HVR at 65: industry leaders predict the next big shift
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s HVR marks its 65th anniversary, the industry it has chronicled for more than six decades is entering one of its most transformative eras. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve invited leading trade associations from across the UK building services and HVAC sector to share their views on what lies ahead. From regulatory shifts and skills challenges to digitalisation, decarbonisation and the evolving role of engineers, their predictions offer a collective glimpse into the forces shaping the next chapter of our industry.
The intelligent future: how BEMS will shape the next 65 years
Stacey Lucas, President, Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) The future of the building energy management systems (BEMS) sector looks incredibly promising. In fact, I have no doubt that
when HVR turns 130 in 2090, the sector will have become one of the UK’s most important industries, with sustainability and energy efficiency driving innovation and building design. So, prediction one is that BEMS will be better recognised across the built environment for how effectively it can reduce carbon emissions and aid the UK’s decarbonisation journey. This will have been especially important given increasing pollution and environmental struggles, which will have exacerbated the need for air purification – something for which BEMS would have been vital for.
In fact, with the UK’s net zero target of 2050 firmly in the rear-view mirror, BEMS will have been seen as a climate change ‘hero’. Prediction two – Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have become much more vital across the built
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environment, not least in the BEMS sector. It’s already a fast-emerging technology that’s utilised in a substantial portion of building controls and automation systems. As the importance of data and analysis increases by the day, and building owners become ever-more conscious of utilising such data to reduce their carbon footprint, AI and BEMS will equally have major roles to play. Following that comes prediction three. Building owners and tenants will have greater ownership of building performance due to easier and faster access to up-to-date information and data. As a result, building owners will have a stronger emphasis on energy consumption to help them maintain or even grow yields and asset values. Furthermore, tenants and building users will be driven to reduce energy consumption and expenditure and ensure healthier, more comfortable and more productive living and working environments. Prediction four – the sector has been making great strides in diversifying workforces in recent years, so it will see an even more diverse workforce in the future. In fact, through increased awareness of the rewarding careers available in building automation and controls, many more females will
be seen throughout the industry, not to mention a greater amount of multi-generational talent, with the apprentices of today starting to take up management roles and welcoming in the next generation of talented apprentices. This will be crucial given the current skills shortage being seen across the built environment.
BEMS’s importance is only set to increase in the coming years. In fact, the vast majority of UK buildings will be intelligent featuring advanced building automation systems by the time HVR celebrates its centennial, let alone 130 years.
HVR 65th Anniversary Supplement
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