Using Energy Efficiency Savings to Improve Building Security
2 min readWhat is one thing that businesses and government institutions all have in common? The need for security. Businesses and government entities, such as K-12 education, are constantly auditing current security measures and looking for opportunity to improve upon them, while keeping in mind budget limitations.
There are a few features that can enhance building security through Constellation’s Energy Efficiency solution such as:
- The addition of security vestibules
- increased video surveillance; and
- increased and more efficient lighting.
Ligonier Valley School District, located about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh, is one customer who has begun making upgrades to its buildings to tackle both energy efficiency goals and consequently, safety enhancements.
Constellation is working closely with schools within the district in making LED lighting upgrades and in adding video surveillance to the interior and exterior of the school buildings. LEDs have a longer life cycle, making them more reliable in keeping outdoor areas more consistently illuminated. High-quality LED lighting also allows law enforcement to see a person’s features more clearly in video surveillance, if needed.
“We’re also replacing HVAC units with more energy-efficient versions and moving them to the rooftop to avoid hideouts for either students or unwanted visitors,” says Ronald Krhovsky, a Constellation principal project manager.
This strategy aligns with the Department of Homeland Security’s school safety report released in December 2018. The report recommends clearing exterior spaces surrounding school buildings of structures that encroach on security personnel’s line of sight as they are monitoring the building exterior and that could conceal any illicit activity.
Schools in the district are also adding a security vestibule into the main entrance so that office personnel can check a person’s credentials through a security window, prior to allowing them access to the school. “Optimizing surveillance through better lighting in combination with entry control will act as deterrents for people who shouldn’t be there,” says Krhovsky.
Businesses or institutions might be thinking, ‘That is a great step towards security enhancement, but there is no way we can afford that.’ Fortunately, there’s a solution.
Constellation’s Budget-Friendly Solution
With finite capital funding a commonality for most businesses, federal or state institutions, it can be tough to improve infrastructure. But the Ligonier Valley School District, for example, was able to address its need for technology and infrastructure upgrades through an energy savings performance contract.
Constellation’s energy efficiency solutions, such as LED lighting improvements, do not require an upfront capital expenditure allowing businesses to reduce their energy consumption and use the savings to provide valuable services to their constituents. Through a comprehensive project approach, customers can leverage quick payback energy conservation measures to help reduce the cost of enhancing security and resiliency.