Top Tips for energy reduction

From the beginning of the industrial revolution, Britain has had a thirst for energy. The huge development in engineering technology meant that Britain was able to provide mass production to the world, but at a cost. One hundred years later, it is again engineers that are tasked with solving the problem of energy production, but without affecting the planet.

With the alteration in the environment, it is becoming more increasingly challenging for FM’s to not only adapt their built environment to cope with the temperamental weather, but to reduce energy costs.

Cavendish Engineers is an independent Low Carbon Consultant who can provide energy management technologies, catered to a client’s needs. Their top consultant, Steve Allen (who has worked with the likes of Shell and government departments) gives his top tips on reducing energy.

Top Tips that don’t require capital investment

• BMS reprogramming for intelligent optimisation. This includes turning off plant machinery or systems that aren’t required during with periods of non activity.
• Inverter drives – installation of inverter drives on equipment, such as pumps will reduce the input power and can save up to 30%
• Maintenance of DX Systems – air conditioning and HVAC systems use a large percentage of an buildings energy. Regular maintenance checks will help ensure your air conditioning system is operating as efficienct as possible. Energy consumption can increase by as much as 60% as a result of poor maintenance and dirty components.
• Low energy lighting – gone are the days of blue tinged LED’s, there are now halogen LED replacements which can save upto 40% when compared with traditional lighting. At a relatively low cost you can use smart intelligent fittings such as PIR’s which will also reduce energy bills.
• The ISO16001 energy management accreditation - This management process enables an organisation to evaluate all their energy spending, and incorporates all staff members and all departments.

Top tips that require some capital investment

• Voltage Optimisation –On average the product drops the voltage from 240V to 219V, which means that they can normally save up to 7% on your energy.
• Bio Mass – Bio Mass works well in organisations that have a lot of land. The heating system uses recyclable palets (made from wood wastage) to create energy making this a sustainable and renewable solution.
• CHP (Combined Heat and Power) – providing you can use all the heat you can get up to 50% net saving on Co2.
• Ground / Air Source Heat Pumps – the output energy is four times the input energy.
• Replacement of R22 units – within the phase out of R22 units, there has never been a good a time to replace your old system. According to the Carbon Trust new systems can be three times more efficient than R22 units, meaning you save energy longer term.

It is estimated that only 11% of the FTSE 350 can verify their green credentials. Come and speak to Cavendish Engineers who are exhibiting at stand G90 at Energy Solutions. They are currently offering free pre-booked appointments with Steve Allen at the show.