Safer, more energy-efficient school and academy buildings with Zurich insite
12/31/2024
Although Prime Minister Keir Starmer says there will be no return to austerity under the current Labour government , schools and academies still find themselves having to do more with less.
This is due in part to increasing costs in areas such as energy. A report earlier this year found academy trusts on average have faced a 49% year-on-year rise in energy costs.
A Building Management System (BMS) is one way of mitigating the impact of energy price increases. A BMS is a centralised control system used in many modern buildings, including schools, academies, offices and residential buildings, to enhance safety and efficiency by monitoring and controlling building features such as lighting, heating, ventilation and security systems. One study (focusing on commercial buildings) found that 30% of energy use is wasted due to inefficiencies, so reducing inefficiency is one of the best ways to cut energy costs.
Unfortunately, while a BMS handles vast quantities of data about the day-to-day operation of buildings, it can only capture a small sample of this data for analysis. The people actually using the building often aren’t able to make the most of this data, or even make sense of it. A BMS is complex and specialised. Even where it does identify an issue, many building facilities managers rely on an annual visit from their BMS engineer to actually implement required changes.
Safer, more cost-efficient buildings with Zurich insite
That’s where Zurich insite can help. Zurich insite is a small, easy-to-install plug-and-play device that connects with your BMS. Once installed, it will listen to the data the BMS collects and turn this data into practical, actionable insights that can help you make improvements in three key areas:
- Risk reduction
- Energy efficiency and cost savings
- Sustainability
For example, Zurich insite can identify inefficiencies in different parts of a building system – such as cooling and heating systems that are working against each other, or areas of a building where energy use is unnecessary. It can monitor your building’s use of carbon and identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions. And it can also pinpoint equipment or systems that may not be working efficiently, or which are at risk of failure. This can not only help you plan your maintenance more effectively, but it can also reduce the risk of equipment failure and potential harm to people and property.
Zurich insite has also been created with portfolios of buildings in mind, not just individual properties. The data from buildings is standardised across the entire portfolio into one dashboard, providing key information, risk analysis and alerts, regardless of the native BMS.
How is Zurich insite helping schools and academies?
We recently completed a trial with a school where Zurich insite was able to help identify a potential legionella risk, so that it could be monitored and removed. The trial also identified a number of ways the school could make energy efficiency savings. Before using Zurich insite, the school had no idea how or where these inefficiencies existed. The school is now in the process of making improvements that will produce significant cost savings in 2025.
What kinds of building system can be monitored?
Zurich insite can be used to monitor things such as:
- Boiler and pump activity
- Temperature and temperature pressure
- Filter operation
- Heating and cooling systems
- Ventilation
- Frost protection
- Carbon dioxide detection
- Fire suppression data
How exactly does Zurich insite work?
Once you’ve registered an interest, we’ll first have a brief feasibility call to find out a bit about your BMS and whether Zurich insite might help. Our device is compatible with the vast majority of systems, regardless of their manufacturer. We can then deliver the device to you and it can usually be self-installed in just a few minutes.
An easy-to-use dashboard will show you any inefficiencies in your building, identify potential improvements, and monitor the impact of any changes you have made. You can also receive customised notifications/alerts and after 65 days of use , you’ll be able to generate a Building Health Check report, baselining building performance and recommending areas to reduce risk and improve energy efficiency.
Download our guide for more information on how Zurich Insite could support you.
Want to find out more?
If you’d like to speak to us about connecting Zurich insite with your school or academy’s BMS, get in touch.
- Call: Andrew Paterson, Head of Business Property Development on 07809 147645
