BSEE


If you are not monitoring energy consumpon, you cannot manage it eecvely, with the result being spiralling building operang costs and decreased occupant comfort, as Angela Reid, director and environmental engineer at TÜV SÜD, explains...


wellbeing of people and particularly the productivity of staff in commercial buildings. BEMS is a computer-based control system, consisting of a central user interface and a network of components, which include hardware (valves/dampers/actuators), controllers, meters and sensors. These communicate to monitor and control the performance of the active systems within a building (heating, ventilation, cooling, hot water and lighting), delivering operators a real- time understanding of how the building is performing and options for energy efficiency improvements. For example, they can set times when plant switches on and off, set temperatures within specific spaces, meter energy consumption, and receive alarms when failures occur. As BEMS monitors energy consumption, building operators can better understand what is going on at any one time and can therefore control usage more effectively to make savings on utility payments. For example, sub-meters can be used to troubleshoot and pinpoint problems, by detailing the consumption of each individual active system and identifying any high-end consumers. As part of the troubleshooting strategy, buildings can be divided into floors or departments, which allows for sub-tenants to be charged accurately for their energy consumption. As the BEMS records historical energy data, this can also be used for longer term comparison and benchmarking purposes.


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Detailing of the sub-metering strategy at design stage has become increasingly important on both our commercial (such as the new Scottish Power


hile reduced energy consumption delivers the obvious advantages of reduced costs and


increased profitability, it can also improve both the


FOCUS: SMART BUILDINGS Building effective energy management systems


HQ in Glasgow) and public projects (including multiple NHS Healthcare Centres throughout the west coast of Scotland) alike. Establishing this at design stage allows the facilities management teams to follow a protocol, ensuring that information can be accessed easily in a suitable way that makes it meaningful.


As BEMS continuously maintains the correct balance between operating requirements, external and internal environmental conditions and energy usage, it allows the optimal level of energy efficiency to be achieved. However, to optimise these benefits there should usually be a


uA trained building manager should be the single point of responsibility for the BEMS


trained building manager who is the single point of responsibility for the operation and upkeep of the BEMS.


As well as optimising energy consumption and thermal comfort conditions, the BEMS will also allow the building manager to more effectively respond to HVAC-related complaints. As remote monitoring and control is possible there is also potential for facilities management savings, as


20 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2019


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