Graeme Rees elected on to BCIA Management Committee
The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has announced that Graeme Rees has been elected on to its Management Committee. Graeme has been involved in the building controls industry for nearly 30 years and is currently Marketing Manager for Schneider Electric UK & Ireland Digital Energy division. He previously spent 19 years at Trend Control Systems, where he worked his way up from Regional Field Services Manager to Marketing Director. The BCIA isrun by its members for its members and appointment to the Management Committee is by election. Members are however encouraged to participate in the Marketing, Technical and Skills Working Groups which enable the BCIA to tackle particular issues and projects in a focused way. Graeme commented: “I am delighted and honoured to have been voted on to the BCIA Management Committee. With building technology advancing at the rate that it is, this is a challenging but exciting time to be involved in the building controls sector. I am looking forward to working alongside my fellow committee members to maintain and strengthen the BCIA’s position as a positive influence on standards, professionalism and innovation for its members now and in the future.” Jon Belfield, BCIA President, said: “Graeme has led an exemplary career in the building controls industry and his extensive experience and knowledge make him a valuable addition to the BCIA Management Committee.” For more information about BCIA please click here
Building controls vital to compliance
The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) is encouraging the wider industry to consider the importance of implementing effective building controls from the outset of building projects in order to meet current legislation. The 10 80 10 rule represents the total lifetime costs of a building, whereby only 10% of costs are invested at the design stage while a staggering 80% is spent on the running and maintaining of a building. The BCIA is calling for a change in approach from those in the supply chain at the initial stages of building projects. By investing in an efficient controls system at the start of construction, this will dramatically lower operational costs in commercial buildings over the long term while also helping to meet a wide range of legislation. A good example of this is the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) which came into force earlier this year. It is now unlawful for a landlord to let or renew a lease on a property if the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating is F or G. By installing additional zone control for instance, or demand control of lighting and heating usingoccupancy sensors, your EPC rating can receive a welcome boost and substantially lower unnecessary energy usage. It is these relatively simple additions to the BMS system that have a significant impact on the EPC rating. Energy efficiency in commercial buildings remains a high priority and something that must be continually be addressed in the need to meet current and new legislation. One of the best ways that this can be accomplished is by bearing in mind the 10 80 10 concept from the outset of construction projects and making sensible and strategic decisions to future-proof today’s sophisticated buildings. Through the implementation of innovative control systems, this will enable the wider industry to comply with legislation over the upcoming years. For further information about BCIA, please click here
