BSEE
INDUSTRY COMMENT: BCIA COLUMN
Aer the recent one big change in Downing Street, Jon Belfield, President of the Building Controls Industry Associaon (BCIA), looks at some recent examples of #OneSmallChange and explains the big change that our posive acons can have on those around us
uring my tenure, one of the defining characteristics of the BCIA is how it continues to create ‘positive change’. There is an unbridled ability amongst the membership to collaborate and share information and ideas so standards are raised across the entire membership. It is often just small ideas that are exchanged that then become the new ‘normal’ so when they are scaled up, the impact is significant. It is among young engineers that I see this sharing of ideas at its most powerful. They have a shared ambition to make things better and, by looking through their eyes and adopting this approach, we can all be part of the change we wish to see.
A growing mood for change D
So, after all the posturing, bluffing, swerving and the seemingly endless TV debates, we have a new Prime Minister in Downing Street. It’s not for me to provide political commentary or opinion, but I do believe that Boris Johnson will back the commitment made by Theresa May’s government to cut the UK’s greenhouse emissions to ‘almost’ zero by 2050. I also believe that whilst this is a big target, initiatives such as #OneSmallChange have an important role to play on the path to achieving this ‘zero’ target.
Why? Because there is a real growing mood for change and a feeling that we can each be part of the solution. Each and everyone of us can ‘own’ some of the change that is required. I spoke to a young graduate engineer only recently about just getting their first job. We spoke about their training plan and how it is a wonderful time to be starting out on a career in building automation and energy management, as the
positive impact that engineers will make over the coming decades will be unprecedented. Understandably, you might question my unerring optimism regarding this ‘mood for change’ especially when you read the 2019 Committee for Climate Change annual report on the actual progress towards the 2050 ‘emissions’ objectives. In his recent CIBSE Journal Article, Hywel Davies sums up the findings in this report very succinctly. He reiterates that 2018 was defined as ‘could do better’, whilst in 2019 we ‘couldn’t do much worse’, with only one of the 25 specific recommendations from last year having been met. My answer to this is that yes, we are starting from a pretty low base in that respect and as the past three years have demonstrated, governments can on occasion take inordinate amounts of time to achieve very little. However, in the spirit of messages espoused by big hitters such as the irrepressible Greta Thunberg and the indomitable Sir David Attenborough, it’s down to all of us!
Graham Rees of Schneider Electric said he switched off the meeting room lights in a remote part of the building and that if he hadn’t have done so, they would have remained on until security did their checks later in the day. He now does this on a regular basis – one small change. Another great energy saving example was shared by Tom Randall of Building Optimisation Services. Tom observed that by widening terminal unit heating and cooling dead bands from 1°C to 2°C in open plan areas, significant reductions in heating and cooling demand could be achieved, as conflict between units causing energy wastage and discomfort was removed.
www.bcia.co.uk
Meanwhile, here at the BCIA we continue to try and make life a little easier for installers and end users alike and help them get the very best out of our BEMS. We have recently added two brand new guides to the ‘resources’ page on the BCIA website. The End User Pre-specification Checklist has been produced with the aim of guiding end users in the points to consider when preparing their requirements for a BEMS, while the Contractor Selection Guide covers the issues to consider when choosing a supplier for your BEMS. For the building controls industry and the building industry at large to make a real difference in the battle against climate change, communication is key. If there is anything you think we should be doing to improve the understanding of BEMS among manufacturers, suppliers, installers and end users we want to hear from you.
12 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2019
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