Many energy managers rely on their building energy management system (BEMS) to effectively oversee and manage their building’s operations and energy consumption. Here, Steve Kenny, vice president and general manager, MK Electric, explains how the market has now caught up with BEMS installations.
Steve Kenny
The humble BEMS is a cornerstone of the modern energy manager’s strategy for controlling and maintaining building energy efficiency. Not only can these systems allow for streamlined control of building services and real-time visibility into energy use, but they can also help energy managers work towards the requirements of standards such as ISO 50001 and initiatives like the energy savings opportunity scheme (ESOS). With both examples, a demonstrable trail of building energy use and planned reduction activities are essential.
The impacts of ESOS
ESOS is of particular interest for businesses this year. The initiative, introduced in 2014, made energy audits mandatory for large companies in the UK and necessitated that those businesses assess their energy use every four years. ESOS phase three — the third assessment cycle for companies — comes to an end on December 5, 2023, at which point qualifying businesses must have completed their audits for the past four years and established a clear plan for reducing energy use in the next phase.
Currently, part of the auditing process involves energy managers identifying areas for improvement, setting goals related to them and establishing a plan to achieve those goals. The UK Government’s response to the 2022 ESOS consultation has made clear that the intent of future phases is likely to make this stricter, requiring businesses to report progress annually and explain why any goals have not been met. As such, energy managers are soon to be under further pressure to understand their building’s energy footprint and have a clear view of areas for improvement.
Connected power
The challenges ahead
The problem some energy managers may find is that, several cycles into ESOS, the number of evident opportunities for improving efficiency are dwindling. This challenge might also be made to appear more difficult because a BEMS has traditionally not always been able to give a complete overview of building energy. Electrical outlets and the devices plugged into them might not be covered under the scope of a BEMS, potentially leaving a high volume of small power loads unmonitored and uncontrolled.
A lack of insight into small power loads may not initially appear to be a substantial problem. However, the number of these devices across a standard commercial building means that they could collectively account for more than 25 percent of energy use in a commercial building. If we consider how many computers, printers, screens and more are plugged in and used in a standard office environment, it becomes evident how important it can be to monitor these loads.
The new way forward
Although electrical sockets have not historically been integrated into building management systems (BMS), there are now new technologies that make this possible, enabling constant insight and control of small power loads. This technological innovation, recognised as a key innovation by the BCIA, can help identify any sockets across a site that have been left powered on unnecessarily by building occupants, as well as any devices in sleep mode that would otherwise silently sap electricity without staff noticing. Energy managers can utilise this level of visibility in their buildings to accurately assess opportunities to help lower site energy consumption.
Having socket-level insight in a BEMS means that energy managers can have increased visibility into their building’s energy use and heightened control over their electrical systems. With this new frontier of devices connected, it becomes easier to identify opportunities for further potential reductions in energy use in line with ESOS requirements, on top of the immediate benefits that come from having enhanced small power control.
Looking ahead: A connected future
With initiatives such as ESOS putting increased pressure on businesses to address their energy consumption, it is imperative that energy managers look for cost-effective ways to reduce their energy use.
Whilst BEMS and supervisor systems can be an effective way to help achieve this, it’s increasingly beneficial that small power usage is available within these systems. Now that the technology has advanced, energy managers can begin monitoring power consumption of electrical outlets and addressing excess small power usage easily and efficiently.
