Helping shape the building controls sector – now and in the future
An increased desire of building owners and facility managers to reduce carbon footprints is seeing smarter buildings rapidly gain significance, heightening the importance of the BEMS sector. As the industry’s only specific association, the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) helps shape policy, drive quality standards and raise awareness of the various benefits of building controls. BCIA President Stacey Lucas highlights the crucial role that building automation is playing in ensuring a greener and more sustainable built environment and reveals how the association is leading the industry forward.
With the UK targeting Net Zero by 2050, sustainability must be a major focus for the built environment – especially with it accounting for around 40% of all energy consumed. Building controls offer the ideal solution, helping building owners, contractors, architects and facility managers achieve up to a 30% reduction in energy consumption. This helps decarbonise the UK’s building stock and reduce energy bills for property owners and occupants during the building’s lifecycle.
Building controls explained
A combination of automated technologies and devices designed to manage and control a building’s environment, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting, building controls efficiently adapt to occupancy needs and environmental conditions to optimise energy use in real-time.
The holistic, all-in-one system ensures cost effective, energy efficient operations and a more comfortable and healthier space for users. Furthermore, the latest hardware and software enable comprehensive remote monitoring and management of the buildings.
Fundamentally, building controls play a hugely vital role in any building. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of awareness of how building energy management systems (BEMS) can improve energy efficiency, lower consumption and enhance occupant health and wellbeing. That is where the BCIA, as the unified voice of the UK building controls industry, plays a vitally important role.
Helping shape the building controls sector
Established in 2004, the BCIA is recognised as the go-to association for the UK’s building controls and BEMS sector – an industry now worth more than £840 million per year. Representing over 200 members in the fast-growing building controls sector, the BCIA is the sector’s go-to representative body. It works closely with the sector on programmes that champion the awareness and reputation of the industry, upskill the workforce and drive up quality assurance standards.
The association has also been working closely with employers on the industry’s competency pathway and made significant investments in programmes that support participants and their employers.
One such collaborative initiative was the development of a Level 4 Building Controls Engineer apprenticeship scheme, the only one resulting in a relevant qualification for BEMS professionals. In the three years since its inception, the programme has seen unprecedented demand, with more than 250 apprentices now enrolled and the first apprentice completing the programme earlier this year.
To complement this, the BCIA also funded the development of an Experienced Worker Assessment to support those without formal qualifications to obtain certification and apply for BEMS ECS cards. Additionally, it continues to invest in technical training courses to further support workforce development.
Following the phasing out of industry-accredited competency cards, the BCIA has been working closely with industry leaders to develop a robust and timely revalidation scheme. It will be consulting with the sector to help shape what form the revalidation takes, how current competency levels can be assessed and how frequently revalidation is required based on the pace of technological change.
Driven by increasing conversation around the various opportunities and challenges facing the industry and the importance of member collaboration, it schedules a number of events throughout the year. For instance, last year’s BCIA Member Breakfasts’ immense success saw the launch of a series of networking events across the UK this year, with the last of these taking place on Thursday 2nd October in Swindon.
To shine a spotlight on the incredible innovation and depth of expertise seen across the sector, the BCIA also holds an awards ceremony every year – recognised as the biggest awards in the industry.
Its Technical Working Group has also developed technical guides to help those in the industry work more effectively and to help those who are commissioning the technology in their buildings, have a greater understanding of the various systems and valves used in smart buildings, and all current building regulations and assessment schemes.
Policy change
Recent government reforms and regulatory changes have substantially influenced the future of the BEMS sector, so the BCIA works closely with the government to highlight BEMS’ importance and display the key evidence needed to advocate for favourable policy change.
Indeed, key civil servant discussions have revealed greater evidence on building controls’ benefits is required to make more informed decisions on policy. The BCIA has therefore been developing a technical paper based on comprehensive data to prove the performance benefits of building controls to the right decision makers.
Testimony to the BCIA’s development of young professionals is its Young Engineers Network (YEN), a diversity-championing initiative that provides young BEMS engineers with crucial development and learning opportunities and the ability to collaborate and influence the growth of the sector.
The YEN regularly hosts meetings focused on project activities and planning in addition to CPD sessions, social events and site visits to further learning, provide crucial networking opportunities and encourage peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing.
Playing a key role in the strategic development of the sector and helping shape policy alongside the government, the BCIA supports members and the wider industry through the development of industry-accredited training, provision of exclusive market information for members, promotion of the industry to increase awareness, and facilitation of various member networks to enable new and existing business relationship development.
