International law firm Bird & Bird supported the latest Energy Efficiency Trends report, published by EEVS Insight and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which shows the commissioning of projects involving smart building technologies has risen by almost a third in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the 2017 average.
Based on survey responses from UK private and public sector organisations in Q1 2018, 91% of active consumer respondents commissioned at least one of the following smart building technologies; building energy management systems, lighting controls, monitoring and targeting software or smart metering.
The first quarterly report of 2018 also revealed the following results:
- Suppliers reported a continued downward slide in orders over the last 12 months; however a more positive outlook is forecast with 76% reporting an expected uptick in orders in the second quarter of 2018.
- Amongst consumers surveyed, a good mix of project values continue to be reported, with the largest spending band (£500k+) attracting the most responses and representing some 27% of reported projects.
- Overall confidence, as shown within the report’s market barometer, has struggled to pick up over the last 18 months and has been on a downward trajectory for the last three quarters.
Levent Gurdenli, Co-head of Energy Management at Bird & Bird comments: “The high level of interest in smart building technologies shown by the report reflects the growing trend of energy consumers continuing to take greater control of their energy consumption in order to enhance their sustainability credentials and to improve their bottom lines. They have a range of strategies available to them, from the direct installation of building management systems, procuring renewable energy directly from generators under a corporate PPA and engaging an ESCO under an energy performance contract. We expect this smart energy management trend to continue with the developments in new behind-the-meter battery solutions and employers looking to promote the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at their premises.”
For detailed analysis of quarterly Energy Efficiency Trends in the UK, view the latest full report here: http://www.eevs.co.uk/media/trendsq118.pdf