Blue sky thinking on cloud-based BMS
Building operators should consider investing in cloud-based building management ahead of new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, writes Gavin Holvey
These are highly uncertain times for commercial property owners and landlords. Pre-pandemic there was already a trend towards increased working from home, while demand by some sectors – especially high street retail – had been in decline for years. But with many companies likely to continue with WFH or hybrid working after Covid-19, a general shift towards smaller premises is beyond doubt.
Adding to this already substantial in-tray is the need for landlords to make sure they are prepared for the forthcoming introduction of new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). Due to be implemented from 1 April 2023, the tough new requirements – affecting all privately rented commercial property – will make it an offence to continue to let premises with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating below E (1).
While there are some exemptions, they have to be applied for with evidence, and will only last for five years – following which the landlord has to improve the EPC rating or re-apply for an exemption. For the majority of commercial property owners, however, there will be no alternative to ensuring their rented buildings have the necessary energy rating. Failure to do so could be extremely expensive, with penalties of between £5,000 and £50,000.
A recent study of the London market by leading commercial property specialists Colliers confirms quite how much of the current rental stock is likely to be affected by the new regulations. At present around 1.86m m2 of London’s office space – equating to almost 10 per cent of stock – has an EPC rating of F or G that would make it potentially unusable come 2023. Indeed, the majority of central London offices fall into the D to G categories, with only 20 per cent classed as A and B.
Therefore, while the forthcoming regulations will present challenges enough, any future extension could render thousands more properties unrentable.
The new regulations – which have already been applied to the residential sector – confirm the determination to raise the baseline for commercial property throughout the UK. And while this might initially seem daunting to landlords, it can also be seen as an exciting opportunity for change when viewed in the context of the developments now occurring throughout the world.
In particular, it makes a lot of sense for property owners to think about utilising the cloud more extensively – if they aren’t already doing so. With so much work being done out of the office now, or as part of more unpredictable occupancy patterns, the cloud can provide the kind of consistent and reliable remote access to systems and archives that would be challenging with traditional on-premise IT infrastructures.
Moreover, in terms of energy efficiency, a cloud-based building management system (BMS) can be accessed and analysed from afar round-the-clock – allowing systems to be fine-tuned (not least to save more energy) and for potential problems to be detected as early as possible.
Above all, these latest technologies can help minimise the need to take the highly carbon-intensive strategy of demolishing or building from scratch. Not only do these practices have an environmental impact, they also typically involve multi-year design and build periods. With the kind of imminent deadlines commercial property is currently facing, that’s not going to be feasible as a general strategy.
By taking steps such as installing more powerful building control systems and using cloud-energy management, there is much that can be done to optimise the buildings we already have. Properly deployed and supported by an experienced vendor, a current BMS can routinely achieve 40 per cent savings on energy bills during the operational phase of the building. This can also serve to bring existing facilities closer to the operating performance requirements of modern Grade A structures. In essence, it can be a genuine short cut to a significantly more efficient building.
One of the other great aspects of the latest wave of BMS is their ability to be installed as part of retrofits. For instance, Priva’s present suite of building control technologies can be used in conjunction with existing legacy BMS technologies – for example, by reusing existing cabling, sensors and field devices. All of this has positive practical, financial and environmental benefits.
Given the ability of these systems to offer a ‘win-win’ to all kinds of landlords and building owners across the commercial sector, it’s been no surprise that the level of enquiries has increased steadily over the last few years. Now, with the increase in hybrid working, it’s apparent that their ability to provide efficient support for more unpredictable working practices is going to heighten their popularity even further.
The scale and speed of climate change and the challenges surrounding Net Zero ambitions – something that has been brought home to us all repeatedly over the last 18 months – means that finding more sustainable approaches to the use of the built environment has to be top priority from now onwards. The move away from commute-based working has to be good news, but it demands a flexibility that only a cloud-based infrastructure can deliver – and go on delivering, no matter how the needs of people and place change in the future.
Gavin Holvey is Priva UK & Ireland general manager
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