Using BMS to Achieve Green Building Certifications
Within the competitive commercial property sector, achieving a green building certification is a vital indicator of asset quality, operational efficiency, and future compliance.
We know that BREEAM and LEED certifications can provide a universal benchmark for sustainability. Securing these accolades requires a lot more than just a sustainable design; it demands continuous, demonstrable performance across a variety of operational categories.
The Building Energy Management System (BMS) is the core technology that translates sustainable ambition into the tangible proof required for successful certification.
The Data Mandate of Green Certification
Both BREEAM and LEED systems focus intensely on energy performance, water management, and indoor environmental quality. Ratings are assigned based on the building’s continuous operational performance, rather than just the installation of efficient technologies.
Fixed, time-based scheduling is unable to account for dynamic, real-world variables, which allows these energy-wasting habits to persist, driving continuous and unnecessary energy consumption.
The BMS system overcomes this restriction by serving as the building's central intelligence, collecting and processing granular energy data from thousands of sensors to inform every operational decision. This intense data collection capability is crucial because it provides the documented evidence that assessors require to validate compliance.
Energy Performance and Optimisation
By acting as the system strategist, the BMS directly impacts the most substantial part of the energy score, utilising intelligent control strategies to optimise mechanical and electrical plant operation. BMS facilitates proactive maintenance, leveraging your operational data gathered from ongoing equipment monitoring to extend the lifespan of your infrastructure.
This operational excellence ensures the building maintains peak efficiency long after commissioning, a requirement for in-use certifications. This ability to continuously save on energy costs is a core metric for any green standard.
Health, Wellbeing, and Occupant Control
Green certifications place a high value on the indoor environmental quality for occupant health. The BMS provides precise, zonal control over temperature, humidity, and ventilation rates, ensuring that optimal conditions are met without wasting energy. Beyond efficiency, future proofing centres on adaptability and resilience.
The capability of a well-designed BMS system allows a building to navigate dynamic circumstances, including impacts from extreme weather or changes in occupancy, while simultaneously protecting occupant comfort and preventing unnecessary expenditure.
Management, Reporting, and Auditing
The BMS excels at the documentation required for compliance. It provides audit trails of system performance, tracks energy consumption against benchmarks, and flags any deviation from optimal parameters. This verifiable performance data provides the tangible proof necessary for securing BREEAM or LEED certification.
The system’s capability transforms the complex process of certification into a transparent, data-driven, and verifiable exercise.
The Strategic Advantage of Integrated Systems
The most resilient buildings feature systems that communicate seamlessly. The modern BMS goes beyond HVAC, it integrates lighting, security, and access control into a single intelligent network. This combined approach allows information from one system to inform decisions elsewhere, for instance, using security data to confirm occupancy before activating ventilation.
This ensures resources are used only when and where they are needed, which is a major advantage in achieving high ratings in the management and innovation categories of these schemes.
Innovative solutions are designed to leverage this vital data asset. Powered by industry-leading technology and expert teams, these systems help your building reduce energy consumption and save on operating costs. We adopt an individual approach to BMS design, installation and support, tailoring a solution to client needs and objectives.
To transition your building’s sustainability commitment into a formally recognised green certification, contact us today to discuss a BMS solution designed specifically for your long-term goals.
