FOCUS
BUILDING ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
HEALTH AND EFFICIENCY The drive to return to the office amidst growing environmental concerns means air quality and energy management have never been more important. Ross Baxter, Partner Sales Leader at Trend, explains how a modern BEMS can offer potential solutions
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s we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience will certainly keep health issues top of mind. From travel and transport, to workplaces, schools and social venues, many of us have never been more sensitive and aware of our surroundings. In fact, a recent Honeywell survey revealed that nearly half (48 per cent) of UK respondents would consider leaving their job if employers didn’t take steps to create a healthy indoor environment. Put simply, the pandemic made us all 30
SEPTEMBER 2022
accustomed to a new environmental experience that centres on safety measures and wellbeing. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the office, a location that has regained its importance as a result of the government easing regulations around workplace attendance.
A HEALTHY WORKING ENVIRONMENT Although hybrid working has become an established part of the employment mix, for many businesses the balance is
starting to tilt back towards office-based operations. Returning staff will want to be reassured that their office environment is ‘healthier,’ a concept that is based around interrelated pillars: Indoor air quality Lighting Occupant comfort Taken in combination, these can deliver a workspace that supports the needs of its occupants by providing demonstrable physical benefits. Over two thirds (68 per