According to The Energy Blind Spots, a new report from building analytics specialist CIM,  that surveyed facilities managers at life sciences and micro-electronics manufacturers, only 35% of FMs believe HVAC costs are a priority. Yet with HVAC often constituting up to 45% of energy consumption at these sites, analysing consumption should represent a significant opportunity to hit decarbonisation targets and reduce costs.

Despite this, only 30% of those surveyed admitted to continuously monitoring CO2emissions, though 63% of respondents’ sites are certified to the ISO 50001 standard for energy management. Furthermore, 62% of FMs surveyed believed they are deficient in day-to-day collection and analysis of building data and 40% were still undertaking maintenance on a reactive rather than proactive footing.

Paul Walsh, general manager at CIM, commented: “This research clearly demonstrates that further action is required to alleviate pressure on facilities management teams, and further support is needed from senior stakeholders to drive efforts to improve plant sustainability and energy efficiency.

“Additionally, with 87% of survey respondents identifying CAPEX constraints as a major barrier to improving energy performance, steps must be taken to make OPEX savings that could help alleviate these concerns.”

The report’s findings also highlighted that FMs are experiencing an average of 12.5 BMS alarms per day, with 50% suggesting they received as many as 30 in the same time period. More worryingly, a quarter of those interviewed said that 40% of alarms were not actioned, demonstrating strong evidence of ‘alarm fatigue’.

Mr Walsh continues: “The fact that a sizable sample of the facilities managers said BMS alarms are effectively being ignored shows how teams are caught in a cycle of day-to-day firefighting. The sheer volume of alarms demonstrates how a smarter approach to data is needed. 

“Yet it cannot be denied that plants and buildings generate huge amounts of data, and this report highlights the difficulties of using this data to prioritise day-to-day pressures, including managing alarms and addressing high energy consumption. There is therefore clearly a need for innovative platforms, such as CIM’s Peak Performance, that can ingest data and raise actionable insights to reduce emissions and OPEX costs.