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BUILDING CONTROLS BSEE


he Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) came into full force on 1st April 2018 and has highlighted both the opportunities and challenges within the building controls and BEMS sector. With the new regulations in place, it is now more important than ever for building managers and owners to ensure that all of their commercial leases are achieving an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or above to avoid breaching the new legislation.


Jon Belfield, President of the Building Controls Industry Associaon (BCIA), highlights the challenges of the newly introduced Minimum Energy Eciency Standards (MEES). He also outlines how training engineers can significantly improve energy eciency in commercial buildings.


Building energy simulation firm, Arbnco, recently published data showing that as much as £130bn of British commercial property could be unlettable under MEES legislation, with landlords who continue to rent out substandard buildings facing fines from £4,000 up to £150,000. According to Arbnco, 1 in 5 commercial properties now has a lower EPC rating than a year ago. The same research showed that 60% of 3,600 properties, now have an EPC rating of D, E, F or G and 15% of properties on the platform are now rated F or G.


Concerning


Figures for the entire UK market, suggest that overall, as many as 20% of commercial buildings are likely to fall foul of the new legislation. With a significant number of properties still failing to meet the minimum energy performance and with time running out, this is a very concerning issue, which needs to be addressed and have improvement measures implemented now. As an industry, we are all aware that building controls are a highly effective solution to the challenge of MEES. But as I see it, just having the right controls in place is not enough to meet the stringent government targets and reduce the


Are you ready to tackle the challenges of MEES? T


overall energy usage for both existing properties and future ones. The ongoing quest to comply with legislation relies heavily on maximising the full potential of your building. But for a building to perform as intended, there is a need for everyone involved on the design chain to have an understanding of building controls and the benefits they can bring in achieving optimum building performance.


For example, using a standard, such as BS EN15232 - Energy Performance of Building Automation, Control and Building Management, is particularly useful for meeting government targets. The standard provides a detailed methodology to identify the potential energy savings of a wide range of controls and building automation technologies.


Training


Training is another critical factor in future- proofing commercial buildings in order for our engineers to have the necessary skills and knowledge to keep up with advancing technology. Skilled engineers can also help to maximise the benefits of using a BEMS and exceed the energy efficiency standards in our sector to continue striving towards excellence.


More and more technically advanced products are being delivered into the marketplace and the generic name of ‘System Integrators’ that was given to BEMS companies years ago has never been a more appropriate badge. With the right training, engineers will gain a full understanding of building controls, their importance, and the ability to apply them to gain their full potential within a building. BCIA courses play a pivotal role by developing the strengths and confidence of building professionals with a revamped suite of training courses. The new courses offer more accessibility to training for engineers who are new to the industry, and to those who are experienced but wish to expand on their knowledge. MEES has been on the horizon for a long time now, but since we saw the new legislation coming into force, now is the time to act and improve the energy efficiency in our existing and future buildings. This will allow us not just to meet the energy targets but to exceed them. But the only way we can do this is with continued investment and commitment to training, as well having effective building controls in place.


www.bcia.co.uk


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BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MAY 2018 9


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