How SMEs Can Reach Their Net Zero Target

Whilst it is in the general consensus that reaching a net zero target and reducing energy waste is a concern and priority for business owners, many businesses have claimed that they are unaware of how to even begin the process — citing no available (or affordable) help on how to calculate their carbon footprint.

Small and medium enterprises, commonly known as SMEs, have been asked by the UK Government to become net zero as soon as 2050. Net zero is essentially the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere, following the activities of a business. One can reach net zero when the amount of greenhouse gases added into the atmosphere is no more than the amount taken away.

This article sets out to explain how a HeatingSave building management system can help SMEs reach their net zero target, including checking and improving their carbon footprint as well as being the most effective method to lower energy bills.

How businesses can measure their carbon footprint

A HeatingSave building energy management system (BEMS) has the ability to measure your carbon footprint by comparing fuel consumption and energy consumption.

A BEMS is easy-to-use and offers advanced software with simple visualisation that shows you the energy that your building uses as well as how much you spend. Additionally, HeatingSave's BEMS records the pre-purge time (start-up time) for boilers, understands the burn rate and then, with figures supplied from the Carbon Trust, works out the KwH and CO2 used. Once this information is recorded, the BEMS is then able to work out your expenditure.

Our system can decipher the energy you should use, dependent on what type of building your business requires and with the data above recorded, optimise usage. The HeatingSave building energy management system is also able to establish and work out degree-days. A degree-day compares the mean (the average of the high and low) outdoor temperatures recorded for a location to a standard temperature which is also used to help lower your energy bills.

Lower your energy bills with HeatingSave

Not only HeatingSave does help businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and get them well on their way to meeting the Government's plea of becoming net zero by 2050, our BEMS can also drastically reduce wasted fuel and energy, cut the cost of your heating bills and lower CO2 emissions all whilst maintaining personal comfort conditions at your place of work. These savings are often between 20-to-30 percent, which can be a lifeline for many SMEs.

Many businesses have already utilised a HeatingSave building energy management system and have seen massive savings on their heating and energy bills. Cardiff Bay Yacht Club is one of the most recent businesses to benefit from a HeatingSave BEMS, and after speaking to HeatingSave about their installation they were full of praise:

"HeatingSave has enabled us to take advantage of the possibility to heat only specific areas of the building — and that flexibility has been able to save us money. The diagnostics have proved very useful, the software is all-encompassing." — Roger Wallington, Club Member, Cardiff Bay Yacht Club

To see the full range of our case studies and find out how other businesses have benefited, please click here.

Ways SMEs can reduce their carbon footprint

A company's carbon footprint can be reduced by improving the sustainability of its day-to-day activities. Measures such as cutting transport and heating and energy costs or using less packaging can drive down the carbon footprint of a company and help it reach the desired net zero.

This is where the HeatingSave building energy management system thrives. Our clever occupancy sensors enable users to be able to turn lights on/off as well as being able to turn the heating up, down or off, depending on whether a room is being occupied or not. Automatic occupancy detection plays a pivotal role in both saving your business money and improving your businesses carbon footprint.

For example, if you have areas of the building, such as meeting rooms, bathrooms or communal areas, that are not required to be heated for large parts of the day then the HeatingSave BEMS occupancy sensors will pick up on this and adjust the heating and lighting accordingly; saving you money and energy.

Additionally, the occupancy sensors also link to the room booking system. Room Bookings are automatically translated into heating patterns by the software so the heating perfectly matches the building's use. With the use of temperature sensors, heating is automatically turned down when heating zones are not in use.

How SMEs can be a self sufficient business

Being able to stand on your own two feet as a business is absolutely crucial, and when the Government releases statements pointing out that they want all SMEs to be net zero by 2050, it poses questions to businesses: do we know our current carbon footprint? Do we know how to reach net zero? What is available to us to help become a net zero business?

HeatingSave holds all of these answers for you. By installing a building energy management system, you will not have to rely on Government advice and you can begin to take action on their net zero plea.

For more information on HeatingSave's building energy management system and how it can help your business understand its carbon footprint, how to reach net zero and save you money, then please get in touch with a member of our sales team today who is passionate about helping you and your business become sustainable.