The Client
Thetford Town Council provides local services, help and support for residents, local businesses, organisations and events in the historic Norfolk market town and has declared a climate emergency in response to the threats posed by global warming caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions.
The Brief
The council wanted to reduce their overall energy consumption at its main base, The Carnegie, in the town centre and commissioned SaveMoneyCutCarbon to carry out a detailed survey of the existing lighting and water installation with the target of reducing overall energy costs.
The council is very active in the battle against climate change, particularly with the UK commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 78% by 2035. SaveMoneyCutCarbon worked with the council to map out a strategy that will push as close to net zero as possible and engage the community in a more sustainable approach
The Solution
The SaveMoneyCutCarbon team carried out a detailed survey of the building and then produced a detailed report. Gathering the most thorough information is central to the way SaveMoneyCutCarbon works. The Energy Manager and team used the company’s unique Savings Opportunity Report Tool (SORT) to deliver a detailed assessment of energy saving opportunities.
The council was also given a full Retrofit Solutions Audit, using SORT, which focused on energy and water retrofit solutions. All the solutions would deliver significant and ongoing carbon emissions reductions.
The survey captured details on:
- Lighting
- Water services, taps, shower, hand dryers and toilets
- Heating and cooling systems
- Air conditioning units
- Solar and EV charger installation
- Hot water services.
The report advised the council there were considerable savings to be achieved on their lighting installation and hand-drying facilities while cutting carbon emissions through lower energy consumption, to support the council’s green targets. An additional benefit would be improving the lighting quality and levels in the Carnegie building.
The experienced installation team first replaced all the hand dryers in the toilets. The existing hand dryers had a power consumption of 2000w – 2500w. The eco hand dryers installed are rated at 500w – 650w.
The team then replaced of the main lights with low-energy LEDs in the following areas:
- Main concert hall
- Kitchen area
- Bar area
- Main office and reception area
- Store area
- Main stage.
In total, 42 light fittings were swapped out with the following LED models:
- Thorn ZOE VARIO LED downlighter 18W
- Thorn Lara Bulkhead 13W
- Ledvance Damp-proof LED luminaire 25W
- Philips LED ceiling light 17W
- Thorn College 5ft luminaire 17W
The installation took two days to complete and reduces the energy consumption of the light fittings by over 78%. Payback will be rapid and the council will go on saving money year after year.
Results
Lighting
- Energy savings: 78.2% p.a.
- CO2 reduction: 78.2% p.a.
- ROI: less than 3.5 years.
Hand dryers
- Energy savings p.a.: 75%.
- Average running cost: £16 p.a.