The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has highlighted value engineering as one of the main causes of poor building performance and emphasises that working together is the best way forward for all stakeholders.

BCIA president Malcolm Anson said: 'The focus on capital costs for construction projects is leaving building owners and managers with properties that cost them more in terms of energy and maintenance in the long-term.'

All areas of building services suffer from value engineering, as Malcolm points out with examples from the controls sector: 'It may seem that reducing the number of sensors on a project, for example, is an easy way to save a few pounds. However, these seemingly small items are crucial for a building to operate effectively.

'So often, BCIA members find that the removal of sensors for temperature or CO2, for example, means that heating and cooling are left to be operated manually which almost inevitably leads to higher operating costs.'

The BCIA is aiming to educate the market about the true costs of value engineering through a joint conference with BESA and the ECA. The Building Services Summit will be held at the British Library on 23 November 2016. The theme of the conference is the efficient long-term performance of buildings.

'We know that the best way to raise awareness of these issues is to work with our professional colleagues within FETA and other organisations in this way. The Summit is a unique event organised by associations for their memberships to share knowledge and help to solve challenges together,' adds Malcolm.

Full details of the Building Services Summit can be found at www.buildingservicessummit.co.uk