Most businesses know what their energy bill comes to and very little about what drives it. A smart building changes that. Sensors, meters and connected controls show where energy is used and let heating, lighting and equipment be adjusted remotely. Here is what a smart building is, why it pays, who is already doing it, and the security mistake to avoid.
The 30-second version
- A smart building measures and controls heating, lighting, occupancy and energy use remotely.
- The main payoff is finding waste, such as heating empty rooms or lighting empty floors.
- Existing buildings can be retrofitted with meters, sensors and controllers.
- Building systems should stay off your business network, which a separate SIM connection makes easy.
- We connect building systems securely and support them afterwards.
On this page
What is a smart building?
A smart building is one where the systems that run it, heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation and energy metering, are measured and can be controlled remotely, instead of being left to timers, thermostats and whoever remembers to turn things off.
The ingredients are simple: sub-meters that show where energy goes, occupancy and environmental sensors that show how spaces are used, and connected controls that act on the data. A building management system, or BMS, often ties them together.
Why it is useful
- Lower energy bills. Waste becomes visible, and visible waste gets fixed.
- Remote control. Schedules and set points change without a site visit.
- Better use of space. Occupancy data shows which rooms are used and which are not.
- Comfort. Heating and ventilation follow real conditions rather than guesses.
- Evidence for decisions. Upgrades are chosen from measured data.
Who is already using it
At the far end of the scale, The Edge in Amsterdam, built for Deloitte, is often described as one of the smartest office buildings in the world, with thousands of sensors managing light, heat and space.
Closer to home, universities, NHS trusts, councils, retailers and hotel groups use building management systems and sub-metering to control energy across large estates. The same approach now suits much smaller buildings, because the sensors and connectivity have become inexpensive.
What to watch out for
- Security. Building controllers are rarely updated as often as office computers. On your business network, they give attackers an easier way in.
- Data without action. Monitoring only saves money when someone acts on it.
- Contractor access. Maintenance firms need access to the building system, not your business network.
- Starting too big. Begin with the largest users, usually heating, cooling and lighting.
Energy performance matters for landlords too
Since April 2023, most commercial lettings in England and Wales need an EPC rating of E or better, subject to exemptions. Measuring how a building uses energy is a sensible first step towards improving it.
How Synergy Max can help
We help specify meters, sensors and controls, connect them over their own secure connection, completely separate from your business network, and support them afterwards.
- IoT SIM cards, including multi-network SIMs that use whichever UK network is strongest
- Pooled data across every device on one account, with one simple bill
- Monitoring, so a device that goes quiet is noticed and chased
- Private, managed access, so devices are not sitting on the open internet
- Business energy buying, once you know how you use energy
Find out more on our Smart buildings and energy page, or see everything we connect on our IoT SIMs page.
Find out where your energy goes.
Tell us about your building and we will recommend a sensible place to start.