Category Archives: Office Management

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 18% of all the energy produced in the United States is employed to cool, heat, light, or accomplish other functions within commercial buildings.  Given the challenging business and economic environment of recent years, governments, building owners, building tenants, and companies in general are looking for ways to become more efficient both fiscally and environmentally.  One key mechanism for achieving greater efficiency is building energy management systems (BEMS), defined as the software, hardware, and services associated with the intelligent (i.e., information and communication technology-based) monitoring, management, and control of energy, specifically for reducing overall energy consumption and lowering energy costs.  Recent advances in technology and the availability of much more detailed data and information on how buildings can use energy more efficiently have sparked growing interest in, and rising sales of, these systems.  According to a new report from Pike Research, worldwide revenue from building energy management systems will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 14% through the rest of this decade, reaching just under $6 billion a year by 2020.

“Over the last year, the convergence of building equipment and IT has advanced at a rapid pace, enabling a higher degree of control over building energy and operations than ever before,” says research analyst Eric Bloom.  “The BEMS market is evolving rapidly and is enjoying a burst of innovation, leading to an explosion in the amount of data that is available on the energy performance of commercial buildings.” Continue reading →