CASE STUDY


New energy-saving measures could potentially save the club up to £80,000 - around 20% of its annual energy bill


Improving efficiency at The Park Club London leisure club uses energy management to identify key savings


extensive social spaces, The Park Club in West London has many areas that could benefit from increased energy efficiency measures.


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Like most businesses, the club has seen its utility costs rising year on year and the management decided that direct action was needed to bring down its energy bills. As a starting point, the club called British Gas to carry out an extensive energy survey – an audit to identify areas where efficiency savings could be made. Offered to businesses nationwide, a survey typically takes around two days, and among the serv- ices offered are a Carbon Healthcheck – which guarantees to identify cost savings of at least 10% through energy efficiency measures, or the price of the service will be refunded. The Park Club’s director of opera- tions, Ian Chaffey, says: “We can’t get away from the fact that we are reliant on gas and electricity for the operation of our business and they are a huge part of our direct overheads. “We buy our energy direct rather than using a broker and try to apply a bit of science and observation to what’s hap- pening in the market before deciding how long to fix our contract for. “But we also realise that we need to


address energy consumption – for cost reasons, and also because members


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ith outdoor and indoor swim- ming pools, floodlit tennis courts, a gym, spa and


expect us to be taking a responsible approach to carbon emissions.”


SMART METER The British Gas survey identified a range of efficiency measures – some of which could be implemented imme- diately for little cost, while others will require a more considered investment. Lower-tech recommendations included retro-fitting a boiler optimi- sation device to enable the club’s existing boiler to run as efficiently as possible, and an indoor pool cover to match the existing outdoor cover. A smart meter was also installed, so the club could immediately start to moni- tor energy usage and use the data to identify further savings. Recommendations requiring more investment included the installation of a building energy management system (BEMS) that uses a single interface to automatically control areas such as heating, lighting and air condition- ing. Such systems can be monitored on site – or businesses with multiple sites might have the system operated externally by their service provider. Other options included the instal- lation of a new combined heat and power system (CHP) to generate elec- tricity and re-channel any excess heat produced into other areas of the build- ing, such as the club’s two pools. By using a combination of meas-


ures, the British Gas survey identified a potential saving of around £80,000


per year (approximately 20% of the club's gas and electricity bills). "That is certainly £80,000 that we would like to be spending elsewhere – renewing facilities, starting new projects or simply improving our profit- ability for shareholders," says Chaffey. “When considering the advice, the question we have to ask is – is it a good spend and will we see a payback in four to six years?” he says. “In the short-term we'll implement the low-tech measures and improve our housekeeping practices – if we see those savings predictions being real- ised, we'll consider our next move.”


FUNDING CHANGES A logical next step would be to address longer-term efficiencies, such as installing a BEMS or CHP. Although initial costs are higher, the payback on such technology is greater. The Park Club recently gained plan- ning permission for a bubble roof over its outdoor tennis courts. The roof will be erected for six months of the year to extend use of the club's courts over the winter. It will increase business, but also further add to the club’s heat- ing and lighting requirements. “We are looking at options to help the new facility become self-sufficient, such as a biomass boiler. As it's a new build, there are attractive financial incentives available,” says Chaffey. l


For more details on financing, see page 8 Find out more: www.britishgas.co.uk/business 0845 955 5820


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