BAM Construct UK has set up a new energy subsidiary within its facilities management division.

BAM Energy Limited will offer customers design, installation, management and maintenance of energy-efficient systems, as well as support with finance.

Reid Cunningham, interim managing director at BAM FM, and the driving force behind BAM Energy, said the purpose of establishing BAM Energy is “to broaden our services and offer customers more choice”.

He said: “We find that clients are often unaware of green energy options or daunted by the up-front capital investment. Using our expertise, we can help them find the best energy option and facilitate its implementation.”

BAM Energy funds the design and installation of sustainable energy systems (such as biomass heating systems, Combined Heat and Power (CHP), photovoltaics (PVs) or heat pumps) on behalf of a client during the construction phase of a new building. The cost is then recovered over an agreed period of time through a power purchase agreement, whereby the client buys its power from BAM Energy at a competitive rate.

“Our aim is to be able to offer clients the best energy options to suit their needs, regardless of budget restrictions,” added Reid.

“By moving the upfront investment into the client’s general operating costs and agreeing a fixed index for energy consumption, we can offer them better cost certainty.”

Sustainable energy solutions are not just for new buildings. Drawing on experience from managing buildings in the education, healthcare, business and industry sectors, BAM FM helps clients to identify ways they can save energy in their existing estates. Measures to reduce energy use, such as replacing existing lighting with LEDs, using sensors to control lighting or using smart meters to control heating systems, can be costly to install – but BAM Energy takes that cost out of the equation and the client repays the capital investment through the savings they make.

Reid said: “Our team is experienced in identifying opportunities to reduce energy consumption and then designing and installing the right solutions to achieve the best savings. We can finance these on behalf of clients too, opening up new opportunities for us and them.”