5 HOT TIPS for Getting the Most Out of Your BeMS

A BeMS is a welcome addition to any building, reducing energy consumption by an average of 30%.

Our Technical Team have put forward a list of our 5 ‘hot tips’ for maximising and getting the most out of your BeMS.

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• Critiquing your Setpoints

Ensuring that all BEMS settings and setpoints are correct early on and before ‘locking down’ (restricting access to authorised personnel only) can save on wastage further down the line. Correct setpoints avoid inefficiency within plant and equipment and can be achieved by setting appropriate limits and/or resetting all setpoints back to design every day at midnight. BeMS timeclocks should also be set for the actual occupancy in the associated area rather than running plant and equipment when not required.

‘Correct’ BeMS settings and setpoints should also be demand-based, i.e. only operating when there is a demand for the equipment, rather than being switched on for the full occupancy period.

When critiquing setpoints, it is crucial that you partner with a knowledgeable BeMS contractor who can ensure that all settings and setpoints are correct.

• Auto, auto, auto

Once installed and ‘locked down’, the BeMS should be left to operate in Auto. The biggest cause of energy wastage in a building is usually the manual intervention of people overriding equipment to be on 24/7. Leaving your BeMS on Auto and contacting a specialist when changes need to be made (such as when changes are made to the space inside of the building and BeMS must be adapted to suit) will avoid these wastage issues.

• Annual Calibration

Over time, the readings given by the temperature sensors within your BeMS may drift. This is because temperature sensors lose their accuracy over time if not calibrated regularly. Annual calibration of your temperature sensors will increase the efficiency of your building’s HVAC operations – which account for a substantial 39% of the typical energy consumption of office buildings.

• Planned Preventative Maintenance

Like an MOT but for your building, a Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) contract for your BeMS will involve skilled experts reviewing your system to determine performance. These reviews will be completed twice a year in the Autumn and Spring seasons to prepare for greater fluctuations in temperature in the Winter and Summer seasons.

Our Team of Expert engineers meticulously inspect the existing BeMS system. With our pre-prepared, robust checklist, it allows us to identify potential issues before they become costly to the operational efficiency of your building. This gives you visibility in preparation for your yearly building maintenance budgets and also gives you reassurance that your BeMS is running at maximum functionality.

• Monitoring of Energy Usage and Alarms

BeMS alarms alert you to any deviations from setpoints or mechanical failures, giving you the time to take action before any damage is done to your system.

For example, a faulty sensor could cause plant to operate when not required. Without being alerted to this fault, the plant would continue to waste energy and take away from the positive impact of the BeMS. Although if alerted to the fault, an Engineer could be called to site to replace the sensor, restoring the BeMS’ functionality.

In addition, whilst addressing alarms, this can have an impact on energy consumption within your building. Therefore, monitoring is key to ensure that energy usage does not increase.

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If you have any further questions regarding maximising the functionality of your BeMS or are interested in finding out more about our other services, please contact us today. One of our Experts will be available to help.