Best building management system for government buildings
Milvian AI teamFacilities and infrastructure intelligence
Public estates need controls that read many building types and an evidence trail that stands up to audit. Every claimed saving should trace back to a meter and a weather-normalized baseline.
What makes a public estate different
A city or county runs courthouses, offices, libraries, fire stations, correctional facilities, depots and water plants, often built decades apart and maintained by small teams. Many have no BMS at all, and those that do run several brands.
Public money brings scrutiny. Savings claimed in a budget or grant report must be measured, and procurement rules shape what can be bought and how fast.
Maintenance is mostly reactive. DOE's FEMP guide reports that the average US maintenance mix is over 55 percent reactive, 31 percent preventive and 12 percent predictive, and that moving from reactive to predictive can save 30 to 40 percent.
What the system has to do
| Requirement | Why it matters here | Ask the vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Cover buildings with no BMS. | Small sites still waste energy and water. | What can you monitor and control without a BMS? |
| Produce audit-ready records. | Auditors and grant agencies ask for evidence. | Can every saving be traced to meter data and a baseline? |
| Meet IT and procurement rules. | Public IT reviews data location and access. | Which certifications do you hold? |
| Rank buildings for capital plans. | Budgets go to the worst buildings first. | Can you rank the estate by gap to expected use? |
Mandates that apply
US federal buildings had to be water metered by 1 October 2022 under the Energy Act of 2020, with advanced meters giving at least daily data. Many states and cities require benchmarking in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. In Europe, the recast EPBD sets renovation targets for the worst-performing non-residential buildings, with public buildings expected to lead.
Funding is often tied to measured results, so measurement and verification is not optional. The method should be agreed before any project starts.
Running the evaluation
- Inventory the estateList every building, its controls, meters and maintenance contract.
- Start with the biggest billsUpload utility bills to baseline each building from day one.
- Add simple sites wirelesslyUse LoRaWAN sensors and relays where there is no BMS.
- Agree the M and V methodSettle how savings are measured with finance and auditors first.
Where Aqueduct fits
Aqueduct baselines every public building from its bills and weather in aQ EnergySmart and aQ WaterGuard, reads existing controls over BACnet and Modbus, and reaches buildings with no BMS through LoRaWAN sensors and relays. Smart Controls acts where control is enabled, with owner approval, and keeps a command history for auditors.
Sources
| Source | Link |
|---|---|
| US DOE FEMP, O&M Best Practices Guide R3.0 | energy.gov |
| US DOE FEMP, Water Metering Resources | energy.gov |
| ENERGY STAR, Benchmark your building | energystar.gov |
| European Commission, Energy Performance of Buildings Directive | energy.ec.europa.eu |
