The news that the Queen is investing £1million in a hydro-electric power plant to produce ‘green energy’ for Windsor Castle has been broadly welcomed by environmental campaigners including Friends of the Earth. But although this sets a fine example, not everyone has the means to invest in alternative fuel technologies, so what can ordinary businesses do to reduce their environmental impact?
“Commercial buildings are the biggest fossil fuel polluters in the UK – even more than cars - and there is plenty that owners and operators can be doing at little or no cost to improve their own green credentials,” says Colin Russell, Business Development Manager, Energy Solutions at Tour Andover Controls.
“But what many don’t realise is that the environmental message is also an economic argument that will help them to control their energy bills at a time when electricity bills are rising at a phenomenal rate.
“The reality of the situation is that even the smallest companies emit 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. When you consider that we waste 30 percent of the energy that we use, it is not hard to see that there is dramatic room for improvement - especially when you understand that commercial buildings are responsible for approximately 50 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions in the UK.
“The obvious benefit in adopting good energy management practice is financial and operational. Each year in the UK, more than £13 billion is spent on energy for non-domestic buildings. By adopting improvements in energy management, it is estimated that most buildings in the UK could save 15 – 20 percent of their annual energy spend. This results in lower carbon dioxide emissions and lower Climate Change Levy costs.”
Here are 10 easy steps to reducing your energy burn:
•Undertake an energy audit. Many facilities and plant managers do not know what their energy spend is as bills go straight to accounts for payment. Without measurement of current consumption, there is no base from which to measure improvement, so this should be the starting point.
•Carry out an industry benchmark to establish how your company is performing against a national average.
•Secure boardroom buy-in to an energy strategy.
•Once you have established the current energy use, establish realistic time and financial targets. Firstly go for the ‘low-hanging fruit’ – fine tuning the building temperature for example. If you cool your building by one degree too much, it consumes two to three percent more electricity while one degree too much heating wastes eight percent of fuel.
•Get support of the staff with the right skills and time investment to deliver on the programme.
•Make sure that the support team have the right resources which link into management or board buy-in.
•That team should work to educate all staff to obtain buy-in. Use ‘bite-size’ language that they understand. If it is a hospital, suggest that the savings made could equate to dozens more operations being performed. If it’s a factory suggest the savings in terms of greater productivity and profit.
•For some, 20 percent of savings can be achieved through no capital investment. Making sure air conditioning systems are not competing with heating systems or with open windows is a quick win, for example.
•Draw up a broader check list of your estate. For example, is the plant and duct work properly insulated? Are meters installed for electricity, gas and water supplies? Have variable speed drives been fitted, as 10 percent electric motor speed reduction equates to 27 percent less energy consumption?
•Check that all non-essential plant is turned off, in moth-balled buildings for example.
“There is also a less tangible HR benefit to energy efficiency,” concludes Colin. “There is empirical evidence to suggest that the comfort and productivity of the workforce is improved in energy efficient buildings. Studies have shown that buildings with good levels of energy efficiency have higher levels of occupant comfort, health and productivity. In any building, the major cost will be staff salaries so it makes sense to adopt procedures that encourage loyalty and reduce absenteeism.
“The Queen may be leading by grand gesture example to cut her own bills, but we, her loyal subjects, can all be doing more with less to measure and then cut the harmful emissions in our homes, offices and factories.”
