In today’s business environment, which faces increasing demands to reduce costs and improve productivity, reducing energy consumption and optimizing building management are crucial. Despite this, many companies still operate without centralized systems, leading not only to higher costs but also to issues with flexibility, competitiveness, and compliance with legislative requirements. However, BMS and EMS systems can effectively address these challenges.
What does company management look like without BMS and EMS systems?
Imagine a company that does not yet use centralized systems for energy and building management. Managers receive an energy bill every month but see only the total consumption without a detailed overview of where energy is used the most and where the greatest losses occur.
In such companies, most consumption data is collected manually. Employees walk around meters, write down their readings on paper or document them with photos, and then transfer the data into spreadsheets. This process is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. Moreover, it does not provide ongoing consumption information, so if there is an unexpected cost increase, the company only learns about it at the end of the month—by which time it is too late to address the issue.
In various operational modes, such as weekends or during downtimes, a system without automation lacks flexibility. Systems cannot shut down or switch to energy-saving modes when not in use. As a result, lighting, air conditioning, or heating continue to operate even when no one is using them, leading to unnecessary consumption that the company could otherwise easily optimize.
For example, in one company monitoring energy consumption, it was discovered that even during a complete production shutdown, energy consumption decreased by only 50%. This revealed that some systems remained active and consumed energy despite not being in use — highlighting the need for more effective automation.
Another problem is the lack of integration between individual systems. Lighting, heating, ventilation, security, and fire systems operate independently, requiring separate management. If a manager needs an overview of the entire building’s status, they must log into multiple applications, significantly increasing response time when addressing issues and reducing management efficiency.
With increasing demands to reduce carbon footprints and achieve higher energy efficiency, there is also greater emphasis on meeting environmental and legislative standards. Without a quality system for monitoring consumption, a company can easily exceed set limits or fail to meet ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) requirements. These are criteria that assess a company’s environmental, social, and governance impact. This can lead to penalties and reputational damage. Companies that cannot demonstrate compliance with environmental standards may also lose competitiveness in a market where environmentally responsible partners and customers increasingly prefer to work with sustainable businesses.
For many companies, a key issue is also the allocation of energy costs among departments, production lines, or tenants, such as external operations (e.g., cafeterias). Without an automated system for consumption allocation, the company still has to rely on manual readings, which causes time delays and may lead to inaccuracies.
What are BMS and EMS systems, and how do they help solve all these problems?
BMS (Building Management System), also known as a building automation system, primarily focuses on monitoring and managing building equipment such as lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, security, and fire systems. BMS provides a centralized overview of the status of all key systems and enables their automation according to various operational modes. This allows a company to optimize energy consumption and, in turn, reduce costs.EMS (Energy Management System) focuses on measuring and analyzing energy consumption to identify areas where a company can reduce its energy costs. EMS enables continuous monitoring of consumption and detailed analysis of data from individual sources. This helps companies not only optimize their overall energy consumption but also allocate energy costs across different operations.Although both systems can operate independently, the ideal solution is their integration, which provides companies with maximum benefits. Ignition, a platform used by us at IoT Industries, combines BMS and EMS into a single unified system.
How does Ignition help with BMS
and EMS?
How does Ignition help with BMS The Ignition platform provides a comprehensive tool for data collection, analysis, and automated management in real-time. This process consists of several key steps:
- Data Collection – Ignition can collect data from a wide range of devices and systems using protocols such as Modbus, BACnet, OPC UA, or MQTT. In the case of EMS, this includes data from measuring instruments that monitor electricity, water, gas, or heat consumption. For BMS, Ignition allows direct monitoring of devices such as lighting, air conditioning, or heating.
- Data Analysis – With clear graphs and visualizations on interactive dashboards, a company can analyze consumption trends, compare different periods, and identify areas where costs are highest. Within the EMS, the system allows for analyzing consumption down to the level of individual departments, production lines, or tenants, which simplifies cost allocation and facilitates financial planning.
Practical Example: In one manufacturing company, a backup diesel generator automatically started after a power outage. When the main power was restored, the generator did not shut down, and because the old system sent too many notifications, employees failed to notice that the generator continued running. The diesel fuel was gradually depleted, and when the next power outage occurred, the backup source could no longer start. By implementing the Ignition platform, which centralizes data collection and analysis on a clear dashboard, managers can instantly see the current status of backup sources, other components, and data centers critical to the company’s operations with just one glance. - Automation and Optimization – Ignition can automatically manage the operation of devices based on predefined rules or real-time data. For example, the system can reduce heating or turn off lighting during weekends or downtimes, thus optimizing consumption. This automation also ensures that the building operates efficiently without the need for manual intervention.
- Taking Action – The ultimate goal of data collection and analysis is to enable company management to take active measures based on current information. Ignition allows for quick and accurate decision-making, which helps prevent unnecessary costs and supports long-term efficiency.
However, the entire process is not a one-time effort—it should be continuously evaluated and improved by repeating steps 1–4. In this way, the system is constantly refined, contributing to even higher levels of efficiency and sustainability.
Benefits of Implementing BMS and EMS Systems
Implementing Ignition as a platform for BMS and EMS brings immediate and long-term benefits to companies. The main advantages include:- Reduced Energy Costs – Automated device management and energy consumption optimization help the company effectively reduce costs.
- Flexible Cost Allocation – Detailed monitoring enables fair distribution of costs among different departments, production lines, and tenants, while also facilitating financial planning.
- Compliance with Environmental and Legislative Standards – BMS and EMS help meet strict energy efficiency standards and promote environmental responsibility.
- Competitive Advantage – A modern energy management system is a sign of technological advancement and environmental responsibility, which can enhance the company’s attractiveness to business partners and customers.