[ Spotlight: Building management systems ]
Touchscreen wall control panel
Trend Energy Manager software
value of installing this technology. Asked to describe the differences between the
grades, Ian Ellis of Siemens Building Technologies, says: ‘As a guide, an A class BEMS in a standard office application can save up to 30 per cent, compared to a C class.’
Quality mark When it comes to new buildings, the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) has firmly established itself as the benchmark for identifying the measures put in place to enhance energy saving and limit carbon emissions. Trend recently undertook a study that looked at how BREEAM credits could be affected by a BEMS. Yasar Butt, the company’s energy solutions
specialist, explains: ‘We looked at items such as lighting control, natural ventilation, air quality, thermal comfort, energy sub-metering, water consumption and leak detection. Using a BEMS could achieve around one or two credits each in these areas, but when it came to assessing the carbon reduction strategies component, a massive 15 credits could be gained, making the potential credit total from using a BEMS 32. Considering that a “very good” rating requires a minimum of 55 credits and an “excellent” rating needs 70, the benefits of having a fully integrated BEMS are clear.’
Opportunity knocks Traditionally, the specification, installation and maintenance of BMS and BEMS have been the preserve of specialist integrators. While that is generally still the case, there are a variety of new opportunities for electrical contractors to become involved in this sector. ‘According to manufacturers and ECA members,
BMS and BEMS installation does appear to be increasingly falling under the remit of electrical
New pre- engineered technologies are providing fresh market opportunities for electrical contractors to enter the BEMS market
contractors,’ comments ECA’s Bill Wright. ‘I would advise anyone new to the sector to get some knowledge of IT network infrastructure specification and installation, and undertake specialist training if necessary.’ Steve Berry of ENER-G Controls recognises this change and says: ‘New pre-engineered technologies are providing fresh market opportunities for electrical contractors to enter the BEMS market, without any need to re-train staff or invest in new resources.’ It’s a view also shared by James Thackrah of Schneider Electric, who says: ‘An efficient BMS or BEMS will continually make energy saving recommendations, meaning that the settings within the building and its monitoring equipment will need adjusting over time. This will provide an opportunity for additional work for electrical contractors who are in the know about these solutions.’ However, a word of warning for those looking
About the author
Rob Shepherd is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to ECA Today. He has worked in the electrical contracting industry for more than 14 years.
to become familiar with larger and more complex BMS and BEMS comes from Chris Irwin of Distech Controls. He advises: ‘The industry is beset by poor controls implementations – partly due to inadequate training – which results in poor control strategies. The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) runs various courses to help with this, while leading manufacturers put a lot of emphasis on training their partners.’
On the up The need to monitor and manage energy is a message that is hitting home. Being able to extrapolate and analyse data allows a building’s inhabitants to better understand, reconfigure and improve their site’s usage and, with growing financial and legislative pressure to act, they are realising that BMS and BEMS provide an effective way to achieve these objectives.
September 2013 ECA Today 31
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