Author: Paul Hargest

This Webinar will focus on BeMS in the Built Environment, highlighting common problems such as legacy equipment, redundancy, OEMs, suppliers, closed protocol systems and the like. We will then discuss on how the end user would define their own outcome based solutions.

Recent years have seen rapid advances both in terms of the equipment capabilities, and the sheer number of manufacturers in the market, whilst the evolution of IoT has resulted in an explosion of data available, so how does the client know which manufacturers solution is best for them?

Therefore, migrating or upgrading your BeMS technology can seem like a daunting task.  Consequently, in order to gain the real value from these systems, decision makers must filter through the wide variety of technologies available on the market and assess the suitability of each.

Join us on Monday 4th November at 15:30-16:30 to learn more about this topic.

There are proven business benefits to appropriate metering and subsequent energy monitoring.

According to the Carbon Trust, 20% of a business’ annual energy costs are wasted through inefficient equipment. A British Gas survey of several thousand smart meters also showed that 46% of SME’s total electricity used is outside of occupation hours (between 6pm and 8am). Additionally, in some cases up to 60% of office heat is lost through the fabric of the building.

Other sources also claim many industrial installations are seeing a 50% reduction in efficiency from heat loss due to poor or missing insulation.

So, we can see that there is real potential in unlocking significant energy savings but how do we exploit these opportunities?

Conducting an energy audit is the by far the best way to collect and then analyse energy consumption data. Tracking past and present energy consumption provides information on how much energy is being used and when. This information can help to determine areas of significant energy consumption and identify energy waste.

So now we need to calculate the savings. What does this Involve?

First you need to review the operational performance of the existing HVAC plant and equipment. Also identify current occupancy levels, operating times and conduct a detailed study of the current BMS control strategy.

All this information can then be compared against buildings with similar characteristics. This will provide a projected consumption profile highlighting problem areas which require improvements.

Savings should be determined by comparing consumption before and after implementation of any energy saving initiative. Suitable adjustments for changes in conditions should also be accounted for.

The metering plan, specific for every organisation, is essential to measure and compare consumption over time. It involves the implementation of metering and measurement equipment as well as energy consumption figures to calculate the EPI (Energy Performance Index).

The analysis of all of this data makes it possible to validate the energy savings achieved following the completion of a project. It also helps keep track of energy performance over the long term.

If you would like advice about how to improve energy efficiency within your building, contact us on 0117 379 0850 and speak to one of our specialists.

The terms ‘Smart Building’, ‘Intelligent Building’, and ‘Building Automation’ are often used interchangeably, and the variation in the definition of these terms and their interpretation can be confusing for businesses when assessing the range of energy saving and ‘sustainable’ technologies available on the market.

With the ever-increasing scrutiny on the sustainability and environmental performance of property assets, and the seemingly inexorable rise of the ‘smart cities’ agenda, the notion of the smart building has gained increased exposure over recent years. However it is clear that smart building tech can include everything from automated building management systems, to HVAC plant monitoring platforms, to meeting room booking systems.

At its most basic level, a smart building can be said to use a combination of technologies to automate building management, removing the requirement for the manual control which can often cause inefficiency and poor environmental performance – although clearly one would hesitate to deem a building as being ‘smart’ simply because a BMS is in place!

Over time, and as technology in this space develops, the notional benchmark of what constitutes a ‘smart building’ also shifts – with expectations about the aspects of the property that should be ‘optimised’  and ‘connected’ including more and more factors.

However, in general, smart buildings are those where technology provides granular monitoring and control over plant and systems to optimise energy efficiency, occupant health & wellbeing, comfort levels, and security systems.

To achieve this, smart buildings increasingly exploit IoT connectivity, sensors, metering and controls to remotely monitor and proactively respond to occupant requirements by adjusting the buildings systems accordingly.

When it comes to creating a Smart Building, it all boils down to what your goals are and what the desired end-state is. Smart buildings have the potential to completely change the way we interact with buildings and change our work lives.

At the end of the day, the building should work for its occupants and not the other way around. So, keep this in mind as you embark on this journey. The goal of a Smart Building is to deliver useful services that help make occupants more productive and safer at the lowest cost, and with the least environmental impact.

A Smart Building optimises and minimises energy. Occupant security and quality of life is one of its top priorities. This means not just physical security, such as connected fire suppression and alarm systems, but also health security— good-quality air and water, and the like.

That being the case, Smart Buildings are a critical component regarding energy usage and sustainability. The building automation systems, such as HVAC control, lighting control, power management, and metering play a major role in determining the operational and energy efficiency of a building. So, much thought and planning needs to go into this beforehand.

So here a question. You may wonder how do I validate the amount of energy I use & could save?
Well one of the advantages of IoT equipment is its ease of deployment making it an easy product to install even for a test purpose. This will enable you to find out the energy consumption very quickly and easily.

It could be used just for a number of weeks to get a snap shot of the building before any commitment is made, enabling data to be collated and a report to be generated on any projected ROI. So, this is another idea to keep in mind.

In summary, when clients first think about smart buildings, they often think about using the latest and most exciting technology. However, before jumping right in and purchasing this technology (because there’s plenty out there), take a step back and ask yourself

• What will make this building smart?
• What is our goal and vision for the end product?

Spending a lot of time upfront in this vision and discovery process will help to ensure you embark on the right path. Build your team at this stage, with the right people, get them on board and make them a part of the process. Once you and your team are aligned on the details, plan and plot the journey, and remember it’s more than purchasing a piece of the latest technology; it’s making a commitment to change, but the benefits can be great.

According Energy Manager Today (2018), the global smart building market is predicted to reach $61.9 million by 2024. One of the major drivers for growth in this sector is increasing concern around energy waste and carbon emissions.  Smart buildings improve operational efficiency through sophisticated controls automation, delivering more comfortable working environments at the lowest cost and with the least environmental impact.

Recent years have seen rapid advances both in terms of the communication between disparate systems and the availability of information for building managers.  The evolution of IoT has resulted in an explosion in the sheer volume of data generated, making it possible to proactively respond to building inefficiencies.

Migrating over to smart building technology can seem like a daunting task.  In order to gain the real value from these systems, decision makers must filter through the wide variety of technologies available on the market and assess the suitability of each.  This webinar provides a brief guide into the smart building market, how to assess suitable technologies, how to upgrade an existing building, and how to maximise the benefits of the chosen solution.

So, your new building is finished, fully commissioned, and handed over. It is now ready for occupation and to be fully equipped with all the state-of-the-art modern features. However, do you know the energy profile of your new building? How much the building going to cost you and the environment?

Yes, someone would have provided an estimation of the costs to run the building, but is that prediction correct? Buildings are not homogeneous; their operation and efficiency are unique to the activities undertaken within the specific site.

Just because a building is new, does not mean that it is running correctly or efficiently. Construction companies have tight deadlines to get a building up, running and compliant to safety specifications. As a result, the finer details of energy efficiency and optimisation is usually treated as an afterthought.

Typically, problems are not identified until after the first-year warranty period has passed, which invariably is too late. The delay in identifying building performance issues can be very costly. Running an inefficient building can cost thousands in wasted energy. It is even more worrying if there are no processes or systems in place to verify or quantify energy use.

Do not wait until issues arise. Inefficient buildings not only cost more money to run but they also impact comfort conditions. Review the current performance of your HVAC equipment and plant operation immediately after your building has been commissioned. In doing so, you will not only identify energy waste through inefficient equipment, but also benchmark the buildings performance.

The information gathered from a performance review will form the body of any action plan going forward. The action plan should provide a list of tasks to reduce energy waste within the building. If done correctly, your running costs should significantly decrease.

Your building should be efficient and comfortable from the start. If you are experiencing problems with your building performance speak to our team today on 0117 379 0850.

A few decades ago we never thought it would be possible to automatically control the conditions in an entire building. However, the latest technological developments and the IoT have evolved the market, leading to the emergence of what we now know as smart buildings.

A smart building is any building that uses automation to control its operations which can include the heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC systems), lighting, security and more. The goal of a Smart Building is to deliver useful services that help make occupants more productive in their environment, at the lowest cost and with the least environmental impact. While newly constructed properties can be designed to implement all of these smart technologies from the ground up, older buildings can also be converted into a smart building.

Many buildings have not been equipped with a Building Automation System (BAS) or a Building Management System (BMS). Older buildings or small/medium sized buildings may not be able to justify the expense of installing a modern BMS. Typically, these types of buildings have disparate systems that operate independently to one another. As such, they rely on manual operation, which can produce inconsistent performance in respect to energy management and budgets.

You may wonder “how do I track, manage and reduce the amount of energy I use?” Well, one of the advantages of IoT equipment is its ease of deployment.  Some IoT equipment can even be implemented on a trial basis to get a snap shot of building performance before any commitment is made.

In some instances, the data pulled from the IoT equipment can be integrated with your BMS, enabling you to not only monitor your system but deliver appropriate information to improve operational efficiency.

Your building should be operationally efficient, comfortable and energy efficient. If you are experiencing problems with your HVAC or control systems or would like advice about the full use of the IoT and what solution to choose, contact us on 0117 379 0850 and speak to one of our Controls Specialists today.