When we talk about decarbonisation, people often jump to renewable energy, electrification, and cutting-edge technologies. Yet, one of the most powerful tools for reducing carbon emissions is already sitting at the heart of our buildings: the Building Management System (BMS). A well-optimised BMS can transform energy performance, cut operational costs, and support the journey to net zero, without the need for major structural changes.
With more than 15 years’ experience, BMS Optimisation Engineer, John Collins, has a unique perspective on why these systems are critical to decarbonisation, particularly in complex, high-demand environments like hospitals. From installation and commissioning to advanced optimisation, he understands how a smart BMS can transform energy performance.
In his current role at Vital Energi, John is involved in surveying, upgrading, and optimising BMS systems, with a focus on healthcare clients, ensuring they not only meet technical standards but deliver measurable energy savings. His work bridges the gap between design and delivery, combining technical precision with a clear focus on sustainability outcomes.
In this piece, John shares why BMS plays a key role in decarbonisation, how hospitals can use BMS to achieve meaningful, measurable impact, and more.
What is a Building Management System?
A BMS is like a buildings “brain”. It is also known as a Building Automation System (BAS), or a Building Energy Management System (BEMS).
It is essentially a computer-based system which monitors and controls all the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) within a building, or series of connected buildings.
A BMS quite often also controls and/or monitors other systems such as:
A BMS is typically made up of a supervisor, which is a graphical interface for an end user to see and control the HVAC systems. This supervisor is then connected to series of BMS outstations throughout the building, either across an ethernet network, or a proprietary network for some older installations.
The BMS outstations, as an example, are usually situated in plantrooms where air handling units, or heating pumps are present. And are then connected to these via a series of sensors, like temperature sensors, and actuators, which control things like heating valves.
What is involved in the installation/upgrade of BMS?
The first step when we upgrade a Building Management System is to review the current BMS setup to understand the age, condition and how it’s currently performing, before designing a clear upgrade plan tailored to the building(s) environment, taking into consideration factors like Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs), which is defined and laid out clearly in reviewable design documentation (RDD) for the client to review and approve.
Next, we replace outdated hardware with the latest technology, often retrofitting it into existing panels to minimise disruption. We also modernise the BMS network by removing old proprietary networks and in some cases installing a dedicated, secure Ethernet-based BMS network.
The software is completely rewritten with optimised strategies and updated setpoints, and we refresh the user interface with new graphics and the latest supervisor version for easier control. Alongside this, we install a central weather station for accurate environmental data to feed back into the optimised strategies. We also check and report on the condition of connected HVAC systems with detailed dilapidation reports.
Finally, we validate the system with the client to ensure everything works as intended and provide full functional description of operations (FDOs) as a part of the operation and maintenance manuals (O&Ms) for the new systems and software strategies.
How can BMS help organisations achieve their net zero targets?
BMS is a fundamental part in achieving net zero targets.
As we have already touched on, the BMS is the thing in charge of controlling a lot of systems within a building. Something that is key for achieving net zero targets is the control of heating and ventilation systems. Now these systems can only operate as good as the thing telling them what to do, and that is the BMS!
Experience has already told us that changing the BMS hardware alone does not generate any real reduction in energy usage, this largely comes from the software inside, which we put a tremendous amount of effort into analysing and designing optimised software, control logic and strategies, with the latest BMS product ranges providing the perfect platform for this software to be implemented.
What are the biggest challenges in implementing or optimising BMS within hospital environments?
Maintaining comfort conditions during hardware installations and through software rewrites. As a company we have a lot of experience with delivering these projects with very little/to no impact to staff or patients, but it is still definitely one of the biggest challenges.
Another challenge is ensuring our clients fully understand how their system operates, especially since the new optimised software has been implemented. We tackle this by providing full new operation and maintenance documentation as standard with our projects. These are pre-approved by our clients before any changes are implemented and are fully updated once the project is delivered.
How does BMS impact patient/staff comfort levels?
The BMS has a huge impact on patient and staff comfort levels, which creates a tricky task designing a system to achieve the same comfort conditions for less energy. We achieve this through extensive energy and weather modelling to establish when and where heating systems can be reduced, and in some conditions be turned off.
How does BMS contribute to cost savings?
We have successfully delivered a considerable amount of BMS upgrade and optimisation projects, many of which have overachieved the guaranteed savings.
One standout project was delivered in collaboration with a major NHS Trust, where collaboration with the Trust and their BMS manager delivered exceptional results. They fully embraced our optimised strategies and even made additional adjustments to settings and schedules, which amplified the savings.
As a result, annual verified gas savings soared from our guaranteed 1,571,974 kWh to an impressive 7,475,244 kWh - cutting 1,440 tonnes of carbon and saving £199,761 each year, compared to the original target of 371 tonnes of carbon and £65,895 in financial savings.
Does BMS have to form part of a wider decarbonisation scheme, or can it be a standalone project?
Something that often gets overlooked is the importance of BMS in wider decarbonisation schemes. In order to carry out other energy conservation measures (ECMs), like replacing secondary heating pumps for more efficient direct drive pumps, changing heating circuits from fixed to variable flow, or retrofitting new EC fans in air handling units, the BMS needs to be considered. All these measures directly integrate into a BMS system, so it is crucial that the system is up to date and optimised properly to get the most out of the other ECMs.
Not only is the BMS important to anything on the secondary side, but it is also key to any primary side works. If, for example, we are de-steaming a site and installing new low temperature hot water plate heat exchangers, these need to be integrated and controlled by the BMS. Another example is when we install water source, ground source, or air source heat pumps. These systems depend on the BMS to share key information from the building’s existing systems, ensuring they operate effectively and efficiently.
In short, any new technologies being installed, should, and need to be integrated into the BMS!
Now that being said, upgrading and optimising your BMS can absolutely be a standalone project that can achieve great energy savings and lay the groundwork for future ECMs, making it the essential first step toward a more efficient, sustainable building.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to optimise an existing system or plan a full upgrade, the right approach can deliver measurable energy savings, improve comfort, and accelerate your journey to net zero.
Email [email protected] and talk to our BMS specialists to find out how we can help you transform your building’s performance and achieve your sustainability goals.
