Office · Monitoring and control
Monitoring and control in office: what the SRI measures
Monitoring and control is the building's nervous system: the building management system that coordinates installations, detects faults, reports energy use and can respond to occupancy and to grid signals.
In short
- 1Offices use the monitoring and control domain to coordinate heating, lighting and energy use.
- 2For offices, this domain counts fully in the Smart Readiness Indicator, with a weighting factor of 3 out of 3.
- 3Seven smart-ready services show how far automation extends, from operating hours management to integration with the smart grid.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run time management of HVAC systems MC-3 · 4 levels | Manual setting | Heating and cooling plant on/off control based on predictive control or grid signals | – |
| Detecting faults of technical building systems and providing support to the diagnosis of these faults MC-4 · 4 levels | No central indication of detected faults and alarms | With central indication of detected faults and alarms for all relevant TBS, including diagnosing functions | – |
| Occupancy detection: connected services MC-9 · 3 levels | None | Centralised occupant detection which feeds in to several TBS such as lighting and heating | – |
| Central reporting of TBS performance and energy use MC-13 · A · 4 levels | None | Central or remote reporting of realtime energy use per energy carrier, combining TBS of all main domains in one interface | highest level |
| Smart Grid Integration MC-25 · A · 3 levels | None - No harmonization between grid and TBS; building is operated independently from the grid load | Coordinated demand side management of multiple TBS | highest level |
| Reporting information regarding demand side management performance and operation MC-28 · 3 levels | None | Reporting information on current, historical and predicted DSM status, including managed energy flows | – |
| Override of DSM control MC-29 · 5 levels | No DSM control | Scheduled override of DSM control and reactivation with optimised control | – |
| Single platform that allows automated control & coordination between TBS + optimization of energy flow based on occupancy, weather and grid signals MC-30 · A · 4 levels | None | Single platform that allows automated control & coordination between TBS + optimization of energy flow based on occupancy, weather and grid signals | highest level |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 20 percentage points (from 26 to 46 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does this domain carry such weight for offices?
The monitoring and control domain receives the highest weighting factor possible for offices: 3 out of 3. This is because offices experience highly variable occupancy and operate large systems for lighting, ventilation and climate control.
A building management system (BMS) can coordinate these systems. Without central control, heating and lighting often run continuously, even when no one is present.
Which services measure this domain?
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) assesses seven smart-ready services within this domain. Operating hours management of HVAC systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) shows whether the system responds to building load or only to a fixed schedule.
Fault detection and diagnosis determine whether problems become visible quickly. Occupancy detection links lighting and heating to who is actually in the building.
Centralized energy use reporting brings multiple domains together in one interface. Integration with the smart grid and associated reporting and override capabilities determine whether the building can align with the energy network.
What does a low or high functionality level mean?
Each service has functionality levels from 0 to 4. Level 0 means manual or no control; the highest levels mean automated, predictive operation.
At MC-30, the platform for automated control, the highest level involves optimization based on occupancy, weather and grid signals. Many offices already have a building management system, but it is not always tuned to this level.
What is the expected status of these requirements?
The Smart Readiness Indicator is currently voluntary. The European Commission must adopt a delegated act by 30 June 2027 that is expected to make the SRI mandatory for non-residential buildings with systems above 290 kW.
Many offices fall within that threshold by their size. Building automation itself became mandatory earlier: for systems above 290 kW by the end of 2024, and above 70 kW from the end of 2029.
What this means for you
- Owner
- As the owner of an office building, it is worth checking whether the building management system goes beyond a fixed schedule and actually responds to occupancy and faults. This domain weighs most heavily for offices within the Smart Readiness Indicator, so improvements here have the greatest effect on the score.
- Tenant
- As a tenant or user, you notice a well-tuned system mainly through comfort: lighting and climate adapt to whether people are present or not. Faults are noticed and resolved more quickly, so spaces are less often too warm, too cold or too dark.
- Advisor
- When assessing, pay attention to the difference between a building management system that exists and one that actually operates at the highest functionality levels, such as predictive control or coordinated demand response. Also check whether energy use reporting and grid integration bring multiple domains together, as this determines whether core functionalities are fully utilized.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?