BCIA President’s Blog - Are you ready for winter?

The wintery weather is almost upon us (I don’t know about everyone else, but I have already had my heating on), so how ready are you and your building? writes Stacey Lucas, President of the Building Controls Industry Association.

Over the years, I have witnessed again and again what I would call “frost stat season”. The time of year when the temperature drops outside and commercial buildings and their occupants require warming up. However, the process of switching to heating strategies is not always as simple as just setting a new temperature requirement.

Although energy prices remain stubbornly high, those using offices, hospitals, schools, and hotels across the UK expect the temperature to be comfortable. Hence now is the time of year when our industry sees significant demand on BMS engineers to work their magic and make that happen!

I hear often about buildings where the BMS is not always invested in and maintained to the level it should, examples include system alarms being switched off to stop the aggravation rather than investigation, or filters being removed to quieten a noise. In many cases, building owners are relying on the wide remit of Facilities Management to keep the building operational. This all contributes to issues being found when the BMS is expected to react to the change in season efficiently and isn’t able to.

Is this age-old problem getting better? My feeling is that the value of a high-performing BMS is becoming more understood, with a growing awareness that reduced energy consumption and reduced building maintenance costs are just some of the benefits that can be gained for building owners and their occupants. However, there certainly is still a way to go in educating building owners and managers that regular service and maintenance is an investment worth making.

Regular and planned maintenance is absolutely essential to keep systems operating at optimum levels for energy savings, occupancy comfort and health, and system safety.

After all, while systems need to run efficiently all year round, the additional pressures they face during the cold winter months further increase the importance of regular maintenance and servicing. It doesn’t matter if it’s an office, hotel, school, or hospital, if the BMS isn’t working effectively, building owners or facility managers could face severe consequences, such as freezing pipes, water leaks and unhappy occupants.

This has never been more pertinent, given that many commercial and non-residential premises, such as hospitals, typically operate with legacy systems, some of which are more than 40 years old. A BMS will help to identify any developing problems, but this means nothing if the indications are ignored and small issues are left to become bigger issues!

Investment earlier on is key

I am encouraged that the financial and softer benefits of BEMS and BMS are recognised at the highest level in policy making now. The BCIA continues to make great strides to ensure that legislation and Government strategy reflect the requirement for clearer specifications so that building owners invest in building technology, not just aesthetics. Education, awareness, and legislation are all vital in keeping this at the forefront and ensuring everyone’s lives are easier by fixing the small things to prevent them becoming big things!

So, with temperatures set to drop sharply in the coming weeks, time is of the essence for building owners and facility managers to show their BMS some love – and the best way to do that is to organise effective maintenance and servicing.