Energy efficiency funding announced for Wales public sector

Salix has announced a second round of funding for the new Wales Funding Programme, which combines two previous schemes into one application process.

The scheme is for Welsh public sector organisations, and projects delivering either energy efficiency, renewable energy or resource efficiency are eligible.

The closing date for applications is 5th October 2016.

Energys Group’s proven technologies have been used successfully in dozens of Salix-funded public sector projects. We can support you every step of the way, including helping you to fill in the Salix application forms, making it a completely hassle-free process.

We recently helped Hackney Community college save 320 tonnes of CO2 a year thanks to a major energy efficiency project funded by Salix.

Considering applying for Salix funding? Contact us for advice.

LED lights for schools – an estate manager’s guide

According to the Carbon Trust, getting lighting right is essential for both energy efficiency and the bank balance of a school, and as importantly for the wellbeing of its occupants.

In the third of this special series of lighting in education guides, Energys will explore how LED upgrades create financial benefits, but can also help with site operations, maintenance, and offer infrastructure gains for school estate managers.

Most estate managers know that efficient LED upgrades save on bills and the environment. But, the right level and the best quality of light is crucial to alertness, accuracy and the overall enjoyment of those working and learning in schools too, as well as minimising work on the estates themselves.

Reduced maintenance

Extensive trials by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) have found that LEDs comprehensively lower the cost of maintenance.

‘LEDs had an additional cost-benefit because of their reduced maintenance costs and their much longer operating life span,’ explains the EST research.

‘LED lamps therefore have the additional benefits of reducing waste volumes and conserving production resources due to less frequent maintenance and replacement.’

EST found that LED retrofit technologies could easily be installed by existing maintenance staff in place of the old fittings, and their longer lifetime leads to additional savings from avoiding the costs of replacement lamps and the maintenance time to fit them.

Avoiding WEEE lamp disposal costs

As mentioned above, EST has found LEDs reduce waste volumes due to less frequent maintenance and replacement. This has another crucial knock on effect; the highly costly disposal process for conventional lamps is completely avoided.

The costs of disposing conventional lamps in line with WEEE recycling legislation are significant. Estimates suggest up to 30% of the original cost, per lamp, can be required to dispose of them safely. Educational buildings often use several thousand lamps, adding up to vast overall costs, time and work.

LED retrofit technologies offer a much longer lifespan, therefore delivering huge disposal savings across the upgrade over time. In a nutshell, LEDs last far longer, and have far lower disposal impacts across the board than the alternatives.

Health and safety

As LEDs use solid state technology, they have no moving parts, no glass and no filament breakage. This has crucial implications for health and safety.

With older fluorescent lamps, maintenance operatives must carry broken lamp boxes, use kevlar gloves, and keep a keen eye out for broken glass. It’s dangerous work, especially so in a school environment where it’s vital no broken glass is left on floors or playgrounds.

Contrastingly, LEDs are to all practical purposes a simple circuit board. Easy, quick, fast and safe to install, maintain and remove.

Energy savings

EST’s research found, ‘There was considerable potential for achieving energy savings,’ through LED retrofits. In one example, EST found lighting a site using LEDs over a five-year period could cost over £150,000 less, not only due to reduced energy bills, but also savings on replacing existing lamps.

EST also found energy savings in excess of 1.2GWh per year are possible at some sites, generating lifetime CO2 savings of over 4,000 tonnes.

Every site and school is different, so EST’s results should not be extrapolated directly. But the message is plain; LEDs represent a simple, fast option for energy saving upgrades for schools.

The shift to LED

Energys has a number of case studies on LED lighting upgrades for schools and colleges available. These will help you learn more, and consider the best way to embed sustainable, futurist and beneficial lights in your environment.

LED lighting for schools – a teacher’s guide

According to the Carbon Trust, getting lighting right is essential for the energy efficiency of a school, but as importantly for the wellbeing of its occupants.

In the second of this special series of education lighting guides, Energys will explore how LED lighting for schools help to create the right learning environment for students and teachers to excel.

Of course, efficient LED upgrades save on bills and the environment. But the right level and the best quality of light is crucial to alertness, accuracy and the overall enjoyment of those working and learning in schools.

Pupil concentration

LED technologies have been proven to help deliver pupils the best light levels, to improve health and wellbeing and learning application.

‘Higher illumination levels lead to increased concentration,’ claims one study. Both natural light and modern LEDs can therefore dramatically benefit children’s happiness and intelligence.

‘Especially in education, a conscious mind is important for good concentration during lessons. It doesn’t matter if the person is an elementary scholar or a student. Both can benefit from an optimised lighting environment in a direct or indirect way,’ argues a report on the benefits of lighting upgrades for schools.

Pupil wellbeing on dark days

There are of course times when natural light is lacking, for example on dark days or in poorly designed legacy buildings. In these circumstances, new lighting retrofit technologies has a crucial role to play.

Here, LED upgrades ensure that pupils have the best light levels, the right colour gradients and the cooler temperatures modern solutions provide. The sun doesn’t always shine, but LEDs are always available for classroom lighting.

Blue is better

‘The right light in the morning, that has sufficient brightness with higher components of blue, can help to get you ready for the day,’ argues Lighting For People. LED upgrades can provide such blue light sustainably and affordably throughout the day, bringing the benefits of the outside indoors.

Further, a field study investigated the effect of light with different blue-content on circadian rhythmicity. In 11 adolescent teenagers, it found lack of bright and blue-rich light in the morning delays the body clock, and makes us go to bed too late. This could be a risk factor for mental health (higher possibility of depression) and physical health or health-impairing behaviours.

Reduced glare

In schools, good lighting design is pivotal for rooms with a high risk of glare, for example ICT classrooms where there’s a high chance of artificial light shining on to screens.

Additionally, sports halls and pools feature shiny surfaces, students risk glare while catching and chasing balls or swimming. LEDs traditionally had issues with glare, but these have now been addressed with the latest technology which, with the right lighting design, keeps glare to a minimum.
In fact, today, operating glare free is something LEDs do particularly well.

Scene setting; adjustable lights for different purposes

The right lights can contribute differently across every facet of school life. LEDs can set the scene for many different kinds of learning activity, calmer light for reading, brighter in sports halls or theatres.

And when it comes to intelligent scene setting within one space, lighting controls allow LED lighting to be dimmed or brightened, so that one room becomes multi-use, depending on purpose and need.

The shift to LED lighting

Energys has a number of case studies on LED lighting upgrades for schools and colleges available. These will help you learn more, and consider the best way to embed sustainable, futurist and beneficial lights in your environment.

LED lighting for schools – a bursar’s guide

According to the Carbon Trust, getting lighting right is essential for both energy efficiency and the bank balance of a school, and as importantly for the wellbeing of its occupants.

In the first of this special series of lighting in education guides, Energys will explore how LED upgrades can create multiple financial opportunities. It can also improve site health and safety, maintenance, and deliver infrastructure gains for bursars.

Many bursars know the basics; energy efficient LEDs save on bills and the environment. But, the right level and the best quality of light is crucial to alertness, accuracy and the overall enjoyment of those working and learning in schools too.

And, LED retrofit technologies can minimise work on school estates, and hike up other gains on the ledger too.

Energy and cost savings

Overall, The Carbon Trust says UK schools could reduce energy costs by around £44 million per year which would prevent 625,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

Lighting, says the Trust, represents 20% of school’s energy costs, and 8% of their energy use. ‘Currently LED upgrades use at least 80% less electricity than an equivalent tungsten halogen source,’ it continues.

So, the energy and cost saving potential for bursars and their schools is clear. Further, ‘A properly engineered LED light has a comparatively long life, typically in the order of 50,000 hours. This can reduce maintenance costs significantly depending on the light source they are replacing,’ the Trust reveals.

The Trust says making the business case for such low energy lighting is quite straightforward in terms of electricity saved vs investment required. Calculating the potential savings is based on identifying:

a) The current lighting load (Watts or kiloWatts).
b) The hours of use per annum.
c) The new LED lighting load.
d) The unit rate you pay for each kWh of electricity.

“It is important to establish this cost-benefit analysis in schools nationwide,” says Kevin Cox, Managing Director, Energys. “When that analysis is done, the financial pathway to energy efficient, cost saving installation is clear.”

Health and safety (H&S)

In schools, H&S is key. Today’s bursars aren’t just financiers, they are operations managers too. LED retrofit technologies are advantageous from this viewpoint. For a start, LED lamps are more durable than traditional lamps, and they have fewer fragile parts.

Also, they are mercury free, compared with other lamps which, if shattered during routine maintenance, require special care and removal, to say nothing of risk to operatives.

Further, LED lamps generate very little heat, so they can’t burn staff or children, and they make for a more comfortable teaching environment.

Together, it all adds up to lowered H&S risk, and lower H&S costs. “We are right up to the minute on H&S,” says Cox. “We will install to the highest H&S standards and beyond, adding to the overall, lifetime H&S benefits LED offers to school bursars.”

Funding options and capital expenditure

For many bursars, even when the cash and environmental rationale stacks up, financing is still a key challenge.

“It is wise to consider financing arrangements to suit your needs and more importantly, ensure you are saving money from the outset,” says Cox. “There are many schemes out there, and it’s crucial to research this intelligently and pick the right one.

Energys, in partnership with Utility Rentals offers a financing scheme tailored to the needs of schools and colleges.”

Such an approach is likely win favour with boards of governors, tasked with myriad, competing demands for financing. And, you can also use your LED financing plan as evidence of the school’s cash-savvy, energy-intelligent approach in marketing materials and branding.

Furthermore, LED lighting can even be included in schools’ lessons plans on sustainability, increasingly a key part of the curriculum. In so doing, another dual benefit arises, with further financial gains and teaching benefits.

The shift to LED for schools

Energys has a number of case studies on LED upgrades for schools and colleges available. These will help you learn more, and consider the best way to embed sustainable, futurist and beneficial lights in your environment.