ENERGY MANAGEMENT FRESHER AIR IN THE BIG SMOKE London’s largest waste management company, Bywaters, is reaping significant
rewards from its new solar roof, retrofitted on its 9.2 acre material recycling facility. John Glover, MD of Bywaters, explains how investment in solar technology is saving the company money and helping to improve London’s air quality.
Bywaters is continuing to debunk the myth that ‘doing the right thing costs money’. It has introduced many initiatives in sustainability over the years, the latest of which is an innovative use for the roof of its flagship recycling facility in Bow, east London, which is licensed to process 650,000 tonnes of waste material a year.
At Bow, the company recently completed London’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) retrofit, installing more than 4,000 panels on top of its existing roof - which would otherwise be a passive, non- productive asset. With energy one of the company’s biggest costs, it was important to eliminate unnecessary overheads and to make full use of all its resources. Following feasibility studies, it was agreed that an investment in solar panels would be cost-effective and an important demonstration of the company’s commitment to developing a sustainable business while improving its environmental performance.
Today, the power generated from its solar panels goes straight into the national grid, before being fed back into the building. The 1000kWp solar PV array provides enough daytime power for Bywaters’ whole recycling and resource management facility. This is designed to save around 320
tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum,
equivalent to powering 237 homes for a year. The solar installation not only stabilises Bywaters’ energy supply but also reduces its carbon emissions and energy costs by a staggering 45%. With air quality considered by many to be one of the biggest health threats facing Londoners today - a significant reduction in CO2 is welcomed.
emissions 30 | TOMORROW’S FM
grid. Without the FiT scheme, there would not have been the impetus to complete the project and unless a company is cash-rich, such a scheme might not be installed today.
Bywaters’ other CO2 -reducing
initiatives include operating a £7m eco-friendly fleet of vehicles which meets Euro 5/6 emission standards. All vehicles servicing the capital have an on-board Dynafleet programme to monitor and track the vehicles’ environmental sustainability as well as driver patterns and behaviour. Reports are generated by Volvo to validate the transparency of CO2 emissions reporting and overall vehicle productivity.
“THE SOLAR INSTALLATION
STABILISES BYWATERS’ ENERGY SUPPLY AND REDUCES COSTS BY A STAGGERING 45%.”
The solar installation was developed and managed by M3 Solutions, a Kent-based renewable energy specialist. Bywaters owns the freehold to its property and used this, plus other assets, to back the funding provided by HSBC. The solar roof cost £918,000 and the anticipated payback period is six years. Such a straightforward arrangement enables Bywaters to directly own the PV array. The return on this investment comes from a number of sources - the FiTs; not having to buy in electricity; and selling unused electricity to the
Innovative use of London’s river and waterways dramatically reduces the number of vehicle movements in and around the capital. A partnership with Cory Environmental enables Bywaters to transport all residual waste to Cory’s R1 status Belvedere energy-from-waste facility, via the Thames. This saves road miles and associated carbon emissions. It provides a sustainable solution that has enabled Bywaters to eliminate around 3,000 lorry movements a year.
The green revolution has become a byword for facilities and energy managers. To make a significant change, however, businesses need to step up and start to take action to minimise their environmental impact.
It is worth remembering that according to The Carbon Trust, in many businesses, a 20% cut in energy costs represents the same bottom line benefit as a 5% increase in sales.
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