Building Management Systems (BMS) are a staple in commercial properties, but is their intelligence being truly harnessed? For many building owners and facilities managers, the answer is “not yet.” The irony is that many sites already have the right technology, but it’s potential is not fully being taken advantage of. Even the most advanced systems can be underused or misconfigured, leaving substantial energy savings and operational efficiencies unrealised. Kevin McGuane, energy services director for DMA Group, examines the issue and provides his top tips to untapping the potential of BMS.
A well-integrated and properly configured BMS is the lynchpin of energy savings, carbon reduction, and end-user comfort. Too often, however, this technology is underutilised and not properly configured, leaving building owners paying more than they need, and building users experiencing indoor environments that don’t facilitate health, wellbeing and productivity.
At a time when many existing buildings are undergoing low carbon retrofit in a quest to meet Net Zero targets, improve operations and reduce energy bills, getting the controls that ensure this investment pays off right is more important than ever. Failing to set up and use these systems properly is a false economy.
When done correctly, a BMS supports a holistic energy management strategy, integrating building services to ensure rooms are light, well-ventilated and the right temperature when in use, while coordinating efficient electricity usage. Overtime, data-driven decision making, based on detailed insights and long-term trends, will lead to continuous operational improvement.
Integration and automation
A well-configured BMS should automate building services based on real-time conditions, preventing unnecessary power consumption and avoiding on/off cycling. Motion sensors, time-of-day scheduling, and zoning heating, cooling, and ventilation to actual occupancy and usage, will prevent wastage and improve occupant comfort.
Continuous data collection through sensors and monitoring enables predictive maintenance, prevents breakdowns, and extends the life of expensive technology. These sensors also help identify energy wasters, highlighting equipment that is using too much power.
Common pitfalls: underused and misunderstood
A potential goldmine of insights - energy consumption, operational performance, and more – these insights remain untapped when BMS are not fully optimised.
Typical configuration problems include:
- Heating schedules starting too early.
- HVAC settings not adjusted for hybrid working, resulting in underoccupied spaces being heated or cooled unnecessarily.
- Plant room controls left in hand mode, bypassing automated controls.
- Ineffective air quality monitoring leading to over or under-ventilation and potentially wasted heating or cooling.
- Lack of maintenance resulting in faulty sensors or valves, feeding incorrect data back to the BMS.
- New HVAC systems added but not included in the BMS, which can result in heating and cooling happening simultaneously.
In large multi-occupancy buildings or across estate sites, these seemingly small problems can add up to thousands of pounds of wasted electricity, for example:
- Optimising start/stop for heating and cooling plant will reduce running hours and save around 5–10%
- Enhancing lighting control can save between 3–40%
- Recalibrating sensors can save between 10–15%
- Inadequate or incorrect application of a boiler control leads to approximately 15–30% of wasted energy
- Space sensors set too high - just 1°C too much can cause up to 10% wasted energy.
According to the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, £3.1 billion of energy is wasted annually in non-domestic buildings due to poor energy management and inefficient systems.
Simple fixes, big impact
The reality is that many buildings have perfectly serviceable BMS systems, they’re just not set up to run efficiently. Simple fixes, like preventing rooms from being heated out of hours, can lead to huge savings in large sites.
Even where more robust upgrades are required, the money recouped usually results in a quick ROI. For example, one of our customers recently avoided over £80,000 a year in unnecessary costs by simply reconfiguring time schedules, fixing faulty sensors, and upgrading controls, with payback in less than two years.
Regardless of financial savings, ensuring BMS works effectively should be seen as part of wider aims to reduce environmental impact and meet carbon reduction policies. Where building owners and maintenance teams have adopted or plan to adopt AI, the data a BMS collects is critical to ensuring effective AI learning and automation.
There is so much a BMS system can do, yet most building owners and their maintenance teams have barely scratched the surface.
Step-by-step guide: unlocking untapped intelligence
DMA uses a RAG-rated survey process to help building owners and maintenance teams understand the state of their BMS. The survey covers:
Validation: Assessing the current setup of the BMS, confirming which systems are active, working, or bypassed and identifying gaps in monitoring and reporting.
Rectification: Correcting critical issues such as faulty sensors, systems left in hand mode, or scheduling errors and then aligning heating and cooling systems to occupancy times.
Ventilation optimisation: Balance air quality with energy efficiency, in order to reduce over-ventilation without compromising health and comfort.
Smart tech integration: CO₂ sensors, occupancy sensors, lighting controls and automated valves are all essential to ensuring building services operate in synergy with actual building usage. Estate-wide dashboards allow for performance monitoring and SECR compliance. Accurate and continuous data collection is crucial for AI integration.
Realising your building’s intelligence
Technology alone isn’t enough; success depends on how well it’s used. Most buildings already have the tools they need to become smarter and more efficient. The challenge is to unlock the intelligence that’s already there. By following a structured approach: auditing, optimising, integrating and upgrading, building owners can transform their BMS from an underused asset to a powerhouse of efficiency and sustainability.