Building logbook - providing a holistic information portal

The Building Regulations Part L 2006 requires building log books as a mandatory requirement for new buildings and in existing buildings when the services are changed. They provide a place to record ongoing building energy performance, which improves energy efficiency throughout the lifecycle of the building.

Using logbooks improves the understanding, management and operation of buildings resulting in lower running costs and reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere. This should also contribute to improved occupant comfort, satisfaction and productivity. This is why the building log book is a core module within digitalenergy.

The key reference point
It is the single document in which key building energy information is logged and kept. It could be regarded as the hub document linking many other relevant documents. The log book should provide key references to the detail held in less accessible O&M manuals, BMS manuals and commissioning records.

Your energy performance champion
It is a place to log changes to the building and its operation. It is also used to log building energy performance and the results of continual fine-tuning commissioning. It is essential that it is kept up to date. Alterations should only be made with the approval of the Facilities Manager (or authorized person) and should be signed and dated by that person. Coupled with additional modules of digitalenergy the log book element becomes your energy performance champion.

Holistic approach to information management
The building log data is held in a database enabling dynamic use of information. It is web enabled allowing easy access from any terminal. For a multi building site, information is easily shared between buildings making the population of the database much simpler. All detail can be captured and accessed from the log book via external links.