Reducing client’s energy consumption by 50% scoops 3MSE Ltd award

Saving its client up to 45% on its energy bills almost immediately through its active demand-based ventilation technology, 3MSE Ltd fought off many other superb examples of innovation to win this year’s Building Controls Industry Association’s (BCIA) Energy Management Award.  

With sustainability targets ever-tightening across the built environment, energy management is becoming a vital tool for building owners, facility managers and occupants, making this award category incredibly competitive.

The award recognises manufacturers, installers or teams that have overseen a project that demonstrates how building controls and/or building energy management systems (BEMS) have been applied to increase energy efficiency in a building or complex.

It is also open to individuals with a responsibility for energy management in a consultancy or client role and assesses client objectives and how they were met, how systems were designed and installed to maximise energy efficiency and the results in regard to specific energy saved.  

Despite the strong competition, 3MSE Ltd took home the highly sought-after prize at the 2025 BCIA Awards ceremony held in May at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.

The entry

With staff at the premises still hybrid working, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system was often providing heating and ventilation to unoccupied or partially occupied floors. Given the building and floor spaces were designed for a staff occupancy of around 200, this was a significant waste of energy.

Conversely, HVAC systems based on actual occupancy mean energy is only used where or when it’s required, leading to significant energy savings, lower utility bills and less downtime. Additionally, by localising environmental controls based on occupancy, occupied areas are more comfortable and employee wellbeing and productivity are enhanced.

3MSE Ltd were therefore tasked with designing and supplying an active demand-based ventilation system with the aim of significantly reducing the building’s energy consumption. Thriving on data, this innovative system leverages smart technology, such as AI people counting, WELL sensors, lighting integration, and smart sockets, to provide a comprehensive understanding of space occupancy.

Consequently, 3MSE Ltd were able to precisely regulate air delivery and ensure it was directed only to occupied spaces. This maximised energy efficiency and enhanced comfort for occupants.

With the system able to be hosted on-site or within the Cloud, client investment in its BEMS solution was maximised and project deployment Return on Investment (ROI) was expected to be achieved within six to nine months.

Why it won

Environmental delivery was precisely targeted to local occupied levels and the HVAC system adjusted dynamically as occupancy levels changed. As a result, energy savings of between 30% and 45% were typically recorded.

Delivering real, normalised savings and ensuring accuracy and reliability, the active demand-based ventilation system was able to achieve substantial energy savings during not only low occupancy days but also early finishes, late starts and even lunch breaks.

The reduced secondary demand levels can often lead to proportional decreases in main plant demands, enhancing overall system efficiency. Leveraging data and streamlining environmental controls helped the active demand-based system to stand out as a powerful tool for achieving all sustainability and energy efficiency goals.

By optimising energy use at the floor plate level, a more sustainable and responsive building environment can be achieved while complying with ever-tightening green building standards. As a result, resources are used efficiently to benefit both building owners and occupants.

With systems such as this, there is no lead-in time, meaning energy saving is immediate. Giving the building’s BEMS the opportunity to control the HVAC results in lower energy consumption and lower carbon emissions. In fact, one business owner in with the active demand based solution reduced their energy usage by 52% in 2024 and saved a total of 2,599 trees compared to the energy usage in that same office space the year before and this was compared against true normalised data taking out the external influences.

Such is the impact of the installation, the solutions often pay for themselves in less than 12 months. Being self-adapting, the savings keep accruing year-on-year.

The site’s Portfolio Operations Director, said: “Since the installation of demand-led ventilation across multiple floors, we have seen a vast improvement on the working environment following feedback from the occupiers.

“Since the installation of the people counters, the floor seems a much more comfortable temperature and less stuffy. The system intelligently adjusts airflow based on real-time needs, ensuring comfort for our staff while significantly reducing energy costs. We have noticed a reduction in reactive tasks for temperature issues across the floors.

“The seamless installation and integration into the BMS system allowed us holistic management and data collection, which enhances energy efficiency, operational savings and indoor comfort while aligning sustainability goals and modern smart building standards. This makes it a highly effective solution and a huge benefit to all building users here.”