The Avon & Somerset Constabulary has made impressive savings in gas consumption across 10 of its locations thanks to patented boiler optimisation technology from Energys. Avon and Somerset Constabulary is achieving annual savings in gas of 14-25%, averaging 18.8% across 10 sites where the units have been installed. Another huge benefit is that the system offers a remote access function, ensuring immediate and comprehensive visibility with regard to gas consumption and savings.
Avon & Somerset Constabulary is a police force with ‘green’ credentials at its heart. For instance, under a sustainability programme of work, the force is committed to reducing the carbon emissions from its buildings by 30% in the period from 2009 through to 2016. However, the organisation is keen to point out that being environmentally proactive is not just about “doing the right thing”, it’s about making savings to deliver value for money to the community it serves.
Policing energy efficiency
One of the principal environmental initiatives deployed by the Avon & Somerset Constabulary is reducing the amount of energy it uses in buildings by making them more efficient. To help facilitate this ambition, the force turned to Energys for help with controlling its gas consumption at 10 locations across the region.
After a full assessment of the facilities and requirements, Energys recommended the use of its boiler control technology, which is designed specifically for floor-standing boilers between 50 and 2000 kW. It is based on patented technology that optimises the firing pattern of a boiler. Typically, users will witness 50-100 less firings in any 24 hour period. In essence, this delivers savings in gas (or oil) consumption by extending the cooling curve.
Remote access
Crucially, these boiler controls have remote access and download functions, meaning that there is much greater visibility in terms of the gas used and any savings achieved. This gives external parties, such as energy management companies, the ability to view the consumption data for easy monitoring and reporting.
Following the installation of the boiler optimisers (installation only takes about 1 hour), the remote downloads from Avon & Somerset Constabulary report that the gas savings being achieved range from 14% to 25%, with the average currently standing at 18.8%.
So, how does Energys’s boiler optimiser actually save fuel? Well, heating systems are designed to provide adequate levels of heat within buildings at external temperatures of up to -6°C. However, an average winter day is 8-10°C, hence the boiler has a lot of spare capacity. This means, under normal conditions, that it will operate typically at 300-1000 seconds per cycle. By extending the cycle (in the process reducing the percentage of burn time) and utilising the large volume of hot water that exists in a commercial hot water system to maintain temperatures, the efficiency of the system can be improved as the boiler will burn at its optimum efficiency for longer.
Substantial energy reductions
Most customers adopting this technology from Energys will save between 15% and 30% over the course of a year. A not insignificant sum in an era of high energy prices. What’s more, in combination with the remote access and download functions, keeping an eye on energy performance and savings has never been easier.
Ultimately, intelligent boiler optimisers from Energys are well-proven, ‘best in breed’ technologies that can improve the efficiency of a boiler without affecting the temperature of the building. In fact, the company’s range of boiler optimisation systems saves energy no matter how cold the room temperature or how heavy the load.
