Democratizing Technical Building Management to Meet Energy Challenges

In terms of the energy transition of buildings, regulations have accelerated in recent years, requiring project owners to considerably reduce energy consumption.

The implementation of the BACS Decree (Building automation & control systems), which plans to equip tertiary buildings with automation and control systems by 2025, is one of the means of achieving the ambitious objectives set by the tertiary eco-energy system. The COVID crisis and the development of teleworking have changed the way we occupy workspaces and building management should be adapted to these new challenges.

Scaling BMS to successfully decarbonize buildings

Initially reserved for buildings of more than 2000 m2 and designed on the scale of a site, the first generation BMS (technical building management) can often be improved. It generally operates on the basis of closed protocols, which are difficult to operate and expensive to maintain. To succeed in the bet of decarbonizing buildings by 2050, it is necessary to scale up BMS and offer owners, in particular multi-site, solutions that are simple and inexpensive to implement.

The latest innovations in this field make it possible to rapidly deploy multi-protocol systems coupled with SaaS applications with simplified interfaces. The challenge is threefold: to trace the data emanating from the buildings, to analyze them, and to allow the remote supervision of the equipment on the scale of a park to act quickly and in a grouped way. It is this ability to act on several buildings simultaneously that changes the situation.

These solutions also make it possible to communicate with "small" buildings which, until now, did not have an integrated BMS, in particular because of the costs. Offering more flexibility, simpler to deploy and less expensive, these new remote control systems for equipment are revolutionizing the operation of buildings and will make it possible to consolidate energy efficiency actions.

Control buildings remotely to adapt to new uses

Combined with EMS (Energy Management System) type solutions, remote control of equipment maximizes energy savings while saving time for field teams. Adjustment of time schedules, temperature or lighting instructions, weather forecasts and adaptation of regulations thanks to artificial intelligence: it is now possible to control these actions remotely, 24 hours a day, 24 days a week, via intuitive apps. The key is less travel on site for maintenance teams, increased responsiveness in the event of observed drift and improved comfort for occupants.

A connected building, capable of being controlled remotely, will have an easier time optimizing its consumption and adapting its operation to its occupancy and use. This represents a new source of fundamental value for buildings.

It should be added that these interoperable digital systems operate with open protocols and are secure against the risk of cyber-maliciousness. With the development of the BOS (Building Operating System) which makes it possible to manage the multiple applications linked to services in the building, we are witnessing a revolution in smart building.

Offer economically more advantageous systems

Now, the challenge is to deploy these systems in as many buildings as possible. For this, installation and licensing costs must be reasonable to encourage owners to invest in monitoring now.

To facilitate this transition, funding exists through CEE sheets dedicated to building technical management systems. Installation and maintenance must be quick and simple in order to limit human resources.

These innovative solutions for managing buildings represent a powerful lever for reducing the environmental footprint of tertiary real estate in France while allowing a measurable return on investment for project owners.

Tribune by Cyril Sailly, Chairman and co-founder of adviseo by setec (LinkedIn)