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Introduction

Building energy management systems (BEMS) are designed to provide a comfortable climate for building occupants while ensuring this is delivered with the lowest possible energy consumption. BEMS are often part of a larger building management system (BMS) and both can be used to control a plant's energy management system (EMS). The terms ‘BMS' and ‘BEMS' are often used interchangeably and, for the purpose of avoiding confusion, this publication will generally use the term ‘BEMS' unless the context requires further clarification.

BEMS are essential tools for managing energy and there are a number of key reasons why organisations should consider their use:

• to save costs
• to comply with legislation
• to manage risk.

The rising cost of energy in the UK since 2000 has highlighted the need for improved management of this resource. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) updates its predictions of fossil fuel prices annually[1]. It models future gas prices using a number of scenarios to cover the range of probable market conditions with a view to predicting price increases on an annual basis until 2030. The worst of these scenarios predicts a 100% increase in prices over the 10 years from 2008.

As well as rising prices, security of energy supply has also become an issue, particularly since 2004 when the UK changed from being a net exporter of gas to being a net importer. UK production satisfied only about 70% of our demand in 2010[2] and this loss of capacity has led to increasing concern over energy security.

As mentioned earlier, another major driver is legislation. This can be well established, as is the case with the Climate Change Levy (CCL), Climate Change Agreements (CCAs) with DECC, legislation relating to the Industrial Emissions Directive[3], and The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010[4], which mainly cover industrial and manufacturing organisations. These, along with the CRC energy efficiency scheme, are initiatives designed to help meet the government's carbon reduction targets, to which energy efficiency is a major contributor.

The CRC energy efficiency scheme (formerly known as the ‘Carbon Reduction Commitment') is a mandatory scheme, run by DECC, to improve energy efficiency and thereby cut CO2 emissions in large public- and private-sector organisations. The scheme features a range of reputational, behavioural and financial drivers that aim to encourage organisations to develop energy management strategies that promote a better understanding of energy usage.