Public sector decarbonisation projects are receiving significant investment across the UK, with schools, public buildings and community facilities adopting technologies such as air source heat pumps, solar PV systems and advanced building controls. However, installing low-carbon technology is only part of the challenge. Without proper operational oversight, expected energy savings and carbon reductions can quickly fall short.
A recent pilot delivered by Watts-ON demonstrated how software-first monitoring and remote telemetry can uncover hidden inefficiencies and protect the long-term value of public sector retrofit programmes.
The project focused on identifying operational blind spots in newly upgraded buildings. Although the sites had received substantial investment in decarbonisation measures, several systems were either underperforming or not operating as intended. Issues included offline heat pumps, missing energy generation data, incorrect heating schedules and ventilation systems consuming energy outside occupied hours.
Rather than relying on costly hardware replacements, the approach used non-invasive software integration to connect existing Building Management Systems (BMS) into the Watts-ON cloud platform. By extracting live operational data every 15 minutes, the system provided continuous visibility of plant performance, energy consumption and control behaviour.
Using AI-powered diagnostics, the platform rapidly identified several opportunities for optimisation, including:
- Heating systems operating on fixed schedules instead of responding dynamically to weather conditions
- Boilers running unnecessarily during mild weather
- Ventilation heating coils consuming energy while buildings were unoccupied
- Domestic hot water systems overheating water beyond operational requirements
These findings highlighted how relatively small control adjustments could significantly reduce operational expenditure, improve asset lifespan and increase overall energy efficiency.
Beyond technical optimisation, the project also exposed wider procurement and governance challenges commonly found in public sector retrofit programmes. Missing asset registers, limited system documentation and vendor lock-in created major barriers to effective maintenance and performance management.
The pilot demonstrated that centralised monitoring and open data standards are becoming essential components of successful decarbonisation strategies. By combining real-time telemetry with independent technical oversight, organisations can move away from reactive maintenance towards proactive, data-driven asset management.
For public sector estates, this creates measurable benefits including:
- Reduced energy waste and lower utility costs
- Improved visibility across multiple buildings and technologies
- Better carbon reporting and compliance
- Stronger protection of long-term capital investment
- More informed decision-making for future retrofit funding
As decarbonisation programmes continue to expand, projects like this show that operational performance matters just as much as installation itself. Technology alone does not guarantee savings — continuous monitoring, actionable data and ongoing optimisation are what ultimately turn investment into measurable results.