Real-time occupancy

When the pandemic first began in March 2020, many grocery stores and box stores remained open because we needed food and supplies. Government and health organizations all suggested safe distancing and limiting the number of people in the store at the same time. Since most of these stores did not have occupancy sensing technology installed, they resorted to physical counting methods.

Lines developed outside stores, and using the health and safety guidelines, management determined a safe number of customers to allow in a store at the same time. Employees with cell phones were positioned by each entrance and exit, and every time a customer or customers left the store, the person at the exit door would text or call the entrance door personnel to let them know a person or several people could enter.

This accelerated the need for buildings, regardless of type, to install real-time occupancy sensing solutions for more sustainable building management procedures. Other...