Imagine your building had a brain that knew exactly when to heat, cool, or dim the lights — not just to save energy, but to earn money by shifting demand when the grid needs it most. iBECOME built a cloud-based virtual building management system that plugs into existing buildings, uses physics simulations to predict energy use, and automatically optimizes comfort, costs, and grid flexibility. Think of it like a smart thermostat on steroids — for entire commercial buildings, delivered as a subscription service. It was tested live in real buildings in Ireland and Scotland.
Commercial buildings waste 20-30% of their energy because traditional building management systems react to problems instead of predicting them, and most buildings don't have a BMS at all. Building owners and facility managers face rising energy costs, tenant comfort demands, and pressure to participate in grid flexibility markets — but lack the smart controls and measurement tools to act on any of these opportunities.
A virtual Building Management System (vBMS) delivered as a cloud-based SaaS platform. It uses calibrated physics-based simulation models for predictive energy and comfort control, demand response optimization, and precise measurement and verification of energy savings. Live demonstrations were conducted in 2 real buildings in Ireland and Scotland, producing 22 deliverables in total.
If you are a property manager dealing with rising energy costs and tenant comfort complaints — this project developed a virtual building management system delivered as a subscription service that optimizes energy use while maintaining comfort. It was demonstrated live in 2 real buildings and can layer on top of your existing infrastructure without ripping out what you already have.
If you are an ESCO struggling to accurately measure and verify energy savings from your contracts — this project built calibrated physics-based simulation models that provide precise measurement and verification for Energy Conservation Measures and Demand Response. The platform enables you to offer guaranteed savings with real proof, opening new revenue through flexibility services.
If you are a facility manager spending too much on energy across multiple sites without a unified control system — this project created a SaaS platform that works as a virtual BMS, meaning you get smart building management without the capital cost of a full hardware upgrade. It was tested across sites in Ireland and Scotland with 11 consortium partners backing the technology.
The platform is designed as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, meaning subscription pricing rather than large upfront capital investment. Specific pricing is not published in the project data. Contact the coordinator IES R&D for commercial terms.
The vBMS was designed to be deployed across multiple buildings and facilities, with 3rd-party interconnection capabilities built in. It was demonstrated in 2 real premises (Irish and Scottish demo sites), proving it can operate across different building types and countries.
IES R&D, an Irish SME, coordinated the project and is the primary technology owner. The consortium of 11 partners across 4 countries may hold shared IP on specific components. Licensing terms should be discussed directly with IES R&D.
Yes — the 'virtual' in vBMS means it layers on top of existing building infrastructure. It uses data from current sensors and systems, then applies physics-based simulation and analytics to optimize performance without requiring a full hardware replacement.
The project focused on optimizing energy performance, comfort, and demand flexibility. Specific savings percentages are not stated in the available project data. The calibrated simulation models provide precise measurement and verification so you can track actual savings against predictions.
The platform includes demand response optimization and flexibility maximization capabilities. It was demonstrated in Ireland and Scotland, both markets with active demand response programs. Regulatory specifics vary by country and grid operator.
Based on available project data, the platform is a SaaS deployment that connects to existing building data streams. The project ran live demonstrations over its 4-year duration (2020-2024), with demos showing operational efficiency in real premises.
This is a highly industry-driven consortium: 9 out of 11 partners are from industry (82%), with zero universities — a strong signal that the technology was built for market, not for academic papers. The coordinator IES R&D is an Irish SME, meaning the IP sits with a company that needs to commercialize to survive. Five of the 11 partners are SMEs, and only 2 are research organizations. The 4-country spread (France, Ireland, Italy, UK) covers major European building energy markets. This consortium composition is one of the strongest indicators that the vBMS platform is designed for real commercial deployment.
IES R&D is an Irish SME — look for their commercial team via ibecome-project.eu or the IES corporate website
Want an introduction to the iBECOME team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right person at IES R&D and help you evaluate whether the vBMS platform fits your building portfolio.
