Controls drift
Schedules, setpoints and overrides no longer reflect actual occupancy.
Building performance / Engineering-led improvementReduce energy costs.
Reduce energy costs.
Recover lost performance.
Find where energy is being wasted, understand why systems underperform and prioritise practical improvements by cost, payback and operational impact.
Energy auditsHVACBeMS & controlsProcess energyVerification
A focused engineering reviewStart with the systems
Start with the systems
that drive the cost.
Where is energy used?Find the major loads
Why is it being wasted?Diagnose the cause
What should change?Prioritise the action
Did it make a difference?Verify the outcome
Practical improvements to real buildings, plant and operating systems.
5–10%Typical operational saving potential*
12–24 monthsTypical audit-measure payback*
£10m+Energy savings identified
50+ yearsCollective consultancy experience
*Indicative potential across suitable buildings and operational environments. Actual savings and payback depend on the site, scope, measures and implementation; they are not guaranteed.
Where performance is lostBuildings rarely perform
01 02 03 04 05
Buildings rarely perform
exactly as intended.
Operating patterns change. Controls drift. Equipment ages. Without focused analysis, avoidable waste becomes part of the accepted baseline.
Hidden out-of-hours use
Plant continues running while buildings or processes are inactive.
Conflicting systems
Heating, cooling and ventilation work against each other.
Degraded equipment
Faults, poor calibration and ageing sensors reduce performance.
Changing demand
Building use evolves while original control strategies remain unchanged.
From complexity to focused actionFocus effort where
01 02 03 04 05 06
Focus effort where
it makes a difference.
Identify the buildings, systems and operating periods responsible for the greatest demand. Then define a focused scope around the areas with meaningful potential for improvement.
Initial Discussion
Understand the estate, operational priorities and cost concerns.
Major Energy Consumers
Identify the buildings, processes and systems driving demand.
Focused Scope
Direct effort towards areas with meaningful saving potential.
Engineering Analysis
Combine operational evidence, site knowledge and energy data.
Prioritised Actions
Rank opportunities by saving, payback, risk and deliverability.
Implement & Verify
Support delivery and confirm measurable improvement.
Broad operational complexityFocused, investable action
Less time reviewing negligible loads. More attention to the systems capable of materially reducing cost.
The solution / Focused servicesThe right expertise.
The right expertise.
The right scope.
Choose a targeted review or connect several disciplines where the problem requires it. Every scope starts with your building, its systems and the way it operates.
Discuss your building01Energy Audits, Treasure Hunts & Kaizen
Focused assessments to identify practical, quantifiable savings across buildings, systems and processes. Combine energy analysis with the knowledge of the people operating the site.
Energy audits · Guided assessments · Operational reviews · Treasure hunts · Kaizen workshops
Explore energy audits02Industrial Process & Utilities
Investigate the equipment and utilities that materially affect production-related demand. Develop opportunities around operating requirements, risk and practical delivery.
Compressed air · Steam · Motors & drives · Process heat · Cooling · Production loads
Discuss your process energy03BeMS & Controls Optimisation
Review how the control strategy translates into actual plant operation. Identify where schedules, setpoints, sensors or overrides are preventing systems from responding effectively to demand.
Operating schedules · Setpoints · Sensors · Overrides · Plant sequencing · Control strategies
Explore BeMS optimisation04Lighting, Power & Building Fabric
Identify targeted improvements to electrical systems and the building itself, focusing on measures that materially affect performance and operating cost.
Lighting & controls · Electrical distribution · Power quality · Insulation · Glazing · Air leakage
Discuss a targeted review05HVAC & Building Services
Examine heating, cooling, ventilation and hot-water performance. Understand how plant, distribution systems and controls interact before deciding what should change.
Heating & cooling · Ventilation · Hot water · Pumps & fans · Mechanical & electrical plant
Explore HVAC audits06Implementation & Verification
Keep the engineering intent intact as recommendations move into delivery. Agree the right level of support for design, procurement, commissioning and measurement.
Specifications · Contractor coordination · Commissioning · Measurement & verification · Post-implementation review
Discuss implementation supportFrom engineering evidence to measurable improvementTechnically sound.
Technically sound.
Commercially relevant.
Practical to deliver.
Finding high consumption is the starting point. Understanding its cause and developing a credible response is what turns analysis into an investment decision.
01 / Understand
Evidence
Energy data, operating context, site observations and system performance.
02 / Diagnose
Root cause
Identify why energy is being wasted and how the systems interact.
03 / Define
Opportunity
Develop technically credible measures matched to real conditions.
04 / Prioritise
Investment priority
Rank actions by benefit, cost, risk and practical delivery.
05 / Deliver
Verified improvement
Implement effectively and assess whether the benefits are achieved.
Energy savingCost savingCarbon reductionImplementation costPaybackOperational risk
Analysis and technology support the evidence. Zerith’s specialists provide engineering diagnosis and delivery assurance.
Specialist engineering deliveryExpertise where it matters.
01Specialist-led
02Collaborative energy
03Implementation
Expertise where it matters.
Collaboration where it helps.
Match the delivery approach to the technical task and the capability within your organisation.
Specialist-led
engineering reviews
Engineering judgement at the centre.
Zerith specialists assess how plant, controls and operating strategies interact, diagnose underperformance and develop appropriate corrective actions.
Typical applications- HVAC performance investigations
- BeMS and control strategies
- Central energy centres
- Heating, cooling and M&E plant
Collaborative energy
& process audits
Site knowledge meets specialist analysis.
Deliver an assessment with Zerith, or work together with your engineering, facilities and operational teams. Use the insight of those who operate the site every day.
Typical applications- Energy and process-energy audits
- Energy treasure hunts
- Kaizen workshops
- Operational energy reviews
Implementation
& verification support
Carry the recommendation into delivery.
Zerith can remain involved beyond the assessment, supporting effective changes and reviewing the resulting energy, cost and performance improvements.
Typical applications- Control changes and specifications
- Contractor coordination and supervision
- Commissioning support
- Measurement and post-project review
Specialist-led where engineering judgement is essential. Collaborative where operational knowledge strengthens the outcome.
Discuss the right delivery modelEngineering expertise / Supported by better dataBetter evidence.
Better evidence.
Experienced judgement.
Where appropriate, ZECO supports energy profiling, baseline development, anomaly detection and opportunity comparison. Findings, recommendations and technical reports remain developed and reviewed by Zerith’s specialist consultants.
ZECO supports the evidence. Zerith’s engineers provide the diagnosis, recommendations and technical assurance.
01
Energy & load profiles
Understand demand across different operating periods.
02
Baseload & out-of-hours use
Identify consumption when activity is low or absent.
03
Trends & anomalies
Find changes and patterns that merit investigation.
04
Energy, cost & carbon modelling
Evaluate opportunities against a defined set of assumptions.
05
Payback & prioritisation
Compare measures and inform investment decisions.
06
Site-to-site comparison
Direct attention across a portfolio with consistent evidence.
Project spotlight / Chilled-water optimisationOne control change.
The pumps ran at fixed speed.
Discuss a similar opportunity
One control change.
A lasting difference.
Better performance doesn’t always start with new equipment. Sometimes it starts with making the systems you already have work as they should.
The pumps ran at fixed speed.
The building didn’t.
Primary and secondary chilled-water pumps were running at fixed speeds, regardless of building demand. Zerith identified the issue and developed a demand-led BeMS control strategy — without expensive pipework alterations.
01
Understand the system
Review operation, controls and actual demand.
02
Make a focused intervention
Adjust pump speed through the control strategy.
03
Measure the outcome
Compare the savings with audit and implementation cost.
The control principleChilled-water pumps
Demand-led pump operationBuilding demand
Pump speed responds to changing demand instead of remaining fixed. Diagram illustrates the principle; it is not measured telemetry.
~£30,000Just under £30k annual energy cost saving
9 monthsAudit + implementation payback
Further evidence / Opportunities identifiedIdentified savingsUniversity buildings
Potential savings identifiedThree-site
University buildings
& energy centre
~£300kIn identified savings
2.3 yearsAverage indicated payback
Identified opportunities, distinct from savings already delivered through implementation.
Three-site
healthcare estate
£500k+In potential savings
3 yearsAverage indicated payback
Potential improvements identified across the estate. Realised savings depend on delivery and verification.
Your estate / Your operating reality
Engineering support across sectors.
Practical guidanceBuilding Performance Guides.
Building Performance Guides.
Understand. Prioritise. Improve.
Practical resources to help you understand your building’s performance and prepare for a useful discussion about next steps.
Downloadable guides are coming soon. Speak with Zerith for support with your building, controls or HVAC systems.
Energy Audits
Focused assessments and practical opportunities.
Guide coming soonBeMS & Controls
Better operation through effective control strategies.
Guide coming soonHVAC Performance
Understanding heating, cooling and ventilation.
Guide coming soonYour questions, answeredBuilding
Building
Performance
FAQs.
From assessment scope to verified savings, start with a clearer understanding of the process.
Book a free 30-minute callWhat does a commercial energy audit include?
An audit examines energy use across a building, site or selected system. Depending on scope, it may review utility and metering data, operating hours, occupancy, fabric, HVAC, lighting, hot water and BeMS controls. Zerith focuses on the consumers most likely to produce material improvements. Opportunities are evaluated for energy, cost and carbon reduction, implementation cost, indicative payback, operational risk and deliverability.
How much can a building-performance review save?
It depends on the building, its condition, operating patterns and review scope. In suitable settings, focused reviews commonly identify potential in the region of 5–10%, although results may be higher or lower. Opportunities often involve operating hours, control strategies, setpoints, sensor faults or simultaneous heating and cooling. Each measure is assessed individually before implementation decisions are made.
What systems will Zerith assess?
The final scope is tailored to the site. It can include boilers, heat pumps, chillers, ventilation, hot water, pumps, fans, motors, compressed air, lighting, electrical distribution and process equipment. BeMS strategies, schedules, sensors, overrides, metering and fabric are reviewed where they materially affect performance.
Can Zerith help implement the recommendations?
Yes. Agreed support can include control strategies, technical specifications, contractor proposal reviews, procurement, implementation coordination, commissioning and completed-work reviews. The level of involvement depends on your internal capability and the technical complexity of the measure, helping preserve the original engineering intent.
How are energy and cost savings verified?
Performance after implementation is compared with an appropriate pre-change baseline. Evidence may include utility data, submetering, BeMS trends, operating hours and site observations. Where necessary, analysis accounts for weather, occupancy, production, operating-hour and tariff changes. Zerith can establish a proportionate measurement and verification plan around the measure and available data.
Can an energy audit support ESOS or a Net Zero plan?
Yes, when appropriately scoped. ESOS work remains subject to scheme requirements and Lead Assessor review. For Net Zero planning, an audit can establish current consumption, identify operational improvements and inform future capital measures. Actions can then be sequenced over the short, medium and long term around real systems, costs and constraints.
Start with a focused discussionWhere is your building
Where is your building
wasting energy?
Tell us about your systems, your largest energy consumers and the performance you want to improve. We’ll help define the right scope.
Your next step
- Discuss your building and priorities
- Identify the right engineering review
- Explore a practical delivery approach
Prefer email? info@zerith.uk