INDUSTRY COMMENT: BCIA


The power of three T


hey say good things come in threes, and while you can debate the accuracy of that saying until the sun goes down, it certainly rings true for the BCIA in recent months.


Jon Belfield, President of the Building Controls Industry Associaon (BCIA), reflects on three pieces of good news for the industry so far in 2019


By the time you read this column we will already know who scooped the big prizes at this year’s BCIA Awards, which took place on Thursday 9 May. I’ll go into more detail about some of the winners next month and report back on an evening that celebrated the very best of what our industry has to offer. What brought us particular delight this year was the number of entries submitted, which smashed previous records. The fantastic variety and calibre of smart and innovative products, projects and people nominated certainly gave our judging panel plenty to think about. More than anything, though, it demonstrated the talent and innovation that is currently thriving in the building controls sector – it is no secret that more skills and more innovation equals success and with the ‘new professionalism’ that we are seeing in our sector, it gives me great pride to say that with the direction in which we are heading there is no reason we can’t increase on this year’s numbers in 2020.


UK BEMS market


Our second piece of good news is that during 2018 a new record was set for the value of the total controls and Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) market in the UK at £695.6 million, according to the BCIA’s Market Information Services (MIS – gathering BEMS market data for over 14 years). This represents a significant rise of


£38.4 million in comparison to the figures achieved at the end of 2017, and shows we really are entering a new age of building design and management.


Many things that were once perhaps deemed a ‘must have’, have become outdated and replaced by modern replacements; the Filofax of the 1980s has been replaced by today’s smartphones and tablets, petrol-powered vehicles will eventually be phased out for electric, and with the ability to stream films, television shows and music we could also see the end of DVDs and CDs.


Some innovations can take a while to catch on, while others can be an immediate hit. What isn’t in doubt is that if something really is an upgrade on what went before, and it makes our buildings greener and better performing, they are sure to be around for a long while. These figures suggest that the benefits of a professionally integrated BEMS are now becoming more recognised by industry and it is my hope that it will be exceptional to not have a BEMS as standard in any commercial building.


Membership growth


Finally, it was our absolute pleasure to welcome the BCIA’s 100th member earlier this year. Reaching 100 members is obviously a very significant landmark for the BCIA, and one that perhaps seemed a long way off when the BCIA was formed back in 2004. But the growth in numbers has increased particularly in recent years as the value that the BCIA offers is understood and new members realise the crucial role they


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BSEE


Being part of an associaon allows likeminded people and businesses to work together to raise performance standards


can play in the development of our market by directly contributing to useful resources like the BEMS Performance Specification.


Being part of an association allows like-minded people and businesses to work together to raise performance standards, promote training opportunities and help push building controls further up the agenda with government bodies and other organisations. If you’re not a member yet, perhaps joining the BCIA can be the next #onesmallchange that you make.


www.bcia.co.uk


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Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JUNE 2019 25


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