Retail and supermarket · Monitoring and control
Monitoring and control in retail and supermarket: 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
- 1This page shows how retail stores and supermarkets score on the monitoring and control domain within the Smart Readiness Indicator.
- 2For this building type, this domain carries significant weight, with a weighting factor of 2 out of 3 possible points.
- 3Fixed opening hours, extensive lighting, and refrigerated display cases in supermarkets make smart control particularly valuable here.
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 | level 2 or higher |
| 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 | level 2 or higher |
| 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 | level 2 or higher |
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 22 percentage points (from 25 to 47 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
What does the monitoring and control domain measure?
Monitoring and control comprises the building management system: the software and equipment that coordinate technical installations with each other. This system detects faults, reports energy consumption, and can respond to building occupancy and signals from the electricity grid.
For retail stores and supermarkets, this domain carries significant weight in the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI), a score that shows how well a building is prepared for smart, energy-efficient technology. The weighting factor is 2 out of 3 points achievable for this domain.
Why is this domain important for retail stores and supermarkets?
Retail stores have fixed opening hours. This makes time-based control of heating and cooling relatively straightforward, as described in service MC-3, HVAC operating hours management. A building that automatically switches installations on and off based on building load or grid signals scores higher than a building with only a fixed schedule.
Lighting is often the largest electricity cost item in a retail store. Occupancy detection, described in MC-9, can control lighting and heating based on whether people are present. Supermarkets additionally have refrigerated display cases that consume substantial energy and generate waste heat that may be recoverable.
Fault detection, as described in MC-4, helps facility managers quickly identify problems before refrigeration chains fail or lighting breaks down. This prevents food waste and customer inconvenience.
What does integration with the grid mean for these buildings?
Increasingly, retail store car parks have charging points for electric vehicles. Services such as MC-25, smart grid integration, and MC-29, demand response override, describe how a building coordinates its energy use with the grid.
A building that coordinates demand response across multiple systems, from refrigeration to charging points, scores higher than a building where each system operates independently. This aligns with the broader objectives of the EPBD, the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
What does this mean for the class rating?
The services within this domain, together with other domains, determine the final SRI score, expressed as a percentage and divided into seven classes. For buildings with a technical installation above 290 kilowatts, the score is expected to become more relevant from 2027 onwards, as the European Commission must adopt a delegated act by then that will make the SRI mandatory for such non-residential buildings.
What this means for you
- Owner
- As the owner of a retail store or supermarket, it is worthwhile to link occupancy, refrigeration installations, and lighting to a single central management system. This reduces energy costs and prepares the building for obligations that may apply from 2027 onwards for larger installations.
- Tenant
- As a tenant or retail store employee, you will notice little of the building management system itself, but you will experience more stable temperatures and fewer disruptions in lighting or refrigeration. A well-functioning system means fewer interruptions during opening hours.
- Advisor
- When assessing, pay attention to the actual integration between domains, as standalone systems score lower than an integrated platform as described in MC-30. Also check whether demand response and grid integration are provided, given the growing role of charging points and refrigeration installations in this building type.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?