Many families and individuals are always looking for ways to cut energy costs in the personal home. But many commercial building owners are trying to convert that energy-conscious trend into bigger savings on a bigger scale.
Building energy management systems (BEMS) are being installed in commercial buildings to reduce energy use and operating expenses. While these new systems can provide significant efficiency gains, observers say their sophistication can be beyond the capabilities and resource levels of a building’s operating or maintenance staff.
But the high costs of these systems, and the learning curve involved in its operation, have not kept some firms from investing in them. According to a new report from Pike Research, worldwide spending on these outsourced services (which include data acquisition and analytics, as well as building maintenance contracts) will grow from $291 million in 2012 to $1.1 billion by 2020.
“As the need for sophisticated building energy management systems grows worldwide, so will the need for simpler, turnkey solutions that unlock energy efficiency,” says senior research analyst Eric Bloom. “Smart building managed services allow building owners to outsource their energy management needs to experts who continuously monitor their facilities, searching for opportunities to reduce energy costs and improve operations.”
BEMS programs unite a slew of industries, forcing them to do business with one another — all in the name of conserving energy. The programs pull together building equipment vendors, software companies, and real estate/property management companies in unprecedented ways.
Very few players in the current smart building managed services market go beyond the primitive management firm.
According to the study, some of the strongest competitors are the large building systems equipment manufacturers. These companies include Johnson Controls, Siemens, and Schneider Electric. They all provide a wide variety of products and services in many different areas. Two more focused companies, Ecova and Pacific Controls, have developed sophisticated technology offerings with a service-oriented approach.
The report is called “Smart Building Managed Services” and is available for free download on the Pike Research Website.
