FEATURE GREEN ISSUES
energy requirements. The site also includes electric vehicle charging points, and a bike park with changing facilities to encourage cyclists. Other elements to enhance the environment of the multi-storey include a living ‘green wall’. According to VINCI Park UK, the sustainability commitments of the NHS – its carbon reduction strategy requires a 10 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 – have made it a key sector for introducing energy efficiency initiatives in car parking design, equipment and operation.
The Clarence Dock multi-storey in
Recent developments in lighting
technologies have seen the cost of high-quality, low- energy lighting systems reduce significantly
Leeds, operated by Town Centre Car Parks, also uses solar PV to provide up to 15 per cent of the power requirement for its 1,650-space facility – saving some 55 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission each year, as well as considerable amounts on the energy bill. Renewable power is being adapted for running pay and display machines too. In many of its railway station car parks, VINCI Park UK has replaced older machines running off mains electricity with equipment powered by solar PV panels,
cutting down on power usage and carbon emissions.
Effective solutions However, while some more visual ‘green’ solutions such as solar PV panels and wind turbines may grab the sustainability headlines, investing in energy efficiency technologies is another more low-key but extremely cost effective – and fast – way to cut overall energy consumption. As well as being incorporated into the standard specification of new build designs, the type of technologies available for car parking facilities – such as LED lighting and sensor-based controls and voltage optimisation – are an increasingly affordable retro-fit option that can be implemented as part of refurbishment and maintenance programmes. They can have remarkably quick payback times on the initial investment, making them an attractive option for both large and small car parking facilities.
Cambridge City Council introduced energy efficient LED lighting into its Grand Arcade Annexe multi-storey car park in 2012 to reduce bills, carbon emissions and improve light uniformity in the underground facility. The installation at the 330-space facility saw energy consumption and bills reduced by some 75 per cent. The lighting solution, provided by specialist MHA Lighting, replaced 200 existing light fittings with MHA Lighting’s lower powered but brighter LED light fittings, which also improved uniformity of lighting. With the light fittings boasting a maintenance-free lifetime of 60,000 hours, the change is expected to reduce maintenance costs too. The new lighting system has also delivered improved illumination and a more attractive environment for users of the car park. Sean Cleary, Cambridge City Council’s operations manager for parking, said the project had been a success, with savings in line with expectations, adding: ‘We are intending to use this project as a benchmark to improve energy efficiency across our other car parks.
26 JUNE 2013
www.britishparking.co.uk
MARCELCLEMENS / SHUTTERSTOCK
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