In March 2020 saw Optimised Energy, Optimised Buildings & Optimised Spaces combine to form the Optimised Group. This equipped us with an unrivalled proposition in the market place through a unique blend of energy, controls and building services expertise.

As the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, lockdown ripped through the UK and businesses put the brakes on any potential outgoings. This resulted in a number of potential clients pulling the plug on their maintenance and optimisation contracts to cut their outgoing overheads and capital investments. 

Yet despite this, in a time of occupational massacre, we were able to recruit and expand. Over the course of 2020, we recruited 20 new personnel across the Group in a variety of roles, including our Installation Team of engineers for Optimised Spaces, right through to Optimisation Engineers for our Bureau and field operational teams. In addition, we marked new territory, opening our fourth office in Sittingbourne, Kent.

By embarking down the avenue of migrating all staff to laptops, we were able to add to our team’s agility providing scope for remote working, allowing all staff to safely work from home, and reduce downtime as the clamps of lockdown came into effect. In doing so, our Optimised Bureau team were able to continue their 24/7 monitoring service, and influence considerable cost savings whilst clients’ buildings were vacant.

We were also able to secure new contracts with existing clients Morrisons, Superdry and Hilton Hotels, all of which benefited from savings as a result of our Optimised Bureau team’s Lockdown work. 

In March, Optimised Buildings secured a multi-million-pound contract to update and enhance the Building Management System (BMS) across 50 Morrisons stores throughout the UK. This was done by updating the end of life Trend IQ2’s and IQ3’s to the latest IQ4 products, along with further optimisation and control of plant not currently on the BMS. 

In 2020 the Optimised Group is on track to deliver a 50% increase on 2019 revenues taking the business to £9.5m and 85 employees. 

The pandemic didn’t stand in the way of adding new accreditations to our ranks, with Optimised Energy becoming both a B-Corp, as well as a Living Wage Employer, whilst Optimised Spaces earned Approved NICEIC Contractor status. Optimised Buildings became the fastest growing Trend partner in 2020 and were certified as a Trend Technology Partner, the highest accreditation of Trend partner. The business also retained the “BCIA Energy Management Award” for the second year running, in addition to the "Energy Management Project of the Year 2020 Award".