ENERGY
THE FUTURE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT IS GREEN
It is impossible to ignore the impact that carbon emissions caused by substantial energy consumption is having on the environment and it is our collective responsibility to help reduce this impact. Consequently, there is increasing pressure to improve energy management programmes in the workplace. Businesses have an undeniable obligation to manage their energy usage more efficiently and effectively. Paul Bracegirdle, environmental manager at Sodexo, provides an insight into how businesses can reduce their impact on the environment.
I
n the current economic climate, sustainability and energy efficiency are becoming increasing priorities for businesses, due to the financial savings they can bring. Facilities Managers need to consider how and where energy is being consumed within their facility and what savings could be made through implementing best practice and new technology. Making a few simple changes to reduce energy consumption makes good business sense, especially as a large number of organisations are required to have energy certificates as part of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The BSI Standard, BS EN 16001, also aims to help businesses establish processes that will manage and hopefully improve energy efficiency through the use of a systematic energy management system.
The food service industry in particular, is a sector where a great deal of energy is wasted. However, by taking a number of easy steps, such as only turning on equipment when necessary, can reduce wastage and save money. Food service companies are beginning to recognise their
responsibility and strive towards environmental best practice across their business. Since the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme on 1st April 2010, which penalises organisations that have poor energy efficiency credentials, the industry has been forced to become more proactive in identifying its environmental impact and make a concerted effort to start combatting it.
The eCube device is one solution that can save businesses up to 10-20% in energy consumption. The eCube is an energy saving device for food refrigeration units which monitors food temperature instead of air temperature, which can fluctuate depending on how long the door is open. As food temperature rises much slower than air temperature, this means the number of times the cooling compressor in the refrigeration unit is activated is reduced, thus saving energy. The device is easy to install and can achieve noticeable financial savings in a short time. Since 2008, we haveSodexo has fitted over 380 eCubes for clients, which will generated estimated annual savings of in excess of 500,000 kWh of electricity, and over 200 tonnes of CO2
emissions. To give an
indication in real terms, this energy saving could power 350,000
60 watt bulbs for 24 hours.
Increasingly more tactical approaches are emerging to address the challenge of improving sustainability. As well as eCube, Sodexo has introduced the Vend-Sense technology to our clients, which reduces energy consumption in vending machines. Vend-Sense is an innovative piece of equipment that maximises cost savings and significantly reduce CO2
emissions.
The technology enables the unit to detect motion within the vicinity and turns the vending machine on and off accordingly. Vend-Sense can also be programmed by the user so that the machine switches itself off during non- working hours. We have installed 57 devices across our sites with estimated saving of £6,600 in energy costs anticipated. Over five years, this will amount to savings of £33,000 and 66,000 kWh of electricity. This also means a reduction of 35 tonnes in CO2
emissions
per annum. However, there is still a considerable amount to do in order to bring energy consumption down to a manageable level. With this in mind, Sodexo is committed to implementing sustainable practices and policies that minimise our environmental impact. We have a global sustainability strategy, the ‘Better Tomorrow’ plan, which commits us to review our sustainable supplies, energy and emissions, water and effluents, as well as materials and waste. There is now no excuse for businesses not to take the necessary steps to manage their energy consumption more resourcefully. There is a ready supply of products, technologies and advice available from the government and providers such as Sodexo, which are easy to implement and makes obvious business and environmental sense.
www.sodexo.com
SUSTAINABLE FM | AUGUST 2010 |51
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