The issue of climate change is one of the most pressing facing us all – with the spotlight firmly on government, big businesses, and industries alike – with the travel industry one of those industries consistently called into question.
A lot of this conversation tends to center around aircraft emissions – and while this is no doubt an important issue, there’s a wider drive for sustainability and energy efficient solutions across the whole travel sector.
European Sustainable Development Week
This week it’s European Sustainable Development Week – an initiative to facilitate the organization of activities that promote sustainable development and make these efforts visible on a common platform. As such we wanted to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on sustainability drives that might not get a much attention, specifically the airport sector.
The sector has set itself some very ambitious and strict net-zero deadlines. A prime example of this is ACI Europe, the body that represents European airports, is committed to achieving carbon net zero by 2050. In addition, nearly half of Europe’s airports have set themselves target dates of 2030 or earlier. This race to net-zero energy also coincides with the ever-pressing need to reduce energy spending.
As such, the airport sector is scrutinizing every aspect of the passenger terminal infrastructure – with automated document readers a prime example of this.
Making Automated ID Energy Efficient
Automated ID readers have become commonplace in airports today – and have become increasingly sophisticated. Even first time and infrequent passengers can scan their own passports and travel documents in a matter of seconds. As a result, perhaps the most notable use of document readers in airports is at the heart of automated, self-service passenger gates and kiosks. High levels of customers satisfaction, shorter queues, less staff intervention plus high levels of security are just some of the benefits associated automated ID.
Usually, speed and reliability are the number one factors for airport operators when selecting a document reader – but now energy efficiency and carbon footprint also must be front and center.
Given the high volume of passenger throughputs, even marginal savings in the energy needed to scan each travel document could deliver significant reductions in overall carbon emissions. The operating profile of document scanners can also play a huge part; while they typically need to be available 24-7, during quieter periods there could be lengthy downtime between passengers where less energy is required.
We recognize how important it is for the sector to respond – and as such at Thales we’re proud to have achieved the world’s first Energy Star certification for a document reader, the Thales AT10K.
What is the Energy Star Label?
Established in 1992, the Energy Star label is an important accreditation for businesses and consumers seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. Backed by the US government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the scheme provides an independent and authoritative means of identifying products that can demonstrate high standards of energy efficiency.
Our document reader, is designed to inspect and image travel documents, including electronic travel documents and 1D and 2D barcodes used by the airline industry on boarding passes and cell phones. The reader’s low profile and simple shape make it ideal for integration with self-service airport kiosks and automated passport control gates.
Certification was achieved via design enhancements that include introducing standby modes to minimize power consumption when the scanner is not in use. Compared to previous generations of the product, overall power consumption has been reduced by 28%.
Every Effort Counts
In the race against climate change and meeting net-zero targets, there is no one size fits all solution, nor one silver bullet. Instead it requires every sector to look at its operations, piece by piece and re-evaluate how they can improve and make more energy efficient.
Thanks to technology, this drive towards lower carbon emissions also will have financial benefit, as well as improving standards and the customer experience.
Awareness weeks like ESDW are important as they highlight these important developments that sometimes go under the radar – in the race to reach net-zero, the more knowledge sharing across industries and sectors is vital.
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