energy savings Archives - Gebs Energy Management

Take Control Of Your Commercial Energy Supply

What To Consider:

For your Commercial Energy Supply, there are some simple things to consider to ensure you get the best deal and then manage it effectively:

How many Units are you buying?

When you have signed that contract make sure you regularly record your consumed units from your meter, otherwise you won’t know when you have used your agreed quota of kWh’s (See point number 2).

What are the penalty charges?

Understand the cost, per unit, if you use more or less than any agreed upper and lower limits, respectively, in the timeframe of your contract. Like the excess mileage on a rental car, these can be quite steep and again it can be where they hide their profit.

Cost of the standing charge

Some suppliers, both domestic and commercial, charge a low kilowatt hour rate BUT have an additional higher Standing Charge rate, per unit. This enables them to say they have cheaper energy charges but they compensate via this other per unit cost and this is often again where they hide their profit.

Don’t go ‘out of contract’

Make sure you know and remember when your contract is up for renewal and don’t go over it. Make sure you renegotiate or change your supplier before you roll over to their Standard Tariffs. Out of Contract supply is the most expensive way to buy your energy and many of our business clients save money immediately by going back into a fixed-term contract.

Not all brokers are the same

As in all walks of life, there are good brokers and bad brokers. Some have specialised and dedicated experts who understand their client’s requirements and operating pressures. Then there are others who are just agents of a franchise and know as much about energy and energy markets as you do about piloting a spacecraft. I met someone recently whose main job is as a freelance training provider but they also act as a broker for a well-known, utility supply franchise. In this instance, they may be able to reduce the cost of supply kWh but it isn’t really in their interests to help clients reduce their consumption. It’s all about commission and acquiring another sale. If you do go to a broker do some research and see whether brokering supply and cost reduction is their main specialism (Linkedin is good for that) rather than ‘something else they do’ and don’t forget to ask about the financial penalties for reducing usage.

Buy in the Summer Time

The best time to buy energy is before January and ideally in the summer months.

Good Housekeeping Counts

Finally, if you are paying your energy costs directly and they are not included in the rental of the premises, remember it is all about good housekeeping. Track your usage, identify and eliminate excess energy waste, make savings through behaviour change, non-negotiable processes and procedures and considered equipment purchases. If you have a simple routine right from day one, then wasting energy is less likely and you won’t need to pay unnecessary costs (which is direct profit) and less Climate Change Levy.

Fuel Poverty and Food Bank Link

The UK has one of the highest levels of housing costs in Europe, while between 2010 and 2013 energy prices for households rose by 37 per cent. This has, according to The Trussell Trust been a major contributing factor to households going hungry and are frequently turning to FoodBank.

Turn2us, a service that helps people with financial difficulties, state that two-fifths or 40% of low income households and nearly half, 47%, of people with disabilities who are on low incomes have had to cut back on food or skip meals, because of difficulties with paying energy bills  - (Turn2us’ Fuel Poverty campaign 2014, a survey of low income households).

Day to Day Living Costs Rise While Wages Fall

Managing energy consumption is increasingly being recognised by business as a necessity but it is equally crucial at home, where rent, mortgage, utility costs, food and general day-to-day living costs have been rising. Meanwhile wages, in real terms, have been at best stagnating and at worst reducing.

Many councils and housing associations have been pro-active and recognised that their tenants are vulnerable and have implemented housing stock energy efficiency improvements, such as cavity wall insulation, UPVC window replacement, upgrades of heating and water systems. In some cases they have taken advantage of the financial incentives in place and installed Solar PV for power or Solar Thermal to heat the water. However not all householders are in this position, they may own their own properties, privately rent or just haven’t had the helping-hand of a council or Housing Association energy efficiency programme.

How much does my Appliance cost me in a year?

What can be done? Well, control and measurement can have a significant impact – reduce your consumption and reduce your costs. However, if you don’t know what you are using, you can’t take effective steps to reduce and prioritise consumption. By measuring, the consumer can make decisions on usage based on how much it might cost.

The table below shows Average consumption of Typical Rated Equipment and Appliances.

*To calculate the cost of usage, multiply the number of units by the per Unit Cost and/or Standing Charge per Unit Cost* *1 Unit = 1 Kilowatt Hour (kWh)*
Kitchen/Utility Room Appliances	Average Unit Consumption per day/per session/per annum
Freezer	About 1 to 1.5 Units per day
Fridge/Freezer	About 1.5 Units per day
Fridge	Less than 1 Unit per day
Dish washer – one full load	About 1.5 Units
Tumble dryer – full load of cottons	About 3.5 Units
Tumble dryer – full load of synthetics	About 2 Units
Washing machine – cottons @ 60C	About 1 Unit
Washing machine – synthetics 40C	Less than 1 Unit
Cooker & hob	1.5 Units average per day
Kettle	1 Unit per 12 pints boiling water
Microwave (850W) 20 mins on full	Less than 0.5 Units per day
Toaster	1 Unit per 60 slices of toast
Other Appliances
Electric blanket	Less than 1 unit, for approximately 1.5 hrs a night for a week
Extractor fan	1 to 2 units per 24 hrs
Hair dryer (500w)	1 Unit per 10/12 Min sessions
Iron	0.5 to 1 unit per hr

Social Landlords: Simplified Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI)

Changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Changes to the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI) have recently been announced. The adjustments have the capacity to remove the barriers to energy efficiency upgrades for some of the most vulnerable consumers in the country.

RHI is a financial incentive scheme encouraging and promoting the installation of heating systems that use naturally replenished energy. It is expected that it will help the UK reduce its carbon emissions and is applicable for both Non- Domestic and Domestic Buildings.

From Spring 2015

From Spring 2015 registered Social Landlords will be able to apply for the RHI Scheme if they have an Energy Performance Certificate which is less than 2 years old. There will no longer be a requirement for a Green Deal Assessment if this criteria is fulfilled.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) states that the reasoning behind the changes is that ‘Social landlords often provide homes for some of the most vulnerable people and by making the RHI more accessible, tenants will enjoy warmer homes and lower bills’.

What’s In It For Me?

The RHI will pay the following tariffs per unit, for energy generated, over the next 7 years.

Technology	Tariff
Air-source heat pumps	7.3p/kWh
Ground and water-source heat pumps	18.8p/kWh
Biomass-only boilers and biomass pellet stoves with integrated boilers	12.2p/kWh
Solar thermal panels (flat plate and evacuated tube for hot water only)	19.2 p/kWh

Source UK gov.uk – Updated Nov 2014

Goodbye Oil, Hello Renewable Energy

The DECC says that 365,000 people live in fuel poverty and a further 2.28 million are in fuel-poor households. A large percentage of those who struggle with fuel costs live in ‘off the gas grid’ properties, relying on oil and electricity to heat their homes.

Additionally, many of these households have to pay up-front fuel costs, through pre-payment electricity meters or oil deliveries. Removing the need for a Green Deal Assessment paves the way for homes to be made warmer and lower heating costs for some of the most vulnerable people.

Barriers to change

Landlords in the rental sector both domestic and non-domestic are still somewhat reluctant to embrace energy efficiency, due to the perceived cost of upfront investment required. A large percentage of the UK rented housing stock is still Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rated E-G. Private and Commercial tenants often do not have the influence or the appetite to push for property efficiency improvements. There is a thought that if they rock the boat they will be asked to leave. On the other hand, understandably, Landlords think ‘what’s the benefit to me?’ and so do ‘just enough’. Whilst there are many exceptional landlords out there, who understand the importance of energy efficiency in their properties, there are still as many who need to need to be persuaded.

Simplified RHI Funding

Making the RHI funding and improvement process simpler, at least in the Domestic rented sector, should mean only good things for the tenant, the landlord’s property portfolio and the UK’s Carbon Emissions targets.

Writing An Energy Policy

Your Energy Policy

A documented and published Energy Policy will show to your stakeholders that Energy Management is an organisational core value. It will allow you to commit the business to an energy efficiency strategy which will lead to increased profitability and a reduced environmental impact.

How Do I Start?

So you have your policies in place, HR, Finance, Purchasing, IT, Fleet, Security but what about Energy?

An effective energy policy can be as little as a few sentences, or as much as a number of paragraphs, but, it should be documented and publicised.

What Should It Include?

The Energy Policy should establish top management commitment to energy performance improvement and state the company’s energy priorities. Key though, is that the policy is documented and all staff, suppliers and customers are able to understand it.

who has accountability
what the organsational overall energy targets are
how progress will be monitored and reviewed.
human resources and training commitments
how energy management will be integrated into wider business processes
economic investment criteria
integrating energy efficiency into existing capital investments
reporting procedures
links to other energy/carbon reduction programmes

SAMPLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT POLICY

EXAMPLE Company Ltd Energy Policy

Date:

EXAMPLE Company’s corporate mission is to provide:

The best possible productsand highest level of customer service our customers
Maximum value to our shareholders
A rewarding work environment to our employees

In pursuit of this mission, EXAMPLE Company will strive to achieve a world-class reputation for energy management. We are committed to using energy in the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible manner possible.

Energy management will play a key role in our organisation, across all business functions. It will support our plan to maximize profitability, strengthen our competitive position, and provide customers with the highest quality of services. Our efforts to reduce energy use and reduce our carbon footpring will also support our commitment to our employees, the environment, and the communities in which we are a part.

Toward this end, EXAMPLE Company shall work towards continuously improving energy performance. We will establish specific implementation plans by [date/timeframe], and will have made significant achievements in this area within [X] years’ time.

EXAMPLE Company’s objectives as related to this policy are the following:

Provide the best possible environment for occupants of our facilities, while simultaneously maximising energy performance
Reduce operating expenses and increase profit by actively and responsibly managing energy consumption
Make available staff, funding and , tools and equipment for projects with a proven energy efficiency value.
Demonstrate commitment to our community and leadership in the [insert industry] by reducing our carbon output associated with energy use

EXAMPLE Company will endeavor to meet or exceed the following energy management targets in service to these objectives: [Select or modify an appropriate, realistic set of targets]

Reduce energy consumption in existing buildings by [insert %] over a 5-year period
Reduce energy intensity [insert kWh target] by [insert %] in existing buildings over a 5-year period
Achieve and maintain ISO5001 certification within our organisation by [insert date].
Ensure all capital purchases consider energy efficiency and achieve [insert %] energy savings.
Reduce carbon emissions associated with energy consumption by [x%] by [year]
Continually measure and improve our energy performance against our baseline of [insert baseline consumption] [insert date]
Reinvest savings from our energy efficiency programmes into additional energy efficiency projects.

This policy shall apply to all of EXAMPLE Company Ltd’s, sites, business units, employees, and contractors in service to our organisation.

Approved by:

Name CEO/COO/Chairman of the Board_____ Date ______________________________

Energy Management First Steps – Simple Energy Audit

What to consider in a DIY Energy Audit

A simple and useful Energy Audit is a good start to bring together all factors to give you a clear picture of how you consume your energy within your organisation. It’s a bit like being a detective and will identify the Strengths Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to your organisational energy consumption. What you will need to ascertain is:

What Energy is being used at the site
Meter Readings
Site Plans/Building Layout
Location of Sub Meters, Plant Room
Who are the main consumers of Energy (if known)
A list of main plant and equipment, lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and age
What Control Systems are in place
What temperature are your thermostats set to?

Does Energy Consumption Match Day To Day Operations?

If your business is not currently recording and monitoring energy usage you may be able to obtain half-hourly consumption data from your energy supplier. This can show clearly how the energy is being used and from this you can define your optimum required consumption based on occupancy levels or operating shifts and minimise consumption spikes and sporadic uncontrolled energy usage. To maximise the integrity of the data and analysis you will need to know:

Half Hourly consumption data and sub- metering info (where applicable)
The staffing levels for the period, working hours or shift patterns
An understanding of the day to day operations
If available, historical weather conditions and bank-holiday/seasonal shut down dates.

Take a look at the Building

Understanding the building and the management of the in-situ environmental plant, is also crucial to a decent audit. What is the age of the building and is it maintained in good condition. Consider the condition and controls of the environmental plant. The older the systems and the built form for example, then the less energy efficient it will be. Or, if your building has ill- fitting doors or windows, damaged insulation on hot water carrying pipework, possibly single glazing, holes in the external walls and poor insulation then your energy costs will be higher.

Are the Environmental Plant and Controls in Good Condition?

This also applies with the environmental plant, if it isn’t serviced regularly and is as installed in the building on day 1 of operations then the amount of energy consumed, against the benefits to the occupants will be greatly reduced. Just ask yourself, just how many layers of paint are on those radiators and how may room thermostats are sitting next to the print-centre or over a heat source. A simple tip at the end of the day if anything is buzzing, hissing, bleeping, glowing or flashing it is often consuming unnecessary power.

What about Air-Flow?

Also think about air-flow, often we feel think we’re lethargic and tired due to being hot. Often we have seen that it is because air flow has been interrupted within the premises. Over the years, partitions for meeting rooms and offices may have been installed which has blocked the free flow of fresh air.

Speak To The People

Also speak with the employees often they know where energy can be saved because they work with it day to day. Their behaviours and housekeeping impact energy consumption massively, there is a train of thought that most buildings are energy efficient until you introduce people. The users also know that, really, the setting they may have on their workstation is always ‘in that position’ not because it is the most efficient setting but because ‘they can’t be bothered to adjust it’ or waste the time ‘turning it on or off’.

Simple Steps = Savings

If you start your energy auditing journey with these simple considerations, you will start to take control of your consumption and start making measurable reductions. It is a key part of the strong foundations for a robust energy management system and can provide meaningful data for a more in-depth and detailed study which will return more substantial consumption savings and carbon reduction.

Are We Prepared For Our Energy Winter?

Winter 2012 -2013

The harvest this year has been a late one around our offices. After an unexpectedly long, wet and cold winter, which started in late August 2012 and ran through relentlessly until June 2013, the farmers locally have just finished combining and bringing in their bailed straw and wheat. I think last year’s protracted Winter-conditions took them by surprise, just like the rest of us.

Every scrap of stored hay and straw in the barns adjacent to us was used for animal feed and bedding, even the old and very poor quality stuff that had laid there for years to plug holes in the barn sides. Towards the end of the winter, the farmhands were even sweeping up the loose bits on the floor of the barn. There was also a marked increase in the cost of hay and straw, due to the gradually reducing supply and inevitable increased demand.

Be Prepared

This year, it looks like the livestock holders are prepared for the worst. More fields have been bailed, rather than ploughed-under, and our barns are now stuffed to the edges with bedding and feed stores.

Taken Our Energy Supply for Granted?

By comparison have we, in our businesses, been complacent and taken for granted our energy supply? For many years we have used our gas, electricity and oil with little thought to the on-going cost or the fact that it is a finite resource. But have we made enough hay whilst the sun shone?

Energy Winter

Our businesses have, metaphorically at least, also presumed upon a short winter and adequate supplies of hay. Increasingly though, Experts and Authorities believe that we are now at the beginning of our ‘Energy Winter’ and its going to be a long one.

Dwindling Resources, Increased Demand

The global demands on already dwindling resources are being increased as the standard of living and industrialisation rises elsewhere in the world. That’s where the analogy fails us. The energy barn is big, but it is not infinite and there is no foreseeable “new harvest” coming through, no chance to correct the failed assumptions of the previous year.

Too Late To Take Control?

With this in mind, are we too late to take control and mitigate those increasing kWh costs? The answer has to be a resounding No! Rather than a desperate floundering scatter-gun approach to managing consumption though, we need to be considered and plan our energy management strategy, make realistic changes to our working practices, understand how, when and why we use our energy, monitor and create energy targets and objectives, start forecasting and planning consumption, steering clear of knee jerk spending but making sure energy usage is relevant and applicable to all.

Understand, Plan Forecast & Prioritise

Understanding the business’ consumption patterns, measuring and monitoring your usage, allows the business to forecast and plan energy requirements based on variables such as the outside temperatures or degree days, your workflow, to name but a few, all relevant to the organisation. This will allow the organisation to prioritise and minimise usage and consumption at times of unexpected need and unplanned necessity.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT ROADMAP

An Energy Management Roadmap?

A map, a route, a pen picture, a plan, a strategy. If you build a house, would you get an assortment of bricks, timber and roof tiles then just throw them together and hope for the best? When you go away on a trip, do you just set off and hope you get to your destination?

A Project with out a Plan?

And how about business Projects? If you don’t know what you are trying to do, how will you know when you have done it? If you don’t know where you started from, how far have you come and far is there still to go? How do you know your business is doing the right things, the things that offer the greatest return for the effort?

Don’t ‘Just Do It’

Nike has a slogan ‘Just Do It’ and we’ve seen “Energy Specialists” urging customers to ‘Take Action’ forget about the Consultants report. However a good consultants report should provide you with a plan to succeed, deliverables and choices that ensure the biggest positive impact for your spend. It is also a starting point for you to decide whether you have the capabilities in-house to do what’s necessary or to identify what help you need to make those gains.

Energy Audits, a Stake In The Ground

Every experienced Energy Management Consultant knows that the Energy Audit is the first step to managing consumption costs. It is proposed that the Energy Audit will be a NON-NEGOTIABLE action, under proposed EU Law. It is also a key part to implementing ISO50001:2011 Energy Management Systems, which may give exemptions from parts of EU legislation. These proposals will legally require a company to submit Energy Reports and without an Energy Audit you could face legal repercussions and fines; you would certainly not be eligible for ISO50001 certification.  Even without that, it makes sense to have one though. You see an Energy Audit has inherent value of its own. It brings together in one place your businesses energy profile. It identifies what types of energy you are using, how it is paid for and how you are currently consuming it. It looks at the technology in-situ, its age, its efficiency, operating times, condition, current and potential efficiency and whether it is well maintained including any service records.

Buildings, Lighting, Ventilation, Heating, Controls, HVAC

A thorough Energy Audit takes into consideration your premises, your occupancy times, how it’s maintained and what condition it’s in e.g. poorly insulated pipes, dirty skylights and windows, holes in the walls, broken windows. It looks at how the environmental and lighting systems are controlled, when they were last serviced or upgraded and what controls are in place.

Not just the wastage but the good consumption patterns.

From analyzing half-hourly consumption, the findings of a good and comprehensive Energy Audit should identify where energy is managed well and where there is wastage and suggest practical steps to make change and provide cost-effective solutions to reduce consumption. It is the turning point, the Vanguard for change and energy efficiency.

Due Diligence and a Viable Business Case

If a double-glazing Salesman turned up at your front door and promised you an instant solution to your growing domestic energy costs, purely by replacing your windows, you’d be dubious. Even if the double-glazing was a good price and you had the money, you would still want to consider whether it might be better spent on solar panels, a replacement boiler, new radiators, roof insulation etc. On reflection, you may not need to spend anything, perhaps you just need to find a cheaper tariff or turn the heating off in the rooms you don’t use or when you are out.

The point is, you would ensure you had properly analysed the situation and formed a clear idea of what would yield the best results before you started, certainly before you spent any money. Why should it be any different at work?

Energy Audits Have Value

Surely it’s inconceivable that a well managed and mature business would consider a programme of significant change requiring substantial capital expenditure on the word of a travelling salesman, without the necessary supporting business case and due diligence? Take Action, Forget about the Energy Audit and Consultants report? You’re not going to do that, are you?

Energy Management – Why are those first steps so hard?

Procrastination – Fear of Failing?

The hardest part of every report I write is the beginning. It is the first paragraph which causes me the most difficulty. Although many of our findings are common across our client’s businesses, that first paragraph has to be relevant and cause the reader to want to read on. Starting it is also the time when I tend to procrastinate or delay, I might decide that moment is a good time to catch up with my filing, check the web-feeds for Energy Efficiency news, do the office washing up and dare I say it I even log into Facebook, anything rather than sit down and make a start on that report.

I do sit down though and I do force myself to write those sentences; as one of my MBA Lecturers said, once you’ve made a start on that first paragraph the words will flow.

It is easy to do the same with any problem or challenge but the solution tends to be the same. If we look at Energy Management. We all acknowledge that rising prices are a problem and that there’s things our business really needs to do about it. We also, if we think about our consumption, probably have a pretty good idea where and how in the organisation it is being wasted. So why are we procrastinating and leaving things as they are?

Why Don’t We Manage Our Energy?

Some of the reason’s we’ve been given for not tackling energy efficiency are

‘surely my PC/lights/phonecharger being left on won’t make a difference’

‘you don’t understand our business, it’s not that progressive’

‘the board aren’t interested’

‘we have so many other initiatives and processes, we don’t have time for Energy Management’

‘but I’m too hot / cold normally’ (dependent on the weather)

‘we might upset the ladies upstairs’

‘the ladies get cold’

‘the ladies are of a certain age’ (ladies seem to get the blame an awful lot when it comes down to office temperature)

‘we don’t have the time’

‘we started it but no-one was interested so we don’t do it any more’

Energy Management, Not Extra, Just DIfferent

Often the simplest explanation is that businesses don’t know where to start the task of managing their energy consumption. Like getting the first words down in the paragraph it is easier to focus on something else rather than grasp the nettle and get on with it. Energy Management does not have to be ‘extra’ work, but it does mean doing things differently and smarter. It doesn’t mean your office has to be too warm/cold or uncomfortable for ‘ladies of a certain age’ – it just gives you control.

Gain Control, Make Savings

Once you have control and energy consumption transparency you will start to make savings; which the Board should be interested in because it reduces overheads and tax liabilities and, given that the phone charger left on is probably one of many within the organisation, the new routines will show clearly that switching of unnecessary equipment will make a difference.

Get Started, See Results

Finally once you get started, the results of your endeavours will drive the programme forward and the fear of failing will be replaced with the satisfaction that you are making a difference.

DO YOU NEED THE LIGHTS ON? WHAT ARE THE LIGHT LEVELS IN YOUR WORKSPACE?

58,000GWh Energy Consumed by UK lighting

Lighting in the UK accounts for 58,000GWh of energy consumption, which is about 20% of all of the electricity generated in the country. In the US it is a slightly higher percentage, with 22% of all electricity generated being transferred into powering the country’s lights.

Performance influenced by lighting.

The way a workspace is lit is actually a key influencer on the performance of the people working within that space and so, when making energy consumption recommendations, the effect of any changes to the occupants need to be considered carefully.

Recommended light levels for your workspace (lux levels)

While we are all reasonably familiar with recommended temperatures for heating and cooling, what is not so well known is that there are also recommended light-levels for work spaces. The table below shows recommended published light levels (measured in Lux/lumen/m2) for the more common workplace spaces and tasks.

Activity	Illumination
Activity	(lux, lumen/m2)
Public areas with dark surroundings	20 – 50
Simple orientation for short visits	50 – 100
Working areas where visual tasks are only occasionally performed	100 – 150
Warehouses, Homes, Theatres, Archives	150
Easy Office Work, Classes	250
Normal Office Work, PC Work, Study Library, Groceries, Show Rooms, Laboratories	500
Supermarkets, Mechanical Workshops, Office Landscapes	750
Normal Drawing Work, Detailed Mechanical Workshops, Operation Theatres	1000
Detailed Drawing Work, Very Detailed Mechanical Works	1500 – 2000
Performance of visual tasks of low contrast and very small size for prolonged periods of time	2000 – 5000
Performance of very prolonged and exacting visual tasks	5000 – 10000
Performance of very special visual tasks of extremely low contrast and small size	10000 – 20000

Since most people are not aware of the optimum lighting levels, one of the more common problems and factors to affect an organisation’s energy efficiency and consumption is space that is over-lit. Many offices have large windows, but how often do we see such offices with lights on, regardless of the conditions outside? Natural light needs to be considered when making light efficiencies. Some more modern installations (which can be retrofitted) measure the natural light and then adjust the work-space lighting automatically, switching arrays on and off as necessary, dimming and brightening as the need dictates.

Tungsten, CFL’s and LED’s

We have moved away from the old Tungsten bulb, much too the chagrin of many, replacing it with more efficient and sustainable lighting solutions. The most commonly found bulb in the workspace is the Compact Florescent Lamps (CFLs). It works through an electric gas discharge generating ultra-violet light. However, gaining in popularity is the more energy efficient LED.

LED stands for “Light Emitting Diode.” The diode within the unit has two terminals that conduct the electricity only in one direction. When an electrical current is passed through, the diode emits a bright light around the small bulb. LEDs are more efficient than CFLs since CFLs, like the old Incandescent bulb before, release much of their energy in heat. At this stage, however, LED systems are more costly to install – though they do last much longer and save more in the long term.

What else should be consider when assessing our lighting systems?

Return on Investment is important when considering an upgrade to lighting systems. Things to consider if comparing LED’s with CFL’s, as well as the control for the technology, are:

· How often is the room used?
· Levels of occupancy
· Occupancy Times
· Are the lights in the space regularly left on?

Controlling the light in your workspace

Controls for new and retrofit systems should be matched closely to the work and the occupancy type. Sometimes manual controls are more suitable. In this case we recommend publicising the recommended lux level in the space against the actual (hopefully they will be very close). However in other circumstances automatic controls are the best solution e.g. light sensitive controls, motion sensors, automatic switch off and take away the possibility of energy waste through over lighting or units being left on accidentally.

How could we pay for our new lighting systems?

Presently in the UK lighting upgrades can be covered by the Government’s Enhanced Capital Allowances Scheme. This allows capital expenditure to be brought forward by 100% into the year of purchase rather than 20% chunks, spread across profits in later years.

Gebs Energy Management Services can help you upgrade your lighting with no hidden agenda or fees

So savings can still be made in lighting and there has never been a more financially attractive time for businesses to upgrade their systems. Gebs Energy Management can carry out specialist lighting audits or do so as part of a broader Energy Consumption Audit. We can provide introductions and access to lighting specialists who can design a solution for your business based on a Return on Investment. We can also help educate your workforce in good lighting practice, through in-house communications, induction and CPD.

Take Control Of Your Commercial Energy Supply

What To Consider:

Fuel Poverty and Food Bank Link

Fuel Poverty and Food Bank Link

Day to Day Living Costs Rise While Wages Fall

How much does my Appliance cost me in a year?

Social Landlords: Simplified Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI)

Changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

From Spring 2015

What’s In It For Me?

Goodbye Oil, Hello Renewable Energy

Barriers to change

Simplified RHI Funding

Writing An Energy Policy

Your Energy Policy

How Do I Start?

What Should It Include?

SAMPLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT POLICY

Energy Management First Steps – Simple Energy Audit

Are We Prepared For Our Energy Winter?

ENERGY MANAGEMENT ROADMAP

Energy Management – Why are those first steps so hard?

DO YOU NEED THE LIGHTS ON? WHAT ARE THE LIGHT LEVELS IN YOUR WORKSPACE?

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