Heating, cooling and lighting systems often waste energy if they are not set up and maintained properly. On this page you’ll find information on how a building management system can help keep your energy waste down.  

Smarter energy control

A building management system (BMS) gives you valuable energy control at your fingertips. 

A BMS monitors the energy used to heat, cool and light a building — typically the biggest energy users of a business. A more specific building energy management system (BEMS) can be even more powerful when it comes to reducing energy waste.  

A BEMS lets you respond in real time as energy demand changes, even remotely, and reports on energy use over time. 

On this page

Benefits of a building management system

  • Real time data tracking

    The system live tracks and records data on your energy use. This offers easy and insightful reporting capabilities such as dashboard reporting on demand and consumption. 

  • Early problem identification

    A BMS can detect inefficiencies, unnecessary or excessive energy use, and equipment failures early - leading to lower maintenance costs.

  • Continuous improvement

    BMS are capable of learning over time and optimising controls, such as temperature, based on inputs like weather forecasts. 

  • Demand response

    BMS can integrate with electricity grid demand response systems to help manage load on the grid during periods of peak demand and keep costs down. 

  • Cost effective

    The payback period for an existing building can be as fast as 5 years or less, if there are significant inefficiencies waiting to be identified.   

  • Integration with sensors

    The centralised control of a building's energy system can be improved with upgrades like occupancy and CO2 sensors — offering further cost savings.  

Types of building management system 

You can install a completely new BMS or modify an existing system that monitors essential building services and security.

  • Monitoring and targeting systems — Designed to monitor energy use and target areas for improvement.
  • Continuous commissioning systems — Adjust your heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and other systems continuously to meet demand.

Find an installation expert

A range of systems cater to different buildings and their reporting requirements. Work with an energy management specialist to recommend a system and oversee its installation. 

Upgrade or improve your building management system

You may want to customise your building management system to be more tailored to your business needs, improve efficiency, or right-size your tech for your changing business needs. 

Install CO2 sensors

The rate that air is recirculated within a building is designed for an assumed occupancy. If there are fewer people in the building, it’s possible to increase the recirculation rate and reduce energy use.  

CO2 sensors measure the current occupancy and adjust the outdoor intake and recirculation rate accordingly. This can save you upward of 5-15% of your heating and cooling energy use in 2-6 years.1 

Install occupancy sensors 

If a building management system (BMS) controls your heating and cooling, installing occupancy sensors allows the air conditioning of unoccupied zones to be stopped or reduced.  

Putting a delay on the sensor can also ensure that a specific zone remains off when someone just 'passes through'. 

Occupancy sensors can reduce your heating and cooling energy use by 5-20% in less than 2 years.2  

Improving efficiency of commercial buildings

Reduce the energy use and operating costs of your building with support from EECA’s Commercial Building Pathway. 

Get access to free tools and resources designed for New Zealand commercial building owners and managers alongside industry experts.  

Data sources

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