Schools and public buildings: heating only when it is needed
A school building management system should heat classrooms when pupils are in them, not at weekends or over the holidays. Elyos Building Automation, a controls integrator based in Anderlecht, Brussels, since 2017, audits, programs and takes over the HVAC controls of schools, institutions and public buildings across Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders [to confirm]: zoned time schedules, term dates, multi-site supervision and alarms that reach your facilities team.
Occupied for a few hours, heated for many more
A school empties in the late afternoon, at weekends and over the holidays. The plant room does not always know it:
One schedule for the whole site. The sports hall is let in the evening, and the whole school heats with it.
Holidays never programmed. The boilers run for empty classrooms.
Setback removed. Classrooms were cold on Monday mornings, so the weekend setback was switched off, and the building now heats seven days a week.
Several buildings, one facilities team. One controller per plant room, of different brands and ages, and a trip to site for every schedule change.
Complaints through the school office. Teachers and staff report rooms too hot on the south side and too cold in the far wing.
These are not faults: the controls never followed how the buildings are used.
What changes when the controls follow occupancy
| Setting | In the plant room |
|---|---|
| Zones | Classrooms, sports hall, canteen, offices: each circuit gets its own schedules and setpoints. Where two zones share a circuit, we tell you what needs adding. |
| Calendar | One time programme for term time, another for the holidays, plus the exceptions: public holidays, staff training days, evening lets. |
| Optimum start | The heating starts earlier on cold days, so classrooms are up to temperature when pupils arrive. |
| Multi-site supervision | All your buildings on one login: temperatures, schedules and alarms, without a site visit. [to confirm] |
| Alarms | Boiler fault, failed sensor, a room too cold: the alarm goes to whoever is on call. [to confirm] |
| Metering | Meters read by the controls log each building’s energy use. |
What we set, building by building
- ZonesClassrooms, sports hall, canteen, offices: each circuit gets its own schedules and setpoints. Where two zones share a circuit, we tell you what needs adding.
- CalendarOne time programme for term time, another for the holidays, plus the exceptions: public holidays, staff training days, evening lets.
- Optimum startThe heating starts earlier on cold days, so classrooms are up to temperature when pupils arrive.
- Multi-site supervisionAll your buildings on one login: temperatures, schedules and alarms, without a site visit. [to confirm]
- AlarmsBoiler fault, failed sensor, a room too cold: the alarm goes to whoever is on call. [to confirm]
- MeteringMeters read by the controls log each building’s energy use.
The BACS regulation and public buildings
A school, a town hall or an institution’s office building is non-residential. If its heating or air conditioning exceeds 290 kW, it must have a building automation and control system (BACS): in Brussels since 1 January 2025, in Wallonia and Flanders since 31 December 2025.
Thresholds by region, mixed-use buildings and the required functions: see our BACS page and its three-question check.
Last checked: 9 November 2026
Brussels and Wallonia: PLAGE and UREBA
Public bodies in Brussels and Wallonia deal with two regional programmes. Their texts are in French, and so are their names.
PLAGE, Brussels
The ‘plan local d’action pour la gestion énergétique’ is a mandatory energy-reduction programme for owners and occupiers of large property portfolios in the Brussels-Capital Region: federal, regional and community authorities from 250 m², other public bodies from 50,000 m², companies and associations from 100,000 m². It runs in cycles of about four years, including an energy inventory, an action programme and energy accounting. Meters read by the controls give that accounting reliable figures; how your programme is assessed is set by the PLAGE protocol, not by us. PLAGE is separate from the BACS regulation.
PLAGE page on the Brussels Environment website (in French)
Last checked: 9 November 2026
UREBA, Wallonia
UREBA is Wallonia’s grant programme for works, studies and energy accounting in the buildings of municipalities, provinces, public social welfare centres (CPAS), police zones and non-commercial bodies such as schools, hospitals and swimming pools. We do not publish grant rates, and we found no written rule on whether a full BMS qualifies: check both with the administration before you apply.
UREBA page on wallonie.be (in French)
Last checked: 11 November 2026
Working with us on a public contract
Public bodies choose their controls integrator through a procurement procedure, and many institutions ask several firms to quote. Depending on where your project stands, you can ask us for:
- A site visit to the plant room and control panels, with whoever knows the building.
- An audit: a clear report and a list of priorities, building by building.
- A description of the works: zones, points to connect, functions, BACS requirements, for your technical department or consulting engineer to use in the specification.
- A priced offer in the required format, against your bill of quantities, with the documents the tender asks for. [to confirm]
On a plant room refurbishment, the controls can be tendered as a separate package, so you deal with the integrator directly. [to confirm]
We have already carried out controls work in public buildings, directly or for the HVAC contractor holding the contract. [to confirm]
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to replace the whole control system to follow the school calendar?
Not necessarily. Many existing controllers handle a yearly calendar and holidays: they often just need programming. A controller too old or with no spare parts left needs replacing, and the audit tells you which.
Can buildings with different brands of controls be supervised from one screen?
Often, yes, if their controllers communicate over BACnet, Modbus or M-Bus, through a gateway where needed. [to confirm] A controller that cannot communicate has to be replaced, or fitted with a communication module where the manufacturer offers one.
Can you work during the school holidays?
Yes. It is often the best time for work that shuts down the heating. Schedules and calendars can be changed at any time, remotely where the installation allows it. [to confirm]
Buildings to adjust, or several sites to supervise?
Send us the list of your buildings, their power rating and a few photos of the plant rooms, and we will get back to you to arrange a visit.