Making Light of the Matter

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22 January 2016 | Updated 01 January 1970

Haringey Council has cut energy consumption by 68% by taking the decision of swapping outdated fluorescent and halogen lights for energy efficient LEDs.

The decision affected 16 key buildings and has cut Haringey Council's annual electricity consumption by more than 850,000kW/h and was completed under the Mayor of London's RE:FIT framework.

Minimise Energy carried out the programme on behalf of Imtech Low Carbon Solutions, helping the council save £100,000 a year. The programme has reportedly cut annual carbon emissions by 452 tonnes, equivalent to the carbon footprint of 1 million car miles.

The RE:FIT programme provides public bodies with the funding support needed to achieve ‘substantial’ financial cost savings, improve buildings' energy performance and reduce carbon emissions. Haringey Council identified the 16 buildings which could be grouped together in one RE:FIT programme. This would allow the council to upgrade its lighting infrastructure and improve sustainability, with both the equipment and installation financed under an energy performance contract.

Minimise Energy audited all 16 buildings, identifying savings and completing detailed calculations which formed the basis of the RE:FIT Energy Performance Contract. On appointment, Minimise finalised the new lighting design for each building, reducing the number of fittings needed wherever possible, installing lighting controls to maximise savings and ensuring optimum lighting levels. The programme included seven libraries, an education centre, two nursing homes, three care centres, a museum housed within a listed building and two council offices.

Throughout the period, Minimise worked closely with the council's EPC contractor, Imtech Low Carbon Solutions, and council staff to ensure that a flexible approach was maintained at all times.

Now complete, the new LEDs have reduced lighting energy consumption by an average 68% with the greatest savings achieved at the River Park offices, where additional lighting controls have resulted in a 77% reduction. Over five years this will save the council more than £500,000 and cut carbon emissions by 2,290t of CO2.

“This was a complex project and we needed to complete a thorough audit to identify accurate savings at the outset as this forms the basis of the energy performance contract,” explained Sam Stageman, Sales Director, Minimise Energy. “We also had to demonstrate significant savings, a workable return on investment timeframe and provide a flexible approach to accommodate these high footfall, public locations.”

Picture: An energy saving project involving 16 buildings owned by Haringey Council in London are seeing substantial benefits after auditing and organising by Minimise Energy

Article written by Mike Gannon | Published 22 January 2016

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