BOULDER, Colo. — Although small and medium-sized commercial buildings represent a majority of buildings both in terms of number of buildings and square footage, they have not seen the same level of penetration of building energy management systems (BEMS) as larger facilities, notes Navigant Research. That is changing as the cost savings enabled by BEMS become more evident and new construction and regulations promote the installation of BEMS technology, creating new demand for the associated services and software. According to a new report from the research firm, worldwide revenue for BEMS for small and medium buildings will grow from $277 million in 2014 to $1.3 billion in 2022.

“The BEMS market for smaller buildings is expanding as building owners and managers, particularly portfolio managers, demand more energy savings and easier ways to manage energy use in their facilities,” said Noah Goldstein, research director with Navigant Research. “Innovative BEMS solutions are being tested in the market, while increased digital control infrastructure is being installed in both new buildings and retrofits to comply with more stringent building codes. At the same time, executives are pushing for more enterprise energy management to manage costs.”