BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS


HOW TO MANAGE YOUR ENERGY COSTS WHILE TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE


Kas Mohammed, VP Digital Energy at Schneider Electric, provides some quick, easy, steps to improve Building Management Systems and reduce costs


W


ith energy bills rising at an alarming rate, energy efficiency has never been more critical


for keeping costs down. This, however, also presents an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from UK buildings. Worldwide, buildings consume half of the world’s electricity, a third of all energy, and are responsible for 40% of the planet’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainability and energy efficiency go hand in hand as we try to manage rising costs and tackle climate change. Much of the technology already exists to enable


commercial building operators to do this. So, here are some suggestions on ways to save money while lowering the carbon footprint of infrastructure, and making net zero building operations a reality.


REGULATE TEMPERATURE SETPOINTS AND DEAD BANDS Although simple, adjusting the temperature settings of a building can prove successful in reducing energy consumption. Even a small 1˚C change can yield impressive long-term savings. A study has shown potential energy savings of up to 60% without compromising the comfort of its occupants. Adjusting the temperature dead band – the


temperature range judged optimal for building environments – can also significantly affect how much energy a building consumes. Dead bands are typically set to ±2˚C of the setpoint. If set too tightly, these can cause many HVAC systems to continuously cycle between heating and cooling, or switch on and off due to minimal temperature changes, increasing energy consumption and driving costs up unnecessarily.


OPERATIONS WHEN OFFICES ARE IN USE Ensuring building management systems operate only when offices are in use does save costs. One technique to accomplish this would be to account for thermal cooldown. Programming BMS systems


www.energymanagementmag.co.uk


to automatically shut down HVAC systems an hour before closing allows the building temperatures to shift slowly without affecting occupants’ comfort.


AUTOMATED BMS Automating your building management system offers you a myriad of possibilities for saving energy with minimal effort. Integrated presence detectors, for example, detect whether a room is occupied and change the temperature, ventilation, and lighting accordingly. Energy savings can also be achieved by integrating HVAC, lighting, and reservation systems. Even simple measures like automatically warming conference rooms ten minutes before meetings can extend the life of your equipment and save you money on energy.


POWER OFF EMPTY HOT DESKS Empty hot desks will often have computers and monitors left on standby, another addition


to a building’s parasitic load – networked appliances can still consume up to 12 watts per hour in this mode. Using readily available technologies such as presence detectors, access cards, or workplace management software, it is possible to isolate hot desks and cut the localised supply of electricity. In addition, these management systems help


to maximise space efficiency by identifying less utilised spaces and reducing facility operating costs – by leveraging data on space utilisation trends, lighting and HVAC can be adjusted and improved accordingly, and cleaning and security services can be scheduled to address areas that need more attention.


ADJUST VENTILATION The pandemic has highlighted the importance of ventilation – inadequate airflow raises the risk of infection. On the other hand, mechanical ventilation is expensive, and many office spaces no longer have the option of opening windows to let air flow and refresh inside spaces. Air quality monitors can ensure that mechanical


ventilation does not become an unaffordable expense. Air purity monitors can be used to adjust ventilation levels based on the number of people in a space, saving energy and keeping you and your inhabitants safe at the same time. Simple measures can go a long way, but


some systemic issues may necessitate a more rigorous approach to fix problems in Building Management Systems. A robust energy audit can examine obsolete equipment and offer solutions to revitalise BMS, improving long-term building efficiency and facilitating the journey towards Net Zero carbon operations.


Kas Mohammed


Schneider Electric www.se.com/uk/en/


ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Summer 2022 9

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