The bottom line to most businesses is that Energy is a big operating cost and with new and ever changing energy legislation not only in relation to a building stages of planning, construction, procurement but very much now operation of the building is the main focus. With the emphasis of a buildings Carbon Footprint, Carbon off-setting, Carbon Reduction Scheme, Blue Skies grants the list is endless in terms of new terminology and legislation. This new focus on energy and sustainability has lead to an increased awareness and demand from the public’s to reduce our carbon footprint for benefit of us all.
There is a reason for businesses to act now, the Carbon Reduction Commitment is starting to pick up pace as larger organisations realise the financial and CSR risks that may lie ahead. – There will be a proposed tax, which will come on line in 2010 which will become an additional cost to the Climate Change Levy that is already ‘LIVE’.
A good and effective building control strategy (perhaps via a customised BMS system) is one way of moving in the right direction to reduce energy consumption in a building. Lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation and other building services require effective management to keep each sub-service under control. The Carbon Trust estimates that in fact 90% of all building controls are of poor standard and is costing businesses across the UK over £500 million in unnecessary energy costs. This in turn is contributing to an unnecessarily high level of additional CO2 emissions.
Building controls can be an important part in the running of a building’s sub-systems, provided their are fit for purpose. The controls need to be optimised and be able to interface to the relevant field product or control system with ease and interoperability according to the nature of the building and the objectives of the organisation and its occupants that use it.
Intelligent controls allow a system to learn to match demand patterns and respond accordingly. User adjustability can deliver further efficiencies, as systems with sufficient user outstations provide flexibility to allow the building users to exactly match the building conditions to cater for their changing requirements.
The best examples of these types of Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) have optimised systems and correctly applied sensors that are linked to field devices on an open protocol saving duplication in capital wiring installations and commission (that in itself reducing CO2 emissions).
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