Energy Optimization in BAS: How to Stop Your Building’s “Leaky Bucket”

Do you hate money? Of course not. Then why is your building taking cash and lighting it on fire? Energy costs are soaring, and every wasted kilowatt-hour is cash dipped in kerosene and thrown onto the grill like some ballpark hot dog. Meanwhile, your carbon footprint keeps growing, unnoticed. Problem identified. So the question is simple: how do you stop the waste and get real value from the systems already sitting in your building?

Here’s the good news. Most buildings already have a building automation system (BAS) capable of managing energy use efficiently. The problem isn’t a lack of technology. Energy often slips through unnoticed gaps in schedules, setpoints, or control sequences. Many of them being surprisingly easy to resolve.

Think of your building like a bucket, and energy like the water you pour into it. Every inefficient schedule, misaligned control sequence, or malfunctioning piece of equipment is a leak. The bigger the leak, the more money and energy escape, even if you keep pouring more in.

The key to real savings isn’t always buying new tech. It’s finding the leaks and patching them. In this post, we will walk through the biggest “holes” in your building’s bucket and show practical ways to plug them, starting with the leaks that cost the most.

Where the Biggest Leaks Happen in Buildings

Before you start slapping new paint on your building, take a hard look at what you are working with. Most buildings are like old, neglected buckets, rusted, falling apart, and full of cracks you can barely see. Energy and money are slipping through the holes every day. To stop the waste, you need to care for the system, patch the leaks, and get it back into shape.

1. Simultaneous Heating and Cooling: The HVAC Tango of Waste

Ever notice a room that feels uncomfortably hot while another nearby feels like an icebox? That is your system heating and cooling simultaneously. You are basically paying for two parties when only one showed up. Both heating and cooling take a lot of energy on their own. It is wasteful, expensive, and completely unnecessary.

2. Poor Scheduling: Systems Running When No One Is Watching Lights blazing in empty hallways. HVAC cranking at 3 a.m. on a Sunday. Your BAS is running full tilt while no one is using the space. It’s like Toy Story, coming alive and running wild when no one is around. Every unnecessary hour is energy wasted and money thrown out the window.

3. Override Creep and Uncontrolled Setpoints: The Tiny Holes That Add Up

Someone overrode the thermostat last week and nobody reset it. Add five of these little leaks across the building and suddenly your bucket has a big hole in the bottom. These leaks are sneaky but deadly over time.

4. Broken Equipment and Sensors: Hidden Saboteurs

A stuck damper, a miscalibrated sensor, a pump running 24/7 because the system thinks it is thirsty. Add this to the growing list of inefficiencies that no one really notices until the energy bill hits like a ton of bricks.

5. Forgotten Maintenance: The Rusty Old Faucet You Ignore

Even the best BAS cannot save you if the hardware is failing. Old actuators, clogged coils, or leaky valves are like rusty faucets dribbling away your precious energy.

The moral here is simple. Before you invest in fancy analytics or next-gen upgrades, patch the biggest holes first. Start with the leaks that are bleeding the most cash and then move down to the smaller ones. You will be surprised how much water you can save just by tightening the obvious leaks.

Five Practical Ways to Plug the Leaks

With those five common problems in mind, here are five practical ways you can start to get your building back in shape:

1. Optimize Schedules: Stop Running When No One Is There

Check every HVAC and lighting schedule. Make sure systems only run when people are actually using the spaces. Every hour a system runs unnecessarily is money and energy wasted. Trending is great for this, go see what your supply fan status is up to at 2am, it might surprise you.

2. Tune Control Sequences: Fix the Missteps

Make sure heating, cooling, and ventilation systems are working together instead of against each other. Proper economizer settings, supply air resets, and optimized sequences reduce energy use without affecting comfort.

3. Monitor Trends: Let the Data Tell the Story

Dig into your system trends and look for red flags. A chilled water valve open when it is 50 degrees outside, that pump that’s been running nonstop for weeks, or a zone setpoint that never resets: these are all tells. Observing patterns in the data is one of the most reliable ways to spot hidden leaks before they drain your budget.

4. Leverage Demand Response and Utility Programs: Reduce Peak Load

Participate in utility programs that reward lowering energy use during peak periods. Even temporary reductions can save money and prevent strain on the system. Think of it as temporarily plugging a big hole in the bucket.

5. Implement Continuous Commissioning: Keep Your Bucket Tight

Small leaks have a way of returning over time. Regularly review schedules, sequences, and system performance. Continuous monitoring and periodic adjustments ensure that your building stays efficient long-term.

In many commercial buildings, simply tightening up schedules, adjusting setpoints, and keeping systems in good operating order can reduce energy use by 5‑20%, even before investing in analytics or big equipment upgrades.

Conclusion: Don’t Keep Pouring Into a Leaky Bucket

Every building has leaks. Some are small and easy to overlook, others are gushing money and energy day after day. The trick is to stop ignoring the rusted bucket and start patching it.

Sustainability isn’t about buying a brand-new bucket, it is about keeping the one you have tight. Show that bucket some love and plug the biggest holes first, then work your way to the smaller ones. The result is lower energy bills, a healthier building, and less waste. Care for your bucket and your bucket will care for you.

So here’s your move: don’t overthink it, you don’t have to chase the shiny new tech. This week, open your BAS, check your schedules, and make sure what doesn’t need to run after hours is actually turning off. Plug that first leak and start keeping your bucket full. Or saving your client money, that too.