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In its ‘Energy Position Paper’, published today, The British Institute of Facilities Management calls for greater involvement of facilities managers in building projects to ensure energy efficient design takes into account the whole life cycle of the building and how it will be used.

The BIFM says facilities managers know how buildings work in practice and the facilities management approach emphasizes sustainability, long-term thinking and lifecycle costing.

The paper sets out the Institute’s position on energy policy and how facilities management can help to deliver targets on energy efficiency and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.

Facilities managers are on the front line when it comes to implementing and enforcing energy efficiency in buildings, says the BIFM. FMs can help the government achieve its carbon reduction targets.

Among other recommendations it calls for operational energy-use ratings for existing buildings rather than simply design ratings.

The Institute calls on government to lead by example, expecting its own projects and those of the public sector generally to bring facilities management expertise to the early stages of development.

This could include using FMs to test building proposals to ensure that energy efficiency measures are fully effective and not undone by other aspects of the design.

The Institute has an active Sustainability Special Interest Group and has already influenced regulation in this area, particularly through the work of its former chairman Mick Dalton.

The BIFM will use the energy position paper to develop policy and activity and as the basis for responding to consultation on forthcoming legislation and regulation, including Defra’s proposals to reduce carbon emissions in the large non-energy intensive business and public sectors.

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