September 2017 - Building Controls and Services, Inc.

Posted on September 27, 2017November 3, 2022

Impacts of Improving Building Energy Management

Posted in Energy Efficiency

Energy management is “the strategy of adjusting and optimizing energy, using systems and procedures so as to reduce energy requirements per unit of output while holding constant or reducing total costs of producing the output from these systems.”

Increasing awareness of global pollution levels, human impact on the environment, and energy efficiency has contributed to the steady growth of the global energy management systems market. Statistics compiled by Transparency Market Research (TMR) show:

Estimated revenue during the forecast period of 2015- 2023 is US$36 billion at 13.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate.
Commercial buildings in North America alone have a 40% annual energy consumption share.
The iron and steel sectors make up 20% to 25% of energy consumption in total production cost.
Implementing energy management in commercial structures in the US is worth US $40 billion.

Regions such as North America and Europe, as well as emerging economies like India and China are looking toward energy solutions and energy sustainability. With governments across the world passing several regulations, introducing policies, and offering incentives for industries, the following benefits of an efficient energy management system far outweigh initial costs, and can improve building management and control.

Lower Operating Costs and Higher Accessibility

Utilities are increasingly working with tech companies to convert innovative products into smart and real-time energy resources. For example, AEP Ohio had teamed up with Powerley’s home energy management solution to provide greater energy control for its 1.5 million customers through different mobile, wearable, and home tech devices. Similar collaborations for commercial buildings can spur genius innovation of new technologies, also reducing operating costs and improving accessibility, which would yield greater savings and better building control.

Reduced Carbon Emissions

For the first time in 40 years, electric power plants in the U.S. recorded a 5 percent reduction in carbon emissions. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this is due to investment in energy-efficient technology, an industrial shift from coal to natural gas, as well as adoption of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Helping the environment is always a healthy practice, as it also ultimately helps reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Increased Safety and Security

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has invested in secure energy measures. The Kyocera Corporation’s plan to explore a new phase of virtual power plant (VPP) testing boosts these measures through remote management of energy supplies, renewable power generation of facilities, and integrating distributed power resources. By using an energy management system, the VPP functions as a safe and reliable source of energy for consumers. Initiatives like these can help your buildings as well, and BCS can help determine whether your operations could benefit from making such changes.

Greater Efficiency and Management

Companies experiencing power disturbances such as lightning strikes, voltage sags, and harmonics benefit from an efficient energy management system. With traditional rotating generators being replaced by more innovative energy technology, Commercial and Industrial (C&I) sectors, utilities, and government agencies are looking for diagnostic and monitoring tools to create and manage efficient energy solutions.

For more information on energy management options and how BCS can customize solutions for your company’s energy needs to operate buildings safely, comfortably, and efficiently, please contact us to learn more.

Posted on September 27, 2017November 3, 2022

Building-Wide Energy Saving Tips

Posted in Energy Management

Business building management is always looking for ways to save money, and for good reason: the costs of building maintenance can be exorbitant. Consider these four ways that you might be able to save on building operation costs.

Insulation

Proper insulation can keep your heating and cooling costs down, while poor insulation will eat away at your building operations budget. If your walls aren’t properly insulated, heat can transfer in and out of your building. Don’t forget to make sure your roof is properly insulated too.

Water Conditioning

Hard water in your business could be cutting down on the lifespan of your appliances, as the mineral deposits that hard water leaves behind can corrode your pipes, eventually ruining your plumbing. Install a water conditioning system if you think you have hard water.

Lock the Temperature

In an office, people may be changing the temperature all day. Gently remind employees that even a few degrees can result in a big change in utilities every month. It may also help to get a cover to lock the temperature controls in your building. For facility optimization, you might even consider installing automated temperature controls that adjust the temperature based on current building occupancy or time of day.

Low Flow Water

Low flow is the name of the savings game. We use way more water than we need every day. Install low flow toilets and faucets to reduce wasting water and to save big on your water bills each month.

Performance Solutions can help your building analyze long-term solutions for your building operations and management. Contact us for more ideas on how to optimize your building’s performance to lower utility costs. A bit of investment now could return great savings for many years to come.

Posted on September 20, 2017November 3, 2022

How to Plan for a Safe Hospital – Part 1

Posted in Life Safety Systems

Hospitals must carefully plan for safety and minimize risks to maintain quality and compliance while reducing accidents, negative outcomes, and legal liabilities. Safety management programs help administrators and decision makers minimize environmental hazards, reduce occupational injuries, and prevent avoidable tragedies.

Safety Authority and Coordination

Most hospitals employ a safety officer, supervisor, or coordinator who is responsible for implementing safety activities and initiatives in compliance with established policies and regulations. These individuals should be empowered to take immediate action in situations that pose threats to life, health, property, and performance. This individual should collaboratively work with staff supervisors, departmental managers, and senior administrators to ensure compliance with safety standards and safe work practices. They usually submit quarterly reports to the hospital’s board of directors.

Safety Committees

No one individual can successfully run a safety program for a hospital by themselves. A safety or risk management committee will ideally be made up of multidisciplinary professionals who periodically meet to facilitate compliance, strategically plan, issue corrective actions and review building services. Their documentation, when combined with the paperwork of the safety officer, are the best preventative tools that preemptively resolve problems before they become legal nightmares and financial losses. This committee may help the safety officer monitor data, generate reports, inspect facilities, interview staff, and evaluate policy.

Internal Audits

All safety management policies should be reviewed annually. These formal evaluations will help review the current state of business objectives, organizational performance, employee engagement, and the safety plan’s scope. Internal audits are necessary to determine the timeliness and effectiveness of meeting identified community, institutional and health care consumer needs. They can be used to benchmark adherence to JCAHO standards and other regulatory requirements. Internal audits may be used to analyze resource utilization, improve leadership structure, and meet established performance standards.

Hospitals can better implement safety programs and understand organizational trends through professional building services and solutions. Contact us to learn more how to safely manage and maintain all your building’s systems, including staff training on understanding facility operations and more.

Posted on September 20, 2017November 3, 2022

Training Employees Can Benefit Facility Management

Posted in Energy Management

For a facility to provide the best environment for employees to work, it requires a dynamic system, which can often be quite complex. A staff of professionals is on hand to keep this system operating; however, they cannot do it alone. All employees have a major impact on how well the building systems enable workers to accomplish their business goals. Training employees on how building systems maintain their working environment will boost productivity and efficiency.

Reduce energy consumption

The activity or non-activity of employees play a major role in how much energy the facility consumes. Trained employees know how their actions impact energy consumption. For example, educated employees know how and where to turn off lights that are not needed.

Improve comfort

To achieve comfort, the building systems provide minimal temperature swings, steady humidity, and optimal airflow. Actions of employees can counteract this effort. For example, some employees may have heaters under their desk. Trained employees know about these systems, and they understand the impact of their actions.

Provide better feedback

Employees take matters into their own hands when they do not understand how facility management works. They do this without knowing the process nor importance of providing feedback to the facility management staff. “I keep reporting it, but nothing is ever done.” This comment is all too common from employees. The trained employee understands the reporting process and is specific about the problem.

Employees’ action and input are vital parts of successful facility management and operations. Now is the right time to educate employees about facility management. Contact us to learn how optimally training your staff will help your facilities run smoother.

Posted on September 13, 2017November 3, 2022

Energy Module Capabilities

Posted in Energy Efficiency

Temperature controls and modulation are entering a new era of smart controls. The technology is advancing quickly and most every new facility installs a top-of-the-line energy module system. These reduce costs over time while keeping the environment cool and comfortable. Energy module devices are now extremely important in the construction or renovation of any new building.

What Are They?

Energy module devices automatically respond to changes in room temperature by raising or lowering energy output. In addition, there are smart controls which allow the device to be remotely operated by an online dashboard or tool. Furthermore, the modules can respond to changing usage patterns. For example, they can dramatically reduce energy output during the evenings in commercial buildings or during the day in residential homes. These devices are now made by several top manufacturers and fit differently sized buildings and residences.

Why are They Important?

These devices are extremely important for two reasons. First, temperature and energy management can be much more finely controlled. Building managers can better control their buildings, especially with remote management functionalities. Second, they help reduce long-term energy demands of a facility. This reduces monthly expenses and ultimately raises the value of the building. For a small investment in the module, the payoff is huge.

For more information on how energy modules work and how they can help your buildings, please contact us.

Posted on September 13, 2017November 3, 2022

3 Benefits of Mechanical Optimization

Posted in Energy Management

Mechanical optimization encompasses several things. In broad terms, the mechanical optimization process examines a business’s current processes and alters them so they’re as efficient as possible. Whether that means eliminating unnecessary steps, upgrading machinery, or automating something that was previously human-controlled, the goal is to make sure your business does more with less, while keeping in mind business’ goals.

Efficiency

There is nothing worse for a business than waste, and one of the first goals of mechanical optimization is to cut that waste down. When your process takes less energy and produces more results, then you and your customers come away as winners.

Cost

Mechanical optimization is an investment, and like all business investments, it should pay for itself in time. When you get more bang for your buck, that means you end up paying less in the long-term. You might have to pay a little extra upfront for a more efficient system, but if that system saves you five times what you paid for it, then isn’t that the smart move to make?

Savings

If you can optimize your business process, then it’s possible you can pass those savings on to your customers. This allows you to make the same profits with smaller charges, which can increase customer loyalty, and draw even more people to your products and services.

These are just a few of the benefits that come with mechanical optimization. For more information on how you can increase your efficiency, contact us today!

Posted on September 6, 2017November 3, 2022

Improving Budgeting with Financial Analysis

Posted in Company News, Energy Management

Budgeting has only one rule: Do not go over budget. —Leslie Tayne

Budgets can prove to be costly, time-consuming, and can appear to be restrictive and limiting. Sticking to the budget can sometimes seem like an impossible task. Projects do not always go as planned, more resources are needed than you bargained for, and unexpected expenses need to be incurred. In these cases, budgets add more stress and do not contribute to a successful innovative business environment. This can all be changed by using financial analysis to ensure a budget is set up in a more effective manner, which will help keep budgets more applicable, adjustable, and practical.

Financial analysis will help to set the budget straight by understanding the causes and reasons for movements in certain income and expenses. The analysis will help see how certain strategies worked out and is used to better plan the following year by looking at the financials in more depth.

Financial analysis typically provides:

Year-to-year changes in income and expenses
Key ratios to better assess performance
Management’s comments on significant changes in forecasts
Creating expectancies on certain changes in expenses incurred for the year or revenue patterns

Budgets will prove to be more applicable as management creates a clearer picture on deviations in previous periods and why they occurred. Management will know how to set up budgets by analyzing trends and to address any deficiencies picked up from prior experience. Budgets will be more adjustable as management will be able to calculate probability statistics, which will help decide what route to follow if a certain event occurs.

All and all, budgets will turn out to be more practical if better data and indicators are available to factually support plans. For more information on effective budgeting for companies, please contact us.

Posted on September 6, 2017November 3, 2022

What Exactly is Energy Sustainability?

Posted in Company News, Energy Management

When we talk about energy, we tend to think of the immediate impacts of the choices we make. For example, fossil fuels are still fairly cheap, but they’re harmful to the environment. Solar and wind energy, while not currently able to step in and immediately replace these fossil fuels, are clearly a more acceptable, long-term solution.

Fostering energy efficiency in the long-term is referred to as energy sustainability.

What is Energy Sustainability?

When most people think of sustainable energy, they’re thinking of green energy-electricity produced from solar, wind, hydro-electric, tidal generation and other sources of naturally occurring power. That’s a piece of energy sustainability, but the most important aspect of an energy type to qualify is its sustainability. Or, its ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

Fossil fuels are not sustainable, for example, because there’s a finite amount of them. Even if it were possible to drill every well and mine every bit of coal without doing extreme damage to the environment, eventually, those resources simply run out.

Resources like wind or sunlight are different. While the wind does die down and the sun sets, those resources are infinite. Not only that, they are plentiful. The challenge is harnessing them in a way that is not harmful to the environment that will allow us to shrink our environmental footprint over the coming years.

Fortunately, though, that’s a challenge we seem to finally be meeting.

Posted on September 6, 2017November 3, 2022

New Video Technology Enhances Security – Part One

Posted in Life Safety Systems

Proper identification ensures and enhances security. New biometric technology developments are improving the quality and consistency of facial recognition security. Biometrics is gradually replacing traditional ID cards and passwords because they offer superior methods of building control and visitor authentication.

How It Works

Most facial recognition systems use CCTV cameras and proprietary software to automatically target faces and measure them based on unique algorithms. This process creates a mathematical face-print. The individual’s face-print code is encrypted to maintain privacy and integrity while it is routed to the central database. Once it arrives, the face-print is compared to watch-lists of state, federal, and sometimes global criminals or unauthorized personnel. Face-prints that do not result in any matches are usually deleted. If the image reaches a set confidence threshold, an operator is automatically alerted.

The Value of Facial Scanning Technology

Iris, hand, and fingerprint scanning systems have a disadvantage when it comes to security control. A person under surveillance doesn’t have a choice whether they want to willingly participate in the biometric scan. Iris scanning, hand geometry, and fingerprinting involve support staff and an individual’s time and commitment. Each person at the security checkpoint must stop, follow the instructions and participate in the process. This creates customer lines, traffic bottlenecks, inevitable delays, and frustration. Facial scanning and recognition systems avoid these problems.

The Challenges

Having security cameras and statistical algorithms do the work reduces human errors and minimizes profiling. Citizen privacy and false identifications are valid concerns. However, there are equally important technical challenges. Facial recognition quality depends on variables like distance, resolution, expression, face angle, the illumination between the image and mugshot, and more. In the real world, a person passing a random security camera will not naturally look at it or remove their hat or sunglasses. Therefore, having a professional security system at a controlled checkpoint is the best solution.

Facial recognition technology is superior to conventional security methods and technology. Biometrics present a good solution to growing security problems. Contact us to learn what technologies and systems we can help you implement to better secure your buildings.

And stay tuned for part two, where we will cover the applied uses of facial recognition technology in various business settings and situations.

Posted on September 6, 2017December 22, 2022

Improving Budgeting with Financial Analysis

Posted in Company News, Energy Management

Budgeting has only one rule: Do not go over budget. —Leslie Tayne

Budgets can prove to be costly, time-consuming, and can appear to be restrictive and limiting. Sticking to the budget can sometimes seem like an impossible task. Projects do not always go as planned, more resources are needed than you bargained for, and unexpected expenses need to be incurred. In these cases, budgets add more stress and do not contribute to a successful innovative business environment. This can all be changed by using financial analysis to ensure a budget is set up in a more effective manner, which will help keep budgets more applicable, adjustable, and practical.

Financial analysis will help to set the budget straight by understanding the causes and reasons for movements in certain income and expenses. The analysis will help see how certain strategies worked out and is used to better plan the following year by looking at the financials in more depth.

Financial analysis typically provides:

Year-to-year changes in income and expenses
Key ratios to better assess performance
Management’s comments on significant changes in forecasts
Creating expectancies on certain changes in expenses incurred for the year or revenue patterns

Budgets will prove to be more applicable as management creates a clearer picture on deviations in previous periods and why they occurred. Management will know how to set up budgets by analyzing trends and to address any deficiencies picked up from prior experience. Budgets will be more adjustable as management will be able to calculate probability statistics, which will help decide what route to follow if a certain event occurs.

All and all, budgets will turn out to be more practical if better data and indicators are available to factually support plans. For more information on effective budgeting for companies, please contact us.

Lower Operating Costs and Higher Accessibility

Reduced Carbon Emissions

Increased Safety and Security

Greater Efficiency and Management

Insulation

Water Conditioning

Lock the Temperature

Low Flow Water

Safety Authority and Coordination

Safety Committees

Internal Audits

Reduce energy consumption

Improve comfort

Provide better feedback

What Are They?

Why are They Important?

Efficiency

Cost

Savings

What is Energy Sustainability?

How It Works

The Value of Facial Scanning Technology

The Challenges

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