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.

Back to list of definitions

More detail

edie Explains: Building energy management systems (BEMS)

Related items

English Heritage to deploy green energy champions across estate

Charity English Heritage is set to appoint 20 green energy champions among its staff in a bid to improve energy efficiency and monitor energy consumption across its estate of more than 400 historic sites.

Energy resilience roundtable: Paving the path to a clean energy future

Energy management experts from some of the world's biggest manufacturers and retailers recently came together for an exclusive roundtable hosted by edie and Centrica Business Solutions to explore some of the biggest challenges and opportunities when it comes to building energy resilience.

edie Explains: Energy resilience

Energy resilience is about ensuring a business has a reliable, regular supply of energy and contingency measures in place in the event of a power failure.

Aggregate Industries to reap rewards from AI-powered flexible energy platform

Heavy building materials firm Aggregate Industries is set to cut its annual electricity bills and energy intensity by 10% after installing an energy flexibility platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

The Body Shop exploring 'back-up plans' to help reach energy targets

EXCLUSIVE: The Body Shop has introduced a new energy saving guide and is considering a carbon offset scheme as a "back-up plan” to meet its 2020 sustainability targets, following slow progress on its renewable power, energy efficiency and packaging innovation aims.

Energy industry growing nervous over 'Brexit fog'

Uncertainty surrounding Brexit is a mounting concern for the energy industry, according to a new report by the Energy Institute.

Macquarie offers £500m of green loans

Macquarie is offering £500m of green financing to renewable energy, energy efficiency and other environmentally-friendly projects, as part of a new £2bn loan facility.

Dozens of top European banks to trial new green mortgages

European banking giants including BNP Paribas, ING Bank and AXA have joined forces to launch a new green mortgage scheme which focuses on helping consumers drive energy efficiency.

edie Explains: Electric vehicles

This brand new edie Explains guide breaks down everything there is to know about deploying electric vehicles (EVs) across your business fleet.

Powering performance roundtable: What the future holds for energy efficiency

Energy management experts from some of the world's biggest manufacturers recently came together for an exclusive roundtable hosted by edie and Centrica Business Solutions to explore some of the biggest challenges and opportunities when it comes to building energy efficiency.

'Carbon bubble' could spark global financial crisis, study warns

Plunging prices for renewable energy and rapidly increasing investment in low-carbon technologies could leave fossil fuel companies with trillions in stranded assets and spark a global financial crisis, a new study has found.

Plastic innovation, storage networks and EV integration: Top 10 sustainability stories of May 2018

It was a month of long-term renewables targets, plastics innovation investment and fleet electrification exploration. Take a look back at May's biggest sustainability stories in this round-up.

Does Brexit offer the chance for UK to push climate action to new heights?

Despite mounting fears over the potential threats Brexit poses to the UK's green economy, industry leaders have claimed that leaving the EU could provide the nation with opportunities to innovate in order to remain a global leader in the sustainability sphere.

EU tables ground-breaking 'low-carbon benchmark' for green finance

The European Commission presented on Thursday (24 May) a set of proposals aimed at boosting private investment in low-carbon technologies like renewable energies while increasing transparency in sustainable finance to avoid green-washing.

BT generates £5.3bn in revenue through carbon-combative products, again

BT's range of consumer operations and products which contribute to carbon savings were worth more than £5.3bn last year for the second year running, while the company also increased the amount of carbon it helped customers avoid by 1.3 million tonnes year-on-year.

Decarbonising UK's heating system could cost £450 billion

The cumulative additional cost of decarbonising the UK's heating system by 2050 could be as high as £450 billion, research for the government's infrastructure advisory body has concluded.

Whitbread to expand onsite solar to 70 more Premier Inn hotels

The UK's largest hospitality company, Whitbread, will roll out its onsite solar array scheme to a further 70 of its Premier Inn locations this year to help it meet its "industry-leading" science-based target.

RHI fails to provide value for money, PAC concludes

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has failed to provide value for money for the £23 billion that it is set to cost taxpayers, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has concluded.

Investment drive sees Smurfit Kappa reach carbon goal three years early

EXCLUSIVE: Paper-based packaging company Smurfit Kappa has surpassed a target to reduce emissions by a quarter three years ahead of schedule, with the company's vice president of development outlining how investment cycles helped accelerate progress.

Lloyds launches £2bn Clean Growth Finance scheme

Lloyds Banking Group has announced it will be providing a further £2bn of funding for sustainable investments, increasing its total UK green finance commitments to £3bn.

Clean Energy for All: Seven reasons why the world is falling short on SDG 7

As a new report warns that the global economy is not on track to deliver on the clean energy targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), edie rounds up some of the headline trends that are shaping the transition to renewable energy and offer a glimmer of hope that targets can still be reached.

EU proposes 25% 'climate quota' in new long-term budget

The clean energy transition and other initiatives to decarbonise Europe's economy will represent 25% of EU spending under a seven-year EU budget plan put forward by the European Commission on Wednesday (2 May).

WEBINAR: How to uncover savings and improve your operational performance through energy insight

Our expert panel will discuss how to use advanced energy insights to help you to uncover savings and improve your operational performance.

Blockchain platform to assist £19m virtual energy marketplace in Cornwall

Energy solutions firm Centrica has launched new trials to examine how blockchain technology can assist with multi-party peer-to-peer energy trading for 200 businesses and residential participants in Cornwall.

Whitbread sets science-based target to halve emissions intensity

The UK's largest hospitality company Whitbread, has pledged to halve emissions in the next seven years as part of an "industry-leading" science-based target.

Accelerating the shift: 10 industry game-changers for low-carbon vehicles

This insight report, produced in partnership with UK Power Networks Services, investigates some of the game-changing developments which are driving green mobility.

Sustainable Business Covered podcast: The £1bn eco-community and Patagonia's climate action movie

This episode of the edie podcast takes listeners on a whirlwind tour of Eddington, a new 150-hectare, sustainable community developed by the University of Cambridge, as well as a trip to the cinema to talk brand purpose and climate activism with Patagonia's general manager Ryan Gellert.

What does it take to change behaviours? edie webinar taking place on TUESDAY

edie's next one-hour webinar session will take place on Tuesday 17 April 2018, with experts from Tesco, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and EDF Energy set to provide their top tips on driving staff engagement on energy and sustainability.

Barclays offers green homes mortgage on select new builds

Barclays has launched a Green Home Mortgage scheme, offering homebuyers preferential interest rates and savings of more than £1,300 on energy-efficient new build houses.

Cross-sector electric vehicle project targets energy-neutral office buildings

Companies from the energy, transport and technology sectors have joined forces to explore how electric vehicles (EVs) can facilitate energy storage solutions that link up to onsite renewable installations and building energy management systems (BEMS) on office buildings.

Business leaders call for net-zero carbon standards for buildings by 2030

More than 50 business leaders from some of the UK's largest construction and property firms have called on ministers to implement policies that ensure all new buildings are built to net-zero carbon standards by 2030.

NatWest delivers £3.5bn low-carbon lending in three years

Banking giant NatWest has pledged to deliver of £10bn lending to UK renewable energy and energy efficiency projects by 2020, having provided £3.5bn over the past three years.

Energy innovation: Delivering the smart grid of the future, today

The mission is clear: we must accelerate the shift to zero-carbon energy systems in order to slash emissions and mitigate global warming. But this mission IS possible: renewable energy costs are tumbling and new approaches to energy management such as battery storage and demand response are offering new ways for organisations to operate more sustainably.

Behaviour change: Tesco and RBS to discuss engagement strategies in edie's next webinar

Individuals and organisations looking to drive staff engagement on energy and sustainability are encouraged to tune into a free webinar next month, featuring expert insight from the likes of Tesco, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and EDF Energy.

Taking place TODAY: edie's webinar on delivering 'smart grid of the future'

Taking place today 20 March at 11am (BST), the hour-long webinar will explore how clean technologies and innovations such as battery storage and demand response can drive efficiency, cut costs and enhance energy strategies.

Taking place TUESDAY: edie's webinar on delivering 'smart grid of the future'

Taking place tomorrow 20 March at 11am (BST), the hour-long webinar will explore how clean technologies and innovations such as battery storage and demand response can drive efficiency, cut costs and enhance energy strategies.

edie Explains: Building energy management systems (BEMS)

In the latest in the edie Explains series, we look at building energy management systems (BEMS), exploring what they are, what they do and what the business benefit is.

Taking place on Tuesday: Live energy innovation webinar

Energy experts from Aggregate Industries and Oxford University are among the confirmed speakers for a live, interactive webinar taking place on Tuesday 20 March which will focus on delivering the smart grid of the future, today.

E.ON to acquire Innogy from RWE in strategic renewables deal

E.ON is set to acquire Innogy from RWE, in a far-reaching asset swap that will see Eon concentrate on retail and networks, while RWE focuses on renewables and other forms of generation.

Mondi Group sets science-based targets through WWF's Climate Savers

Global packaging firm Mondi Group has set new science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions across the company's operations and indirect activities, after signing up to the WWF's Climate Savers initiative for low-carbon business aspirations.

European Union unveils green investment action plan

The European Commission unveiled on Thursday (8 March) its highly expected action plan on sustainable finance, aiming to clarify what can be labelled as "green" investment and potentially lowering capital requirements on asset holders.

Apple moves towards greener supply chain with zero-waste and clean energy milestones

Apple has made progress in its ongoing effort towards a greener supply chain, with big achievements over the past year in key areas such as waste and low-carbon energy procurement.

Can green mortgages help the European Union reach climate and building targets?

New reports provided by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) have outlined how an "energy-efficient mortgage" could provide the ideal financial instrument to improve the energy performance of Europe's existing housing stock.

Sector insight: The state of sustainability in the public sector

This exclusive insight report explores the key drivers, challenges and opportunities facing sustainability in the UK's public sector.

'Much work needed' to make digital economy environmentally sustainable

A cross-party group of MPs has raised doubts over whether the growing energy demand from digital technology and the proliferation of internet-connected gadgets can continue to be offset by energy efficiency improvements.

Get the latest business guide - edie Explains energy resilience

From ensuring business continuity and mitigating the risks of black or brown outs, to protecting your business from energy price rises the latest edie Explains guide, has it all.

One-fifth of commercial energy efficiency standards drop ahead of MEES deadline

Energy efficiency standards have fallen in almost one-fifth of commercial properties ahead of major new legislation arriving in April.

Report: Green businesses double performance of fossil fuel peers

Clean energy investments have almost doubled the performance of fossil fuel energy stocks over the past year and a half, new figures have revealed.

In Practice: The UK's first Energiesprong homes

A pioneering new pilot project in Nottingham aims to make select households ultra-low carbon and fit for the future by renovating them using the 'Energiesprong' techniques used in the Netherlands.

edie Explains: ISO 14001

This updated edie Explains guide, produced in association with NQA, provides an in-depth summary of the ISO 14001 Standard which is used to establish and maintain a continuous level of environmental performance improvements.

Report: Majority of UK SMEs struggling to embed sustainability

Almost three-quarters of UK SMEs are struggling to embed sustainability practices, citing costs issues and unfavourable government policies as major stumbling blocks, according to a new report.

Scottish SMEs offered 'cashback' loan for energy-efficiency projects

Small businesses in Scotland have been encouraged to take advantage of a new "cashback" scheme that could enable them to cut annual energy usage by a quarter and save up to £10,000 in the process.

London Mayor's £34m low-carbon programme targets energy-efficient workplaces

Sadiq Khan has pledged new funding for fuel-poor homes alongside a £10bn commercial boiler scrappage scheme in a suite of new measures aimed at delivering cleaner, affordable energy across the capital.

Energy storage research gets £42m Government funding

Developing a new generation of lighter and safer electric vehicle (EV) batteries is one of the first four projects be awarded funding from the Government backed Faraday Institution.

Budweiser launches renewables label to celebrate 100% clean energy commitment

Global brewers Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is placing a renewable electricity label on any Budweiser beer that has been brewed using 100% renewable electricity, as part of a communications push to educate consumers on the firm's sustainability strategy.

Clean Growth Strategy 'not enough' to meet UK's carbon targets, climate advisers warn

Urgent action is needed to flesh out current plans in the Clean Growth Strategy in order to meet the UK's fourth and fifth carbon budgets, the Government's climate change watchdog has cautioned.

Achieving Mission Possible: edie Live returns for 2018 with renewed purpose

edie Live 2018 returns to the NEC Birmingham on 22-23 May as a show with a difference. This year, the event will be tailor-made to help sustainability, energy and resource professionals achieve a sustainable future, today. This is Mission Possible.

Green bonds market reached record heights in 2017

The green bonds market grew by a staggering 78% between 2016 and 2017, with national and institutional investors funnelling more than $150bn into low-carbon projects.

Boots reaches carbon goal three years early

Following the implementation of behavior change and energy monitoring programmes, Boots UK has surpassed a 30% carbon reduction target three years ahead of schedule.

How employee engagement drives energy efficiency for leading corporates

Embedding new smart technologies and systems is a viable way for companies to improve energy efficiency measures, but improvements to technology must be matched by employee development that engages staff to champion energy management.

M&S and Landsec exploring energy storage to increase resilience

Energy managers from British retailer M&S and property developer Landsec revealed they are exploring the potential of battery storage technologies on their estates during a recent edie webinar about energy resilience.

Landlords to contribute to energy efficiency

The government is proposing to force private landlords to contribute towards measures to improve their properties' energy efficiency.

edie Explains: Energy data optimisation

The latest in our ‘edie Explains’ series is dedicated to understanding energy data optimisation. This can be a complex issue, but our step-by-step guide takes you through the process and provides top tips for success.

Citu aims to 'disrupt' construction industry with low-carbon housing scheme

Urban developer Citu has unveiled the first glimpses of a timber-framed housing system that is up to ten times more energy efficient than standard UK homes, with production practices also able to reduce the carbon footprint of construction by 24,000 tonnes annually.

ISO 50001: edie launches new-look guide to implementation for energy managers

Organisations and energy managers with an interest in the ISO 50001 energy management standard now have access to an updated 'edie explains' guide which breaks down all of the key information required to gain certification.

edie explains: ISO 50001

This ISO 50001 guide, produced in association with edie's supporting partner NQA, provides an in-depth summary of the ISO 50001 Standard which can be used by an organisation to establish and maintain a continuous level of energy performance improvements.

Building for 2050: Can the Government's low-carbon housing venture deliver homes fit for the future?

With the UK housebuilding sector under the spotlight at both at a national level and in the sustainability agenda, edie caught up with Aecom's regional director to discuss how the firm's latest research project aims to help developers deliver lost-cost, low-carbon housing across the country.

ACE to be merged into ADE

The Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE) is to be merged into the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE).

MEPs vote for stronger EU efficiency and renewable energy targets

MEPs voted on Tuesday (28 November) in favour of increasing efficiency and renewable energy targets, in a decisive morning for EU energy and climate policy that provoked both jubilation and disappointment.

edie Explains Demand Response

This guide to demand response, produced in association with edie’s supporting partner Flexitricity, explores and explains demand response for energy and sustainability professionals.

Xerox aiming for verified science-based target for 2018

EXCLUSIVE: Printing services company Xerox intends to have a verified science-based target in place when it launches new sustainability goals in 2018, as part of a commitment to the Paris Agreement that has been years in the making.

In practice: Guadalajara's 12,000 LED street light retrofit from Philips

Philips Lighting has this week completed a LED retrofit across the Spanish City of Guadalajara that will help the city council realise huge energy efficiency and carbon savings.

BNEF: Energy storage market to double six times by 2030

The global energy storage market looks to mirror the rapid growth the solar industry experienced between 2000 and 2015, with a new Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) report predicting that the energy storage market will double six times by 2030.

Could looming new energy efficiency standards spark a green rental market?

The impending creation of a new energy efficiency regulation for UK properties could trigger the emergence of a green rental market, a leading credit rating agency has claimed.

The Kigali Amendment: Time for retailers to create the business case for a HFC phase-out

The UK ratified the Kigali amendment on harmful hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) greenhouse gases last week, but building the business case to switch to costly alternatives requires a delicate approach.

In practice: Oxford University Hospitals' money-saving CHP retrofit

Oxford University Hospitals benefited from a finance procurement system that partnered the Trust with companies that could replace aging heat and power infrastructure with a combined heat and power system that would generate massive economic savings.

World Energy Outlook: Seven key trends shaping the low-carbon economy

A rising electrification of energy, rapid deployment of renewable energy sources, and a steady decline of the coal industry are all predicted as major shifts in the global energy scene over the next 25 years in the International Energy Association's (IEA) annual flagship publication.

Housebuilders 'cheating the public' over energy efficiency standards, claims Lord Deben

Some of the biggest UK private housebuilding firms have faced criticism from the Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) for delivering new homes that allegedly fail to meet energy efficiency standards.

Fossil fuel burning set to hit record high in 2017, scientists warn

The burning of fossil fuels around the world is set to hit a record high in 2017, climate scientists have warned, following three years of flat growth that raised hopes that a peak in global emissions had been reached.

Pricing mechanisms needed to secure renewable energy acceleration, report finds

Falling costs in renewable energy technologies has put the UK on course to meet its 2030 renewables development objective, but a higher carbon price market is needed to spur acceleration, a new report from global IT consultancy Capgemini has found.

New Philips wireless connected lighting system could deliver 'huge' energy savings

Philips Lighting has launched a new wireless connected lighting system which could help workplaces cut energy usage on lighting by up to 70%.

In practice: Unite Students' 'Gateway' to an energy-efficiency retrofit

By joining the RBS Innovation Gateway, Unite Students gained access to a wider scope of innovative energy-efficiency solutions - some of which have been retrofitted at the Sidney Webb House in London.

Domino effect: Businesses urged to promote renewables into supply chains

Corporates that leverage their purchasing power for renewable energy could create a "domino effect" that improves the energy efficiency of supply chains to create more clean generation capacity, a new report from SmartestEnergy has found.

In practice: Landsec's BREEAM Outstanding headquarters designed to WELL standards

As more companies look to create the right work environments for staff wellbeing, Landsec created the UK's largest fully WELL Certified space for staff health, which also achieved a BREEAM Outstanding rating.

Report: UK firms risk £2.8m a year through lack of energy resilience

New research has found that British businesses could be risking 17% of their annual revenue by failing to adopt an energy resilience strategy.

Could Tesla's world-first hybrid energy project modernise electricity grids?

Following the deal to develop a world-first renewable energy project that combines wind, solar and battery storage in Australia, automaker and energy disruptor Tesla has been invited to showcase the "power and scalability" of its products in hurricane-hit Puerto Rico.

Sustainability Leaders Awards 2018 shortlist revealed!

After a record-breaking number of entries, the judging panel has met, the decisions have been made and edie is proud to reveal the finalists for the 2018 Sustainability Leaders Awards.

Innovative trucks help Smurfit Kappa slash supply chain emissions

Global packaging firm Smurfit Kappa has pioneered innovative new trucks which are claimed to have slashed emissions by 20% and reduced the number of annual trips by almost one-third.

In practice: UK's largest landlord-funded distribution warehouse rooftop solar installation

The landlord/tenant relationship can be a barrier when it comes to sustainability and onsite generation, but both Dixons Carphone and LondonMetric will benefit from the new solar installation at a distribution warehouse in Newark.

Veolia to deliver major carbon savings for University of East Anglia

The University of East Anglia (UEA) is set to generate more than 80% of electricity onsite after waste management firm Veolia installed two latest generation combined heat and power (CHP) units.

Report: Preservation policies could hamper Clean Growth Strategy's household efficiency plans

Preservation policies for listed buildings and homes in conservation areas could scupper the measures to improve domestic energy efficiency as set out in the newly-released Clean Growth Strategy.

Aim Higher: Business can 'pioneer' climate agenda by targeting 1.5C pathway

Government and business commitments to align practices with a 1.5C pathway are "practically non-existent", but companies have the chance to become "true pioneers" of the climate movement by raising ambitions, a new report from the Carbon Trust claims.

Reaction round-up: What does the green economy make of the Clean Growth Strategy?

The Government has pledged numerous multi-billion-pound investments to drive down carbon emissions across the economy as part of the Clean Growth Strategy, but does it "breathe new life" into the low-carbon sector or do the details "fall short"?

edie roundtable: Driving renewables through the supply chain

Sustainability and energy management experts from some of the world's biggest businesses recently gathered in London for an exclusive roundtable hosted by edie and Smartest Energy, to explore how companies can reach out to supply chains to improve carbon performance.

Report: European retailers behind schedule on HFC phase-out

One year on from the Kigali deal to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and reduce global warming, a new report has highlighted that European retailers are behind schedule to implement natural refrigerants into operations.

Green office renovations can capture $243bn for European businesses

Doubling renovation rates of offices to capture green building aspects across Europe could help offset growing energy demand and enable businesses to save $243bn in reduced rental costs, with separate analysis claiming that refurbishment of office furniture can trigger emissions reductions and job growth.

EXCLUSIVE: edie Explains guide to greening your office published

From cutting carbon, reducing costs and boosting staff wellbeing, the arguments for greening your office are compelling, but where do you start, and how do you create a genuinely sustainable working environment in your business?

edie Explains: The green office

The purpose of a green office programme is to enable a business to improve the efficiency of its everyday operations by taking practical steps to reduce office resource consumption and implement more sustainable practices that benefit both the organisation and its employees.

Businesses could save £1.3bn a year through energy efficiency policy shakeup, research claims

Ministers must adopt several new energy efficiency measures to help unlock savings of £1.3bn a year for UK businesses, according to a new report from think tank Policy Exchange.

Commons launches electric vehicle inquiry

The increased demand on the grid from the mass roll-out of electric vehicles (EVS) will be under the spotlight in a new House of Commons inquiry.