How Facilities Managers Can Leverage BEMS Data

 

Facilities management (FM) companies are primarily focused on ensuring compliance with regulations and responding quickly to maintenance issues. Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) provide powerful tools to streamline these responsibilities. By leveraging BEMS data, FM companies can manage compliance, resolve faults efficiently, and enhance client satisfaction. Here’s how BEMS data can help.

 

Monitoring and Ensuring Compliance

Compliance is a core priority for FM companies, and BEMS data provides clear evidence to meet regulatory requirements and support audits.

 

Energy Efficiency Compliance

Regulatory Standards

Use BEMS data to comply with:

• Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Display Energy Certificates (DECs).
• Part L of the Building Regulations for energy-efficient building operations.
• Carbon Reporting: Monitor energy consumption and emissions to align with net-zero goals and corporate sustainability targets.
• Energy Trends: Track energy use across systems to identify inefficiencies and demonstrate improvements.

 

Indoor Air Quality and Comfort Compliance

• CO₂ Levels: Ensure compliance with workplace standards by keeping CO₂ levels below 1,000 ppm.
• Temperature Logs: Provide documentation that indoor temperatures remain within safe and comfortable limits.
• Humidity Monitoring: Track and maintain proper humidity levels to prevent discomfort, mold, or material damage.

 

Safety System Compliance

• Test Records: Use BEMS to log testing of critical safety systems, such as fire dampers, pressurization fans, and gas detection systems.
• Audit Readiness: Store and provide historical data to demonstrate compliance during health, safety, or building inspections.

 

Reactive Fault Finding and Maintenance

 

Reactive maintenance is a common focus for FM companies. BEMS data can help prioritize and resolve issues efficiently.

 

Quickly Identify and Prioritize Faults

• Alarm Notifications: BEMS alerts flag faults such as pump failures, fan malfunctions, or temperature deviations, allowing for immediate action.
• Fault Logs: Review historical logs to identify recurring issues, helping to address root causes rather than symptoms.

 

Troubleshoot Issues

Use real-time and historical BEMS data to identify and resolve system faults:

 

• Heating or Cooling Problems: Diagnose issues in boilers, chillers, or zone valves by analyzing temperature trends and flow data.
• Ventilation Failures: Identify blocked ducts, stuck dampers, or faulty fans using pressure and airflow data.
• Sequence Validation: Ensure systems like boiler lead-lag configurations or pump changeovers are functioning as programmed.

 

Collaborate with Contractors

• Provide contractors with BEMS data to focus their efforts on specific issues, reducing repair time and costs.
• Example: Share trend logs showing how a zone valve failed to modulate, helping the contractor diagnose the problem more efficiently.

 

Supporting Client Compliance Needs

For FM companies managing multiple clients, BEMS data is essential for delivering compliance services and ensuring tenant satisfaction.

 

Prove Compliance for Clients

• Provide energy performance and air quality reports for client audits or certifications (e.g., BREEAM or ISO 50001).
• Demonstrate compliance with SLAs by showing that systems maintain agreed temperature or air quality thresholds.

 

Address Occupant Concerns

• Use BEMS data to investigate complaints about comfort, such as overheating or poor air quality.
• Example: If a tenant reports discomfort, use BEMS data to verify zone temperatures and system operation, or adjust settings to improve comfort.

 

Optimizing Energy Use Reactively

 

Even in reactive operations, BEMS data can help FM companies reduce energy consumption and costs for their clients.

 

Quick Energy Wins

• Schedule Adjustments: Use BEMS schedules to eliminate unnecessary system operation during unoccupied periods.
• Setpoint Optimization: Fine-tune heating and cooling setpoints to balance energy efficiency with occupant comfort.
• Seasonal Tweaks: Adapt system operations for summer and winter conditions to save energy.

 

Peak Demand Management

Monitor energy demand during peak periods and adjust system loads to avoid costly tariffs.

Example: Lower HVAC loads in non-critical areas during peak times while maintaining compliance with minimum comfort standards.

 

Enhancing Reactive Operations

 

BEMS data simplifies managing multiple sites and responding to issues, ensuring quick and effective resolutions.

 

Centralized Monitoring

Access real-time data across multiple sites to quickly identify underperforming systems and allocate resources effectively.

Example: Monitor a portfolio of buildings and prioritize maintenance for systems triggering multiple alarms.

 

Minimize Downtime

Quickly identify system failures and provide temporary solutions using BEMS data.

Example: If a boiler fails, monitor other systems to ensure heat delivery to critical zones until repairs are made.

 

Emergency Readiness

Track critical systems, such as backup generators or smoke extraction fans, to ensure operational readiness during emergencies.

Example: During a fire alarm, the BEMS verifies that smoke extract fans activate, dampers open for ventilation, and air handling units shut down to prevent smoke spread.

Supporting Maintenance Contracts

 

BEMS data helps FM companies provide proof of service and manage contractors effectively.

 

Validate Service Work

Use trend logs to show when systems were serviced, highlighting improvements such as reduced runtime or improved setpoint stability.

Example: Provide a report showing that a chiller’s efficiency improved following routine maintenance.

 

Monitor Contractor Performance

Verify that subcontractors’ repairs or maintenance resolved the issue by checking performance data post-service.

Example: After a pump replacement, confirm that flow rates and pressure trends have returned to normal.

 

Simplifying Reporting for Clients

 

Facilities management companies often need to provide detailed reports to clients. BEMS data makes this process easier and more transparent.

 

• Compliance Reports: Include energy usage, CO₂ emissions, and temperature trends to prove regulatory compliance.
• Fault and Resolution Summaries: Show a clear log of faults, actions taken, and outcomes to build client trust.
• Performance Metrics: Highlight operational improvements, such as reduced energy costs or fewer equipment failures, to demonstrate value.

 

Conclusion

 

For compliance-driven and reactive FM companies, BEMS data is a vital tool for managing faults, ensuring regulatory adherence, and maintaining tenant satisfaction. By using BEMS data to provide evidence of compliance, streamline maintenance, and optimize energy use, FM teams can deliver measurable value to clients while ensuring operational excellence.
 

Whether responding to immediate issues or managing long-term compliance requirements, BEMS empowers FM companies to work smarter, not harder.