BEMS Key To The Decarbonisation Of The Built Environment
Following departmental changes in Government, BCIA President Graeme Rees believes a new focus on the mission to Net Zero will bring fresh opportunity for building controls to play a key role in the decarbonisation of the built environment.
In a significant move in February the Prime Minister announced the disbandment of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of his cabinet reshuffle. Since the United Kingdom left the European Union, the department for BEIS has been responsible for setting the environmental, net zero and sustainable goals for the future. In its place, three new departments have been established; the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; the Department for Business and Trade. A renewed focus on Net Zero will bring with it a clearer strategy for positive environmental change, and facilities managers will be looking for ways to ensure their premises are as energy efficient as they can make them.
I am optimistic that the new Government departments will help galvanise investment in Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) and present an opportunity to illustrate the positive effect building controls can have on the built environment.
Data from our latest Market Information Service report has estimated that the BEMS sector is now worth around £835.8M to the UK economy. The latest growth reflects an upturn in the market as estate owners and facilities managers demand greater energy performance and a reduction in energy costs. The new total represents an increase of 8.0% from the 2021 figure, and the building controls sector has the potential to be a huge asset to the Government’s decarbonisation agenda.
Delivering Genuine Value
With a robust energy management strategy in place that not only caters for the drive towards net zero but is also ready or enabled for the next energy crisis, building managers can develop a planned approach to understand where their energy is being used. The use of BEMS and data analytics can play a crucial role in the success of the strategy.
There is a value proposition for a huge range of players in this market, including facilities management providers and mechanical contractors, such that the data provided by buildings does deliver genuine value when structured, presented and used appropriately.
Data in buildings provides a constant source of learning. The systems available now, with remote connectivity and analytical tools, can be checked thousands of times in one hour, whereas years ago they would perhaps be checked annually by one person with a toolbag. Data analytical tools give us the advantage of being able to monitor what is happening and predict maintenance requirements before they cause a serious disruption.
Ahead Of The Curve
Retailers were initially ahead of the curve in using data to their advantage because retail science is all based on data. Where are people spending most money? Which area of a shop has the highest footfall? In office buildings data can now tell us where footfall is concentrated in particular areas and which areas of the building are less busy, and this is where data analysis begins to pay for itself – and more! I have heard it suggested that for every pound that is spent on energy in a building, £10 will be spent on the equipment over the lifecycle of the building, but £100 is spent on the staffing, operations and productivity of the business. This comes from a “serve the people, not the building” approach, but if we serve the building correctly we can also serve the people and much more cost efficiently too.
Whether you’re a facilities manager for an office, a factory, shopping centre or hospital, using building controls to ensure the environment is comfortable, and by using accurate historical data to ensure this is most efficiently achieved, will provide the necessary return on investment in terms of productivity.
