Archive for United Kingdom
The Lighthouse – Glasgow, United Kingdom
Posted by: | CommentsThe Glasgow project involved the refurbishment of the Lighthouse Building, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The lighthouse building has been a landmark in Glasgow city centre since it’s construction in 1895. The building is constructed with cast iron columns, steel beams, concrete floors and stands six storeys high, including the basement level.
The building has been classed as grade 1 listed and is of significant historic value to the local area which has had a significant impact on the design options.
The aim of the project was to design a centre for art and design with exhibition and gallery space that will engage the citizens of Glasgow. The building will accommodate educational space, art and architectural exhibitions and a demonstration of embedded renewable energy.
An objective of the design was to produce a multifunctional building which will appeal to the citizens of Glasgow and not just the designers. There was also a requirement to maintain the appearance of the existing building which has a valuable presence within the city which has been reflected in the design.
This project was the first in the UK to retrofit ground source heat pumps to a group of existing social housing homes, completed in July 2004. Fourteen bungalows were each fitted with Powergen ‘HeatPlant’ heat pumps connected to vertical ground loops, providing affordable space heating (via radiator systems) and hot water with low carbon emissions. The project was carried out by Penwith Housing Association working in partnership with GeoScience (a UK national leader in GSHP technology which has now transferred its heat pump business to EarthEnergy Ltd), the utility company Powergen, the local authority Penwith District Council, and the Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership. The aim of the project was to demonstrate that ground source heat pumps could provide affordable space and water heating in existing homes in a rural area where there was no availability of mains gas. The project was funded by the Clear Skies programme, Penwith District Council and Penwith Housing Association. The success of the project has demonstrated that GSHP systems can work very well in this context. It has helped to stimulate the use of this renewable energy technology by a growing number of social housing providers in the UK.
Real time data flow – Zero Tolerance in Liverpool
Posted by: | CommentsThe City of Liverpool has been working hard to ensure that it is up to speed in emission reduction as stated in the Kyoto Protocol and the Energy White Paper. The City Council realised that estimated consumption, costs and emissions based on paper billing systems was no longer valid. Its first step has been the installation of Automated Meter Reading (AMR) equipment across its entire estate providing half hourly consumption and emissions data on its entire utility portfolio. The information provided so far has had immediate effect providing real management information pinpointing exactly where to target scarce resources such as electricity, oil or gas. The end result will be that all data will be available 24/7 to all 500 utility accounts in a variety of displays and analyses in order to allow full data control and protection from the energy market risks.
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) scheme in Birmingham
Posted by: | CommentsCHP is a recognised way of substantially decreasing CO2 emissions. In order to contribute the goal of 20% cut in CO2 emissions, the Birmingham City Council decided to install their first Combined Heat and Power (CHP) scheme to provide heat and energy for several public buildings.
The whole scheme has included the creation of an ESCo (Energy Services Company) called Birmingham District Energy Company, run by Utilicom Ltd who financed all capital works, designed and operates the CHP plant, supplying energy services to customers at discounted rates.
When phase 1 of the scheme is completed it is estimated that some 4000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be saved. Financially, the building owners are able to save some 5% per year on their energy supply costs, on a whole-life cost basis.
Energy Guardians in Leeds City Council
Posted by: | CommentsThe successful recruitment of over 80 colleagues within Leeds City Council to promote energy efficiency within their teams. The Guardians work within their team to help colleagues develop energy efficiency behaviours and so reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Carbon Management Action Plan
Posted by: | CommentsOMBC was one of the 24 authorities selected to participate in the second phase of the Carbon Trust’s Local Authority Carbon Management Programme (CMAP). The Trust provided six months of support and helped produce an Action Plan. The strategy set out a long-term vision: “To minimise Oldham MBC’s impact on climate change to improve our local and global environment.” The action plan and strategy set out how Oldham Council will reduce carbon emissions from its activities and operations over a five-year period. Under the umbrella of the CMAP, there have been many new initiatives aimed at reducing our Carbon emissions.
Affordable Warmth Strategy
Posted by: | CommentsOldham Council has an Affordable Wamrth policy to tackle Fuel Poverty and increase the energy efficiency of homes. Oldham has a high number of people who are vulnerable to fuel poverty, i.e. the elderly and the poor. This leads to around 155 excess winter deaths per year. Working with various partners, Oldham MBC set up a plan to ensure that residents are given the opportunity to access energy efficiency assistance and advice. OMBC was also at the forefront of establishing an Energy Efficiency Advice Centre. An ‘Affordable Warmth Access Referral Mechanism’ was introduced. This involves front line staff being trained to recognise the causes and effects of Fuel Poverty. So far 170 staff have been trained in this area.
Selwyn Street Development
Posted by: | CommentsEighteen environmentally friendly homes were constructed in Coppice; one of the more economically deprived areas of Oldham. Eco-features included high levels of insulation, solar thermal technology and rainwater collection. Residents’ energy bills are on average £700 lower than the neighbouring houses. Residents are very satisfied with these properties, and stated that they have improved their quality of life. Selwyn Street was one of only two housing schemes in the country to achieve the ‘Building for Life’ gold standard.
Environmental Management System in Oldham
Posted by: | CommentsThe Council is in the process of implementing an Environmental Management System, which will be accredited to the ISO 14001 standard. The aim is to improve the environmental performance of the organisation and identify cost savings. The process is funded by Oldham Council under its Invest to Save Program. Council operations are being audited, and practical, economic measures are being implemented to reduce our negative effects and the local and global environment, Once certification has been achieved, Council operations will continue to be monitored to ensure continuous improvements. Although the project is still ongoing, there have already been successes with regard to waste reduction.
Eco-Friendly Vehicles
Posted by: | CommentsThe Council purchased five new waste transfer vehicles which have AdBlue systems. These remove a large percentage of nitrous oxides from exhaust fuels. Nitrous oxides (NOx) can be harmful to people with breathing difficulties. The reduction in NOx will help us confirm to local air quality with National Indicators. The vehicles meet the rigorous new EU emissions standard, called ‘Euro V’.
