Improving energy efficiency via smart building energy management systems: A comparison with policy measures

TLDR

Policymakers promote energy‑efficiency measures and smart grids, yet many building managers still use static BEMS that do not adapt to real‑time market or weather conditions. This study compares the effectiveness of policy measures with a smart BEMS featuring dynamic temperature set points in improving building‑level energy efficiency. An integrated optimisation model was developed to emulate the smart BEMS, coordinating heating and cooling operations with energy sourcing decisions. Data from Austrian and Spanish buildings show that the smart BEMS achieves greater energy‑consumption reductions than conventional BEMS combined with policy measures.

Abstract

To foster the transition to more sustainable energy systems, policymakers have been approving measures to improve energy efficiency as well as promoting smart grids. In this setting, building managers are encouraged to adapt their energy operations to real-time market and weather conditions. Yet, most fail to do so as they rely on conventional building energy management systems (BEMS) that have static temperature set points for heating and cooling equipment. In this paper, we investigate how effective policy measures are at improving building-level energy efficiency compared to a smart BEMS with dynamic temperature set points. To this end, we present an integrated optimisation model mimicking the smart BEMS that combines decisions on heating and cooling systems operations with decisions on energy sourcing. Using data from an Austrian and a Spanish building, we find that the smart BEMS results in greater reduction in energy consumption than a conventional BEMS with policy measures.