Lighting is a delight at bowls centre
Carmarthen indoor bowlers are enjoying new brighter lighting – while the Bowls Centre is looking forward to lighter fuel bills.
Carmarthenshire County Council has undertaken a £49,500 project to replace the lights at Carmarthen Indoor Bowls Centre with new energy saving lighting.
The scheme is one of scores of projects designed to reduce the authority’s energy bills and help tackle global warming.
The bowling centre’s lighting scheme will save over £6,200 a year, enabling it to pay for itself in under eight years.
It will also reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the operation of the centre by 37 tonnes a year.
Corporate Energy Officer Neil Evans said: “T5 light fittings generally have a serviceable life of 20 years and at current electricity prices lifetime financial savings are projected to be £125, 000. However as electricity is still largely generated by burning fossil fuels and those fuels are becoming scarcer the cost of that electricity is almost certain to rise. In addition to the direct financial saving the Carmarthen Bowls lighting project will also result in a saving of 751 tonnes of associated CO2 emissions.
“Starting in 2012 many large organisations like Carmarthenshire County Council will have to start buying carbon allowances against each and every tonne of CO2 they emit. Initially those allowances will cost £12 per tonne, so in addition to the direct savings we will also be avoiding the need to buy thousands of pounds worth of carbon allowances.”
Over the course of the last year Carmarthenshire County Council has invested over £800,000 in energy efficiency projects in schools, libraries, museums, leisure centres and offices. That money was secured in the form of interest free loans from SALIX Finance http://www.salixfinance.co.uk/home.html – a not for profit company which is part of the Carbon Trust.
That £800,000 will generate savings in the region of £180,000 per annum / £3 million over the lifetime of the improvements, and save 1,200 tonnes of CO2 per annum / 20,000 tonnes over the lifetime of the schemes.
The Council has secured an additional £600.000 for this year’s projects and aims to secure more towards the end of the year.
Carmarthenshire 50+ Development Officer Kevin Pett said: “This isn’t just good in terms of energy efficiency, older bowlers in particular are benefiting from the better quality lighting. The T5 lights have greatly improved the lighting levels at Carmarthen Bowls Centre.”
Twenty four-year-old Hannah Smith, who won a bronze medal competing in the pairs with Anwen Button at the Commonwealth Games last October, is very impressed with the results of the project.
Hannah, a member of Bro Myrddin Indoor Bowls Club, said: “The new lights are really good. I have played here a couple of times since the lights have been changed and it really makes a difference.”
Carmarthenshire’s Sustainability Champion Cllr Pam Palmer said: “The Council is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and combating climate change. Installing energy efficient lighting is one way of achieving this.
“These new lights will also reduce the energy bills for the Bowls Centre and are providing better lighting for the bowlers into the bargain.”
Carmarthenshire County Council has undertaken a £49,500 project to replace the lights at Carmarthen Indoor Bowls Centre with new energy saving lighting.
The scheme is one of scores of projects designed to reduce the authority’s energy bills and help tackle global warming.
The bowling centre’s lighting scheme will save over £6,200 a year, enabling it to pay for itself in under eight years.
It will also reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the operation of the centre by 37 tonnes a year.
Corporate Energy Officer Neil Evans said: “T5 light fittings generally have a serviceable life of 20 years and at current electricity prices lifetime financial savings are projected to be £125, 000. However as electricity is still largely generated by burning fossil fuels and those fuels are becoming scarcer the cost of that electricity is almost certain to rise. In addition to the direct financial saving the Carmarthen Bowls lighting project will also result in a saving of 751 tonnes of associated CO2 emissions.
“Starting in 2012 many large organisations like Carmarthenshire County Council will have to start buying carbon allowances against each and every tonne of CO2 they emit. Initially those allowances will cost £12 per tonne, so in addition to the direct savings we will also be avoiding the need to buy thousands of pounds worth of carbon allowances.”
Over the course of the last year Carmarthenshire County Council has invested over £800,000 in energy efficiency projects in schools, libraries, museums, leisure centres and offices. That money was secured in the form of interest free loans from SALIX Finance http://www.salixfinance.co.uk/home.html – a not for profit company which is part of the Carbon Trust.
That £800,000 will generate savings in the region of £180,000 per annum / £3 million over the lifetime of the improvements, and save 1,200 tonnes of CO2 per annum / 20,000 tonnes over the lifetime of the schemes.
The Council has secured an additional £600.000 for this year’s projects and aims to secure more towards the end of the year.
Carmarthenshire 50+ Development Officer Kevin Pett said: “This isn’t just good in terms of energy efficiency, older bowlers in particular are benefiting from the better quality lighting. The T5 lights have greatly improved the lighting levels at Carmarthen Bowls Centre.”
Twenty four-year-old Hannah Smith, who won a bronze medal competing in the pairs with Anwen Button at the Commonwealth Games last October, is very impressed with the results of the project.
Hannah, a member of Bro Myrddin Indoor Bowls Club, said: “The new lights are really good. I have played here a couple of times since the lights have been changed and it really makes a difference.”
Carmarthenshire’s Sustainability Champion Cllr Pam Palmer said: “The Council is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and combating climate change. Installing energy efficient lighting is one way of achieving this.
“These new lights will also reduce the energy bills for the Bowls Centre and are providing better lighting for the bowlers into the bargain.”
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