Five Practical Tips to Lower Your Commercial Energy Consumption

Managing a large commercial building involves a delicate balancing act. You want to provide a comfortable and productive environment for occupants, but you also need to keep a close eye on operational costs. 

Energy consumption is often one of the biggest expenses, and it’s an area where even small improvements can lead to substantial savings. Making a conscious effort to reduce how much energy your building uses is not only a smart financial move but also a vital part of acting more responsibly towards the environment.

We'll explore some straightforward adjustments alongside more involved solutions that offer long-term benefits. These tips are designed to be accessible, providing you with actionable insights to drive efficiency and improve your bottom line.

1. Optimise Your Building Energy Management System (BEMS)

If your building has a BEMS, the first step should be to ensure it is working to its full potential. A well-designed BEMS acts as the central intelligence of your building, constantly monitoring and controlling the mechanical and electrical equipment. It gathers data from sensors throughout the building, giving you a real-time overview of conditions and energy use. The system then uses sophisticated algorithms and preset parameters to make intelligent decisions about how to operate various systems.

An optimised BEMS can make a big difference. It can fine-tune heating and cooling schedules, prevent the simultaneous heating and cooling of spaces, and identify faulty equipment that is using too much energy. This might involve adjusting the output of boilers or chillers, modulating ventilation rates, or dimming lights based on occupancy and natural light levels. These small, consistent adjustments over time can lead to significant reductions in your energy bills and help to lower the building's carbon footprint.

To get the most out of your BEMS, it’s worth reviewing its settings and schedules regularly. Building usage patterns can change, and your BEMS should be adjusted to reflect this. You might also want to explore the reporting and analysis features that many BEMS offer. This data can be incredibly useful for identifying trends, pinpointing areas for further improvement, and measuring the effectiveness of your energy-saving measures. 

A modern BEMS is a powerful tool for making data-driven decisions that lead to continuous improvement in your building's performance.

 2. Integrate Your Systems for Holistic Control

A BEMS shouldn't operate on its own; it works best when it is integrated with other building systems. A modern BEMS can connect with various systems, including HVAC, lighting, security, and even fire safety. This allows for a joined-up approach to building management, where different systems can communicate and coordinate their operations for maximum efficiency.

For example, the BEMS could receive information from occupancy sensors and automatically adjust lighting and ventilation levels in that area. This approach means that energy is only used where and when it is needed, avoiding unnecessary waste. The BEMS can also use intelligent control strategies that consider multiple factors, such as occupancy and external weather forecasts. A BEMS might anticipate a sunny day and proactively reduce the heating output or adjust blinds to minimise solar gain. This joined-up approach creates a more responsive and intelligent building performance.

By integrating your systems, you create a building that is smart, responsive, and highly efficient. This not only helps to lower energy costs but also improves the comfort and well-being of the people inside.

3. Consider BEMS for New Builds

While a Building Energy Management System (BEMS) is now a requirement for all new construction projects, its benefits are maximised when it's integrated from the very start of the design process. 

Planning for a BEMS early ensures it's perfectly tailored to a building's specific needs, leading to a structure that is energy-efficient and cost-effective from day one. This proactive approach can seamlessly manage all aspects of the building's energy use, including heating, cooling, lighting, and power distribution, providing a strong foundation for long-term sustainability.

The BEMS industry is also heavily focused on retrofitting existing buildings that lack this technology. Retrofitting a BEMS is a key driver for improving energy efficiency in older structures. Thanks to advances in more reliable and accurate wireless technology, installing a BEMS in an existing building is now less intrusive and easier than ever before.

This dual focus on both new builds and retrofitting makes the BEMS industry an area of significant innovation. 

4. Monitor and Maintain Your Equipment

Even the most sophisticated BEMS is only as effective as the equipment it controls. Regular monitoring and maintenance of your building’s mechanical and electrical systems are essential. Faulty or poorly maintained equipment can consume excessive energy, undoing the savings your BEMS is trying to achieve.

The BEMS can help with this by providing detailed reports on system performance, allowing you to spot issues early. This data can help you schedule preventative maintenance, ensuring your equipment operates at peak efficiency. By optimising the operation of mechanical and electrical equipment, a BEMS can also help to extend its lifespan. Running equipment at consistent and appropriate levels, rather than pushing it to its limits, reduces wear and tear and minimises the risk of breakdowns. This can lead to significant savings in maintenance and replacement costs over time.

Creating a regular maintenance schedule and using the data from your BEMS to guide your efforts will ensure that your building's systems are always running smoothly and efficiently.

5. Empower Your People

The final tip is to remember the people who work in and use your building. Providing them with a comfortable and productive environment is a key goal, and their awareness and actions can contribute to your energy-saving efforts. While a BEMS handles the complex tasks, a culture of energy efficiency and sustainability can be fostered throughout the building.

Consider communicating your energy-saving goals to the building's occupants. You can share simple tips like turning off lights in unoccupied rooms or adjusting thermostats within a comfortable range. This collective effort, combined with the power of your BEMS, can have a noticeable impact. A good BEMS can zone the building, providing tailored conditions to different spaces and adjusting them automatically as needed. This improves well-being and can positively impact productivity and satisfaction.

By creating a comfortable environment and encouraging a shared commitment to energy efficiency, you empower everyone to play a role in making your building more sustainable. 

The benefits of a modern and effective BEMS are numerous and long-term, from reduced operational costs to enhanced sustainability credentials.  Read our top tips on helping your building reach its environmental goals here.