A method for determining occupancy of an area, the method comprising: receiving a first thermal image of the area collected at a first time, the first thermal image including a first plurality of thermal intensity values corresponding to a plurality of pixels of a sensor; receiving a second thermal image of the area collected at a second time after the first time, the second thermal image including a second plurality of thermal intensity values corresponding to the plurality of pixels of the sensor; identifying a change in thermal intensity values between the second plurality of thermal intensity values and the first plurality of thermal intensity values; and determining a change in a number of occupants in the area based on the change in thermal intensity values, the determining comprising: comparing the change in thermal intensity values to a level of expected change in thermal intensity values corresponding to a single occupant entering the area and/or a single occupant leaving the area; determining a rate of change for the change in thermal intensity values; identifying a presence of an occupant in the area when: the compared change in thermal intensity values corresponds to one or more occupants, and the determined rate of change is equal or greater to an occupant threshold; and identifying the number of occupants in the area by determining a multiple of the change in thermal intensity values to the level of expected change in thermal intensity values. receiving a first thermal image of the area collected at a first time, the first thermal image including a first plurality of thermal intensity values corresponding to a plurality of pixels of a sensor; receiving a second thermal image of the area collected at a second time after the first time, the second thermal image including a second plurality of thermal intensity values corresponding to the plurality of pixels of the sensor; identifying a change in thermal intensity values between the second plurality of thermal intensity values and the first plurality of thermal intensity values; and determining a change in a number of occupants in the area based on the change in thermal intensity values, the determining comprising: comparing the change in thermal intensity values to a level of expected change in thermal intensity values corresponding to a single occupant entering the area and/or a single occupant leaving the area; determining a rate of change for the change in thermal intensity values; identifying a presence of an occupant in the area when: the compared change in thermal intensity values corresponds to one or more occupants, and the determined rate of change is equal or greater to an occupant threshold; and identifying the number of occupants in the area by determining a multiple of the change in thermal intensity values to the level of expected change in thermal intensity values. comparing the change in thermal intensity values to a level of expected change in thermal intensity values corresponding to a single occupant entering the area and/or a single occupant leaving the area; determining a rate of change for the change in thermal intensity values; identifying a presence of an occupant in the area when: the compared change in thermal intensity values corresponds to one or more occupants, and the determined rate of change is equal or greater to an occupant threshold; and the compared change in thermal intensity values corresponds to one or more occupants, and the determined rate of change is equal or greater to an occupant threshold; and identifying the number of occupants in the area by determining a multiple of the change in thermal intensity values to the level of expected change in thermal intensity values. <EOS>