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PM QA: Solve coverage & installation challenges for big facility perimeter security
Large facilities face a tough reality: the bigger your perimeter, the bigger your security headache. Solar plants, for example, often spread across vast areas of land and many industrial parks measure the length of their fencing in kilometers. Facilities such as these need protection that traditional security solutions simply can't address effectively.
To discuss these challenges, and the intelligent perimeter security solutions to them, we talked to three Hikvision product managers with different technical perspectives: Pom Chen (thermal imaging), Larry Yang (radar), and Gary Zhou (fiber-optic systems).
Pom: It all comes down to a basic math problem. Let's say, for example, you've got a kilometer perimeter to protect. Because traditional outdoor security cameras can only effectively monitor about 50-60 meters, this means you will need 15-20 cameras, plus all the associated poles, cables, and installation work that go with them. Not surprisingly, the costs for this add up fast.
Larry: Here's what really gets me—facilities invest heavily in traditional perimeter security systems, only to find they are easily affected by environmental factors and show clear limitations in perimeter applications. Picture it's a foggy morning at an industrial park, or there's a sandstorm at a solar facility. Suddenly, your cameras can barely see 20 meters ahead. I've even had customers tell me that intruders have learned to avoid traditional motion sensors that look for upright human postures.
Gary: I’d add that most people don't think about the terrain until they're actually trying to install equipment. Solar plants are often built in challenging locations—rocky ground, steep slopes, remote desert areas. Traditional perimeter security systems face super high installation costs or simply cannot provide effective coverage in these environments.
Pom: When we were thinking about this, we decided to go back to basics and change the whole approach. Instead of thinking, "More equipment equals better security," we focused on the idea of providing coverage which was much smarter. Our thermal imaging system can monitor 450 meters with a single device, significantly reducing pole and cabling requirements. Plus, thermal imaging doesn't care about lighting or weather conditions, so maintenance headaches practically disappear.
Larry: Our radar-PTZ solution tackles the installation problem. The integrated design—radar and camera together- makes setup much simpler. A single device covers 500 meters which, again, means fewer poles and cables to install. I worked on a 2000-meter industrial park project where traditional systems would have needed a complex network of equipment. We covered it with just a few installation points. The best part? You can adjust the radar remotely, so no more sending technicians to the site when something needs tweaking.
Gary: Our fiber-optic vibration sensing system works where traditional installation fails. You don't need poles or power cabling—just lay the fiber along existing fences. This is perfect for challenging locations where traditional perimeter solutions would cost a fortune or aren't even possible.
Larry: That's exactly what our radar-PTZ system was designed to solve. Picture this scenario where a security chief says, "I need to spot trouble early, but I also need to see exactly who it is and what they're doing." Traditional thinking says you can't have both—it's either wide coverage or detailed identification. But our radar-PTZ system does something clever: the radar uses the Doppler technology to watch 500 meters in all directions, and the moment something moves, it “tells” the camera exactly where to look. The camera then zooms in for a close-up view. So you get both the big picture and the fine details.
What’s more, the radar works in all weathers and environments. It can spot moving objects even in heavy rain, snow, or dust storms which would make regular cameras ineffective. Plus, our Guanlan AI models help tell the difference between real threats and false alarms.
Pom: Thermal handles this differently but works just as well. Our bi-spectrum VCA technology maintains that 450-meter detection range while our AI models ensure we're not just seeing - we're identifying and classifying what we're looking at. This cuts false alarms by 90% compared to traditional thermal imaging cameras. While traditional cameras couldn't see 50 meters ahead during a dust storm, the thermal camera not only spots the intruder but could tell it was a person, not a large animal. Whether day or night, clear weather or storms, it maintains consistent coverage effectiveness, avoiding coverage gaps that traditional perimeter security systems experience due to environmental changes.
Gary: Fiber-optic is like having an intelligent trip wire across your entire perimeter. When someone crosses the line, we know, within 5 meters, exactly where. The clever part is that—a bit like the radar solution—this immediately signals cameras at that location to focus in for detailed footage. Through the dual false-alarm reduction system—the HIK-DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing) algorithms and DeepinMind NVR analysis, we guarantee 99% accuracy.
Pom: The choice really comes down to your specific operational challenges. For solar plants— especially the unmanned ones in remote locations—thermal imaging is typically the go-to solution. It doesn't matter if there's no nighttime illumination, dense vegetation, or frequent fog, and maintenance calls are minimal because weather doesn't affect performance. It is perfect for locations where sending repair crews is expensive and time-consuming.
Larry: Industrial parks typically benefit most from the radar-PTZ system. These facilities need early warning and detailed identification. The integrated design means simpler installation, fewer failure points, and much easier maintenance. The remote radar adjustment capability saves a lot of money over time since you can handle debugging from your office instead of sending technicians on-site.
Gary: Fiber-optic really shines in challenging situations—difficult terrain, no power or network available, or areas with electromagnetic interference. The coordination with other systems is flexible. You can link fiber detection with PTZ cameras, thermal imaging, and audio deterrent systems for complete protection.
Large facilities need solutions that can handle large perimeters while maintaining reliability and precision. Whether it's thermal imaging, radar-PTZ, or fiber-optic, our goal is comprehensive coverage while reducing installation and maintenance costs, delivering the most reliable outdoor security solutions.
Explore the products featured in this blog:
Ready to solve your facility's perimeter security challenges? Contact our specialists or visit our website to discover which perimeter monitoring solution best fits your facility's unique coverage challenges.
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