Building and Energy Management System (BEMS)

DEFINITION: A computer-based system that controls and monitors a building's mechanical and electrical equipment such as heating, ventilation, lighting, and power systems. In offices and factories for example, a BMS can automate and take control of these operations in the most efficient way possible, saving energy.

More detail

edie Explains: Building energy management systems (BEMS)

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ENA calls for mandatory hydrogen boilers as CBI outlines new sustainability vision

Replacing existing gas boilers with hydrogen-ready devices should be mandatory when they reach the end of their life, the Energy Networks Association (ENA) has urged in its general election manifesto.
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National Grid commits to net-zero emissions target for 2050

The National Grid has announced a commitment to reduce its direct greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050, the same timeframe as the UK Government's legislative target.
The new policy will cut €2bn (£1.7bn) of yearly investments to fossil fuel projects

European Investment Bank to end financial support for fossil fuels by 2021

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has unveiled a new energy lending policy that will stop all financing for fossil fuel projects at the end of 2021 and unlock €1trn in sustainable development over the next decade.
Eurostar has pledged to plant a tree for every train service that it operates across its routes

From plastics to rewilding: How Eurostar is gaining a competitive edge in the era of eco-travel

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Strengthen climate policies now or risk catastrophe, warns energy agency

The world's existing climate policies will not be enough to end the upward march of record energy emissions rising beyond 2040 without a "grand coalition" of governments and investors, according to the global energy watchdog.
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Energy managers wanted to take quarterly Business Barometer survey

edie is calling on all UK-based energy managers and practitioners to take the third Business Barometer survey and identify key energy trends and opportunities from 2019 into 2020.
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Available to watch on demand: edie's net-zero business webinar

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Net-Zero November: edie kicks off month of themed content and events with raft of new business pledges

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Global metals and engineering group Liberty House has announced plans to roll all of its steel plants into a single company, largely in order to target carbon-neutral operations by 2030.
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Glasgow signs up primary school as its first flexible energy asset

As part of its bid to become a carbon-neutral city by 2030, Glasgow City Council is set to use one of its primary schools as a flexible energy asset on the demand side response (DSR) market.
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'Simple' energy efficiency measures could deliver £45m benefit for UK businesses

New data from EDF Energy has revealed that measures such as installing energy efficient lighting and better heating management could create more than £45m in energy cost savings across 4,150 analysed sites.
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Academic research often cites flexible energy technologies such as battery storage and electric vehicles (EVs) as key components of the low-carbon economies of the future. But with policies supporting the UK Government's 2050 net-zero goal still in their infancy, what must now be done to support their widespread adoption?
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Total signs cleantech deal to produce hydrogen at refineries

French energy giant Total has signed a cooperation agreement with the Sunfire cleantech company to integrate capture waste heat and CO2 at a German refinery to create synthetic methanol and hydrogen to be used to reduce energy and transport emissions.
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Now on demand: edie's masterclass on Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting for business

edie's 45-minutes masterclass, now on demand, saw experts from Inspired Energy outline how businesses can get to grips with the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) framework.
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Ofgem and BEIS call on networks to realise £40bn flexible energy opportunity

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Global economic growth 'now directly linked to greater energy efficiency', report finds

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New in-store fridge technology has enabled Waitrose & Partners to reduce its energy use for refrigeration by more than 40%, the supermarket has claimed.
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A coalition of eight European cities, including Dublin and Leeds, have pledged to completely decarbonise their existing building stocks by 2050.
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Engineering and electronics giant Bosch has committed to achieve carbon neutrality across its direct global operations by 2020 - a move it claims will mitigate the emission of 3.3 million tonnes of CO2 within the next 12 months.
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Renewable energy could meet 86% of global power demand by 2050, IRENA concludes

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US-based consumer goods giant SC Johnson has revealed plans to use geothermal energy for the heating and cooling of its headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin.
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The UK alone could avoid the use of more than nine million kWh of energy during this year's Earth Hour, as landmarks across the globe turn off their lights in a bid to highlight the scale of global environmental challenges.
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Oil giant Eni targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2030

Italian oil and gas group Eni has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions for its operations by 2030, despite announcing plans to increase oil and gas production by 3.5% annually up to 2022.
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Study charts six scenarios for fossil-free energy by 2050

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The Clean Air Zone in Birmingham has been described as 'much needed' by the council

Birmingham Clean Air Zone given green light by Government

Plans for a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Birmingham have received Government approval following the submission of its full business case last month.
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MPs question housebuilders on energy performance of new homes

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The report notes that floor space is used as a key component to creating an energy rating, and that a 1% change in property area size could result in a 1-point change to an EPC score

Landlords could be letting illegal properties due to 'inaccurate' EPC ratings, report finds

Landlords across the UK could be letting around 35,000 properties illegally, due to inaccurate Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) scores that could be affecting up to 2.5 million properties, a new report has claimed.
The JUMP scheme enables NTU to encourage activities that align with Nottingham City Council’s target of becoming a net-zero-carbon city by 2028

Nottingham Trent University signs up to JUMP employee engagement initiative

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has become the 11th University to sign up to the JUMP employee engagement initiative, as it attempts to encourage its 4,000 staff members to develop habits that boost sustainability and wellbeing.
According to IVECO, the vehicles can achieve carbon emissions reductions of up to 80%.

AB InBev trials LNG-fuelled deliveries for UK brewery

The world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), is set to trial deliveries in the UK using liquefied natural gas (LNG) to reduce harmful emissions.
In 1990, coal accounted for 67% of the UK's energy mix. In 2017, that figure stood at 5%

Carbon Brief: UK's emissions could have doubled since 1990 without renewable energy

The UK's total carbon footprint has decreased by 38% since 1990 - but could have doubled if the renewable energy revolution had failed to gain traction, new analysis from Carbon Brief has concluded.
More than 13% of the UK's working population now work remotely either full or part-time, according to the Office for National Statistics

Sustainable snow days: How remote working can reduce environmental impacts for business

As the first snow of 2019 starts to fall across large parts of the UK, many of us will be working from home more than usual. With this in mind, edie outlines how remote working is can help businesses reduce their carbon, energy and waste footprints.