Rate My Professor Shane Jenkins

Shane Jenkins is the Head of Energy and Building Controls at the University of Otago's Property Services. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of control and automation, with his career at the University of Otago beginning in 2006 as a Plant and Controls Technician. He advanced to Plant and Controls Engineer from 2012 to 2020, then served as Energy and Building Controls Manager from 2020 to 2025, before assuming his current leadership role in 2025. In this capacity, Jenkins oversees energy optimisation, building management systems, and sustainability initiatives across the university's five campuses, managing a portfolio of 395 buildings.

Jenkins led the design and delivery of the Building Analytics Platform as part of the Smart Buildings Project, integrating building management systems (BMS), connected devices, APIs, and institutional data for proactive, data-driven facilities management. Key innovations include a bespoke API connecting BMS to the room-booking system for real-time climate-control scheduling based on actual occupancy, and direct sensor data integration to eliminate manual processes. From 2019 to 2024, this resulted in an 18.63 percent reduction in energy consumption across 11 buildings, with cumulative savings exceeding 5.6 GWh despite increased occupancy and upgrades. The platform supported Te Rangihīroa College's five-star Green Star certification (upgraded to six-star) and is scalable for other institutions. He also implemented AI analytics via CopperTree Analytics and Kaizen Fault Detection and Diagnostics, achieving a 15 percent reduction in energy-related costs in seven Dunedin campus buildings in the first year, with the system paying for itself in two years and reducing emissions, maintenance disruptions, and carbon footprint. Jenkins received the Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association (TEFMA) AECOM Innovation Award in 2025 for this work and was the supreme winner of the Tertiary ICT Excellence Awards in 2023 for Excellence in Technology Innovation – Energy Efficiency. He contributes to the Otago Energy Research Centre's Energy Living Labs, greenhouse gas inventory reports, and presents at national forums such as the Facilities Management Association of New Zealand on BMS optimisation and analytics.