature when the rental period commenced. This system was open to misuse as tenants could use the halls for longer than the time they were entitled to and often forget to turn off the lights, resulting in increased energy bills and loss of potential bookings revenue. It was evident that a cost effective control system to manage the flow of tenants using the gyms and to monitor heating, lighting and air conditioning was needed.
Managing director of Siemens Building Technologies security solutions, Dave Pickles, says: “Access control effectively monitors and restricts the movements of staff and visiting personnel and provides valuable management information. Siemens systems control and restrict movement at doors, gates, barriers and turnstiles. They can link to fire and intruder alarms and monitor environmental sensors.”
Dave adds: “Sites can be networked and managed centrally, saving money on the manned security function and data storage. Siemens card technology allows full interchangeability, so you can enter a range of card types into one system for freedom of choice and cost-savings. This method can be used across many sites without compromising security.”
The new access control system defines who has access at the time allocated. Instead of a key, the tenant is now given a chip card containing data relating to their booking. The system can also register who was using the facility at any given time. As soon as a tenant enters the gym, the access system activates the building automation system controlling air conditioning, heating and light management. Ten minutes before the session comes to an end, the tenant is alerted by an audible signal. At the end of the rental time the lights in the gyms switch off automatically and heating is reduced to a lower level to save energy.
The same system controls the changing rooms, with the warm water automatically stopping after time allowance is up. The system registers the first and final rental sessions of the day and automatically selects the appropriate day or night levels of heating and lighting.
Each night the registered data from that day is automatically uploaded to each manager’s GSM modem. Simple to access information is supplied daily, directly relevant to each gym and facilitates remote active management. All details are recorded including the times that cleaners or engineers have been at work. Text messages report immediately on technical faults, emergency incidents or doors that are left open.
Since the installation of the access control system there has been a reduction in CO2 emissions across the 70 sites and energy consumption has decreased by up to 20 per cent. The City of Rotterdam has also a 10 per cent increase in income from the rented time slots as now gym users are unable to continue using the facilities once their time is up.
Siemens Building Technologies security solutions team sits within the Industry division of Siemens (the other being energy and medical).
Siemens products, systems, solutions and services are in the fields of electrical installation technology, building automation, fire safety and electronic security.
Dave Pickles Siemens Building Technologies security solutions managing director says: “We are a specialist team with the technical know-how and integration skills backed up by the reliability of a global business. We deliver protection and create real value by making it our business to understand the risks, challenges and threats facing our customers. We design solutions not systems and there is an important difference.”
The security solutions business at Siemens has over 5,000 UK customer sites in the UK including projects such as the London Borough of Bexley, the first public authority to outsource the entire design, build, staff management and operation of all CCTV services. Siemens says that it also works with long term customers such as NCP, resulting in savings in cost ownership.
The firm adds that the security industry has an ever widening array of advancing and converging technologies. Network based solutions increasingly mean sharing IT infrastructures and combining services to provide cost savings and improved operational delivery. This can result in a complete, future proofed, fully integrated solution that can encompass everything from cost-effective modular solutions through to entire operation-wide networked systems, combined with existing IT systems and controlled from a single location.
1960’s
Company is founded in 1967 as Photo-Scan
Introduces commercial CCTV to the UK
1970’s
Makes legal history with the first use of video footage as evidence in court
First company to introduce continuous 360 degree rotation for camera housings
1980’s
Develops tailored finance packages for electronic security equipment
Among the first to introduce colour camera technology in the UK
1990’s
Wins pioneering major ‘town centre’ scheme at King’s Lynn
Wins prestigious Euralarm award for most innovative crime prevention
scheme in Europe, that linked towns across Kent to a single control facility
2000’s
Company forms the UK security division of Siemens in 2004
Wins the 2009 IFSEC Security Industry Award for ‘Best Security Project’ for innovation at Terminal 5 Heathrow.
