ENERGY MANAGEMENT DON’T WAIT FOR WINTER
Clive Bodenham, Founder of Clarke Controls, looks at why autumn is the season for smarter energy savings.
When facilities managers think of energy savings, winter often springs to mind. It’s the season of high bills and heating demands, so it follows that this is the ideal time to cut costs.
In reality, the biggest opportunities for savings come in the so-called ‘shoulder seasons’ of spring and autumn. These transitional periods, with their unpredictable swings in temperature, create the ideal conditions for an Energy Management System (EMS) to deliver meaningful and measurable results.
At Clarke Controls, we regularly see our customers achieve year-on-year energy reductions of up to 25% - and it’s in spring and autumn where most of those savings are made.
Why winter isn’t always the winner During winter, outside temperatures are often consistently low, and heating systems are almost constantly working hard. While an EMS can certainly bring efficiencies - ensuring unoccupied areas aren’t overheated, preventing systems from exceeding set parameters and fine-tuning output - the scope for dramatic savings is limited.
Let’s be honest, once the heating is on, it usually stays on. Even the most advanced controls can only do so much when a building must be kept warm day after day.
Summer, by contrast, should bring minimal opportunity for savings. In theory, heating should be switched off entirely - although in practice, we sometimes see systems left running unnecessarily, which is where an EMS can still deliver a quick win.
The real opportunity: spring
and autumn It’s in the transitional seasons, when UK weather is at its most wilfully changeable, that smart controls really come into their own. One day, temperatures are mild and a building may not need heating at all. The next, however, there’s an unexpected cold snap, or even snow - and you need to turn the heating on.
Without effective controls, many buildings struggle to adapt to this variability. Heating systems are often left running unnecessarily, or brought online too quickly and set too high, wasting energy and inflating bills.
An EMS solves this problem by continuously monitoring both internal and external conditions. With real-time data, systems can automatically adjust heating schedules and outputs to match actual demand. On warmer afternoons, fuel isn’t burned needlessly. On colder mornings, occupants aren’t left shivering. The result is a consistently comfortable environment, delivered with minimal waste.
Zoning: precision where it matters Zoning is another crucial tool for “shoulder season” savings. In spring and autumn, different areas of a building respond differently to temperature fluctuations. A
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glass-fronted atrium bathed in sunlight may need little or no heating, while an internal office or shaded warehouse space requires lots.
Clarke Controls’ EMS platforms make it simple to apply heating where it’s needed - and only where it’s needed. By controlling zones independently, FMs can reduce energy waste while maintaining ideal working conditions across varied spaces.
This precision not only saves money but also supports broader sustainability goals, cutting carbon emissions in line with corporate ESG commitments.
Turning unpredictability into advantage If you operate in the UK, you don’t need reminding of how unpredictable the weather can be. But with the right technology in place, this variability becomes an opportunity rather than a challenge.
By embracing an EMS, FMs gain the agility to respond to conditions in real time, turning what would otherwise be wasted energy into year-round efficiency. In an era of rising energy costs and tightening environmental regulations, that adaptability can be a critical advantage.
Making energy strategy a priority Energy management is no longer just about cost savings. It’s about smarter savings, working towards your sustainability and improved working conditions.
We design EMS platforms that are tailored to the unique needs of each organisation and evolve as those needs change. From reducing bills to helping clients meet ambitious carbon targets, our mission is simple: Control Energy, Control Costs, Control Carbon.
This autumn is the perfect time to review your energy strategy. With unpredictable weather ahead, there’s no better season to put the right controls in place - and no better moment to start turning that classic erratic British weather into measurable savings.
www.clarke-controls.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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