Student house gets a Camera Revamp

It was a late and dark winter evening when some Greenhouse members were walking down the quadrangle on campus. We noticed each and every corridor and room in the Students House was switched on and we thought there were still some activities going on. We tried to push open the main door but it was locked. So we wondered why, for sanity’s sake, were all the bulbs and tubes in the building switched on when the building was obviously empty. We took a couple of pictures, sent them to KSU and enquired about the situation.

The CCTV cameras in the building needed illumination for them to capture good images. Hmm….And CCTV cameras are vital in the building which has numerous commercial entities and which has a history of break-ins and burglary. So what was the alternative? Infrared cameras! These cameras do NOT require illumination for them to work and hence the lights can be left switched off during the night. These cameras use another range of the light spectrum, specifically infrared radiation, and not visible light as was the case with the other cameras.

We suggested this alternative to KSU with the full understanding that this would require a major investment and would not happen overnight. KSU found the suggestion useful and embarked on a project to replace all CCTV cameras in the Students House with Infrared cameras. All cameras have been replaced and the Students House is not left switched on during the night. This saves substantial amounts of energy and therefore cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions.

We commend KSU for this investment and augur that this will be one of many energy conserving initiative to be undertaken in the future.