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Accelerating climate change and the rising cost of energy is putting sustainability at the heart of facilities contracts across the UK. Despite national and international policies aimed at driving down our carbon footprint, buildings account for over 50% of the country's carbon emissions. At the same time, BREEAM and other standards are primarily designed to regulate the performance of new rather than existing buildings - despite the fact that almost 99% of the UK's building infrastructure is already built. So what can be done to square the circle and ensure an energy-efficient but effective workplace environment that is sustainable over the long term ?

Keith Gilliver, a director of integrated building services firm EIC, believes that the future lies in intelligent facilities management - and an integrated approach to building services in order to deliver sustainable economic and environmental value.

"Clients are increasingly looking towards energy efficiency and are keen to partner with firms who combine ongoing management of existing infrastructure with the design, installation and maintenance of new and innovative technologies. At EIC, our technical expertise in FM, together with our engineering and building services expertise, gives us the breadth and depth to tailor an appropriate solution. We offer a 'through-the-line' service offering cost-savings, operational efficiencies and an in depth knowledge of the building and its integrated services that is second to none.

Some of the latest technologies on offer are, of course, capital intensive and may or may not be appropriate in terms of the life of the building in question. The good news is that there are lots of small steps a company can take in terms of its technical facilities management which will make a significant difference to its environmental performance.

Minor alterations to plant operations and equipment, together with a proactive and planned maintenance programme can make a real difference - both in terms of cost control and long-term eco-benefits. As ever, the devil is in the detail, and the poor design and installation, together with a lack of adequate maintenance of many mechanical and electrical services is often the root cause of excessive energy use. Simple steps, such as setting the correct temperature levels for heating and hot water systems, help to reduce energy consumption. In the same way, refrigeration units, fans, blowers and cold water pumps can all be adjusted to ensure optimum performance.

Air handling units are often incorrectly set, calling for the most simple of solutions, and lighting controlled wherever possible to maximise effectiveness, while minimising energy consumption and waste. These may sound like small changes, but they are at the heart of an efficient and eco-friendly facilities maintenance programme which makes a positive contribution to the reduction of a company's carbon footprint.

For those prepared to invest in long-term 'hardware' and/or technology based solutions, there are a number of different options. Here are some of the steps that EIC has provided to our clients to deliver quantifiable improvements in environmental performance:

Solar thermal: Roof-mounted panels used to pre-heat hot water services. This resulted in energy savings of approximately 5,000 kWh per year, which reduced gas consumption by 12 per cent.

Photovoltaics These roof-mounted panels were used by one of our (PV) clients to supplement the company's electricity requirements. While PV has a high capital cost, it resulted in energy savings of approximately 100,000 kWh per year and enabled the client to export excess energy to the national grid.

Rainwater The capture and storage of rainwater can provide clean harvesting water for use in toilet areas and to irrigate gardens. Once again, this solution saved one client (a school) up to 900,000 litres of water per year.

Under-floor Under-floor systems provide a more even source of heating heat and an intelligent system will use the thermal mass of the floor slab to further improve efficiency. By optimising flow and return rates, boilers can be run permanently in condensing mode, ensuring optimum energy efficiency.

Hot-water Traditional hot water systems run at 60°C to prevent system legionella. Blending valves are then installed to prevent scalding at the taps. A more eco-friendly solution might be a biocide disinfectant system using chlorine dioxide. This enables the hot water system to operate at 43°C, resulting in an energy saving of around 34 per cent.

As with all capital outlay, true value can only be extracted by optimum performance and ongoing maintenance and enhancement. We recommend that a facilities management perspective is applied earlier rather than later - ideally at the planning and design stages. An intelligent and holistic approach from the outset invariably reduces long-term running costs by delivering ongoing energy savings. It also avoids costly remedial work further down the line.

Simple tweaks such as the introduction of passive infrared lighting controls and the maximisation of natural ventilation and light sources can make a huge difference in reducing energy waste. Thereafter, ongoing and attentive management by the facilities management company dramatically reduces the costs of reactive - and even planned - maintenance. As ever, prevention is not only better, it's also cheaper - and more environmentally friendly - than cure.

Increasing UK and European legislation - including the 2008 Climate Change Act which sets tough standards for carbon emissions for the next 40 years - means that 'greenwash' will no longer be enough to satisfy those with a genuine energy-saving agenda. The question therefore is not 'what can FM companies do to help deliver these objectives', but how technically adept and creative that company can be in delivering improvements to any building's environmental performance."