Kevin McGuane, Energy Services Director for DMA Group, discusses why making an energy audit should be considered an essential first step in any sustainable building upgrade.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors recently revealed that demand for both sustainable buildings and routine carbon measurement is slowing. Just 16 per cent of the real estate and construction professionals surveyed said that carbon measurement meaningfully informs material choices in their projects.
Yet, decarbonisation is now firmly embedded within industry regulations and guidelines:
- The NHS is aiming to reach Net Zero by 2045 through its Net Zero Building Standard.
- The Government Property Agency has published fresh sustainability requirements for workplace designers as part of the government’s general Net Zero 2050 plan.
- In the 2025 edition of the Academy Trust Handbook, the Department for Education introduced new requirements for monitoring and reporting environmental performance.
Clearly, there remains a gap between policy ambition and day-to-day practice across the built environment sector. Bridging that gap starts with conducting thorough energy audits across estates – a key opportunity to identify energy wasters and reduce power consumption, cutting costs and lowering carbon emissions as a result.
Identifying energy wasters and achieving quick wins
An energy audit firstly establishes a baseline of current performance, identifying where energy is being used inefficiently and which issues require urgent attention. From this insight, a range of cost-effective changes can be implemented, some of which provide immediate savings.
Examples include:
- Traditional lighting units are often energy-intensive and should be replaced with modern LED alternatives. Occupant sensors will ensure these lights are only on when needed.
- Thoroughly cleaning the entire heating system and replacing outdated radiator valves can deliver immediate improvements to system efficiency and heat distribution.
- Resealing air leaks and draught points around windows, doors and roof hatches helps reduce uncontrolled heat loss.
These quick wins become part of a bigger picture, helping to fund the major retrofit projects that will make the greatest difference over time. These may include transitioning from gas or oil boilers to high-efficiency heat pumps, alongside major upgrades to insulation, flooring, roofing, windows and doors to minimise heat loss further. Installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and battery storage, can then reduce grid reliance and improve resilience.
The all-important building management system (BMS) review
One of the most critical – but frequently overlooked – parts of an energy audit is a comprehensive BMS review. Too many estates currently rely on poorly configured BMS that simply aren’t performing optimally.
For instance, heating, ventilation and air conditioning schedules are often not aligned with live occupancy patterns or building timetables; they switch on too early and continue operating during periods when buildings or rooms are empty. Research shows that heating a space by just one degree above requirement can increase energy consumption by up to 10 per cent. When this occurs overnight, outside operational hours or for long periods of inoccupancy – during a school’s summer holiday period, for example – the cumulative energy waste and cost is substantial.
AI compatibility is now another important consideration in any BMS review. Automation is becoming increasingly important to modern building services, with SFG20 recently reporting that AI-optimised facilities can outperform traditional operations by 20-30 per cent. Yet many buildings still rely on legacy software that is incompatible with these technologies. In such cases, an entire BMS upgrade may be required to maximise savings, future-proof services and support long-term decarbonisation targets.
AI is only as good as the data its fed, so any plans for digital transformation – through upgraded BMS or other workflow and maintenance software solutions – must begin with ensuring data collection is accurate and robust.
The essential starting point for net zero
The journey towards Net Zero is a complex, long-term and often capital-intensive one. A thorough energy audit is the perfect starting point, providing the clarity, confidence and evidence needed to begin the transition in a structured and cost-effective way. Establishing a clear baseline of current performance, identifying quick wins and unlocking funds for deeper retrofit projects all depend on this essential first step.
Lessons from Rye Memorial Hospital
Rye Memorial Hospital is now the UK’s first carbon neutral Community Hospital. The starting point of this journey was an energy audit, which DMA conducted in 2021, identifying several ‘quick win’ opportunities for low-cost improvements. For example, the team replaced existing lighting with LED units and introduced an electrical monitoring system, enabling more accurate energy tracking and data-driven decision-making.
These initial changes helped fund large-scale retrofits: the installation of a new BMS to improve system control and monitoring; the integration of solar PV panels with battery storage to generate and store energy on site; and upgrades to pumps to improve the efficiency of water circulation.
Together, these measures have delivered measurable decarbonisation impacts:
- A 40 per cent reduction in energy usage
- Overall CO2 emissions cut by 260 tonnes
- Becoming the UK’s first carbon-neutral community hospital
- Improved patient services funded by reduced energy bills
This article appeared in the March 2026 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.
