Energy saving work in Carmarthenshire
Major work is underway in Carmarthenshire to support the council's climate change strategy and reduce the soaring cost of its energy bills.
Council chiefs are committed to cutting the Authorities carbon emissions and slashing its £5 million annual energy bill.
Over the last year the County Council has secured over a £1 million from Salix Finance ( part of the Carbon Trust) to invest in energy efficiency schemes in its schools, libraries, museums, leisure centres, depots and offices - with spending being prioritised at the larger, most energy intensive sites.
The work comes ahead of a new carbon tax being introduced next year which will be levied on the carbon emissions emitted by large organisations such as Carmarthenshire County Council.
Starting in 2012, allowances will need to be purchased to cover each tonne of carbon emitted. The more pro-active an organisation is in reducing its energy consumption the fewer allowances it will have to buy in the following year. Simply taking a business as usual approach would leave the Council with an additional £300,000 burden…..annually.
New energy efficient lighting and sensors are being installed across the Council’s buildings and hi-tech software has been introduced to automatically switch off PCs when they are not in use. Lighting and sensors in County Hall alone will create savings of £12,200 and 74 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Overall the projects implemented during 2010/11 are expected to lead to savings of over £180,000 and 1,200 tonnes of CO2 annually. Over their lifetime, these projects are projected to save Carmarthenshire over £3,000,000 and 20,000 tonnes of CO2. With the cost of a carbon allowance set at £12 per tonne that an additional potential saving of some £240,000.
To complement this investment, special Green Teams have been tasked with ways of finding savings and educating staff about cutting their carbon footprint.
The council’s Corporate Energy Officer Neil Evans said: “The reduction of our energy consumption and associated carbon emissions is a corporate priority for us. During the last year weve done a tremendous amount of work and this will continue over the coming years”.
“We have identified key areas where we can reduce our energy use and our intention is to continue with this work until we’ve made our buildings as energy efficient as we can practically make them”.
“It’s not just about the technology - staff are also playing a big part in reducing the Authorities environmental footprint. Our Green teams have come up with a raft of measures – such as the installation of Power Down plugs on computers and timers on printers and photocopiers. ”
They hope to reduce energy use by up to three per cent over the coming year.
Sustainability Champion Cllr. Pam Palmer said: “In Carmarthenshire we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and are actively promoting the importance of sustainable living.
“All staff have a part to play and we all need to consider ways of reducing our impact on the planet.
“These measures that are being put in place will lead to real financial savings as well as a reduction in energy costs and our carbon footprint.
“Energy bills are likely to increase even further over the coming years and we must act now if we are to make a difference.”
Council chiefs are committed to cutting the Authorities carbon emissions and slashing its £5 million annual energy bill.
Over the last year the County Council has secured over a £1 million from Salix Finance ( part of the Carbon Trust) to invest in energy efficiency schemes in its schools, libraries, museums, leisure centres, depots and offices - with spending being prioritised at the larger, most energy intensive sites.
The work comes ahead of a new carbon tax being introduced next year which will be levied on the carbon emissions emitted by large organisations such as Carmarthenshire County Council.
Starting in 2012, allowances will need to be purchased to cover each tonne of carbon emitted. The more pro-active an organisation is in reducing its energy consumption the fewer allowances it will have to buy in the following year. Simply taking a business as usual approach would leave the Council with an additional £300,000 burden…..annually.
New energy efficient lighting and sensors are being installed across the Council’s buildings and hi-tech software has been introduced to automatically switch off PCs when they are not in use. Lighting and sensors in County Hall alone will create savings of £12,200 and 74 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Overall the projects implemented during 2010/11 are expected to lead to savings of over £180,000 and 1,200 tonnes of CO2 annually. Over their lifetime, these projects are projected to save Carmarthenshire over £3,000,000 and 20,000 tonnes of CO2. With the cost of a carbon allowance set at £12 per tonne that an additional potential saving of some £240,000.
To complement this investment, special Green Teams have been tasked with ways of finding savings and educating staff about cutting their carbon footprint.
The council’s Corporate Energy Officer Neil Evans said: “The reduction of our energy consumption and associated carbon emissions is a corporate priority for us. During the last year weve done a tremendous amount of work and this will continue over the coming years”.
“We have identified key areas where we can reduce our energy use and our intention is to continue with this work until we’ve made our buildings as energy efficient as we can practically make them”.
“It’s not just about the technology - staff are also playing a big part in reducing the Authorities environmental footprint. Our Green teams have come up with a raft of measures – such as the installation of Power Down plugs on computers and timers on printers and photocopiers. ”
They hope to reduce energy use by up to three per cent over the coming year.
Sustainability Champion Cllr. Pam Palmer said: “In Carmarthenshire we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and are actively promoting the importance of sustainable living.
“All staff have a part to play and we all need to consider ways of reducing our impact on the planet.
“These measures that are being put in place will lead to real financial savings as well as a reduction in energy costs and our carbon footprint.
“Energy bills are likely to increase even further over the coming years and we must act now if we are to make a difference.”
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