The pilot version of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS) is set to positively impact the building energy management systems (BEMS) sector in the coming months, according to a statement.
The UKNZCBS is designed to offer “a clear and consistent methodology for defining and achieving net zero carbon in the built environment”.
While the UK government’s target of net zero by 2050 has sharpened the focus on sustainability, the statement noted that a lack of a unified approach has led to inconsistency and confusion around the definition of ‘net zero carbon’ in buildings. To counter that, the UKNZCBS provides strict but transparent guidelines. These aim to help industry professionals prove compliance and demonstrate how their assets align with the UK’s energy and carbon targets, it cited.
The statement added that the new UKNZCBS standards will exacerbate the need for property developers, building owners and facility managers to utilise the latest advancements in technology and smart buildings.
It said that one of the important aspects of the UKNZCBS pilot is its emphasis on transparency and accountability. The reporting of operational carbon under the UKNZCBS is led by building performance in practice, rather than during the design stage. The statement noted that the regular and accurate reporting provided by BEMS will enable building owners to demonstrate their net-zero carbon alignment with confidence.
This will avoid the risk of developments achieving net zero carbon at the design stage but failing to maintain this performance in practice, it added. Furthermore, the statement said UKNZCBS will ensure that claims of net zero carbon performance are reliable and verifiable, building trust in the built environment in the process.
By leveraging this framework, building owners, facility managers and property developers can engage in sustainable building practices, it noted. As a result, the statement said that smart buildings and BEMS will gain significance and awareness of the cost and environmental benefits of using such technology will be increased.
With energy efficiency standards ever-tightening, it added that the BEMS industry should see an increase in the number of building owners, property developers and facility managers specifying building controls and automation systems.
