EN BLUE
which I did agree with which was the conclusion that Millennials have grown up with a better understanding of their environmental impact.
I think that in the short time that I have been attending the marina conferences (8 years), I have seen a shift in some of the themes; one is about the aging customer and the other, environmental impact.
One theme that is fairly consistent is the theme regarding emerging technology. Even in the last 10 years there has been a shift in the technology available to the marina industry but also to the bertholders. It is hard to believe that the first iphone was released in June 2007. This means that all the bertholders are far more connected (as no doubt you will be aware as one of the number one complaint at a marina is lack of Wi-Fi).
So how this is all linked to the environment? When I carry out environmental audits one of the things I try to place a great emphasis on is measurement.
Over the last few years I’ve seen a number of marinas switch to use software for berthing, accounting and other management systems which can allow better data analysis.
Think of the following as a Fitbit (fitness tracker) for your marina.
It is now possible to have water meters with a ‘pulse’ this records water usage at 15 minute intervals and gives very accurate water use summaries. With the deregulation of water companies from 01 April I can imagine water companies offering these kind of options to get/keep your custom.
Once the ‘pulse’ is linked to a software package it is easy to look at daily usage/graphs and you can more or less immediately tell if there is a leak. I have helped a business install these and they picked up a leak which was under a pontoon (difficult to see otherwise) and if you are only receiving quarterly invoices from the water company this could have costed a lot (and waste a lot of water).
Similarly, most large waste companies can ‘chip’ and weigh your waste. This can be useful so you can actually compare waste year on year but importantly if you are paying for 1100 litre bins with 2kg’s of waste in them you can rethink the bin lift strategy. Similarly, look at the split between waste and recycling – typically you can recycle 40% by weight. Most marinas have half hourly electricity meters but it is worth syncing them with some software to graphically show usage. Having an understanding of electricity use will also be useful for contracts and getting an idea of what loads you are using. I’ve helped businesses save the following amounts from simply starting to measure usage, then being able to manage effectively:
• Water - £10,000 Yacht club • Electricity - £280,000 British Marine Member
• Waste - £23,000pa Marina
Finally, in the time I have written this article from my desk at work, I have used my phone to check my car is locked (Volvo app) turned my heating off at home (Nest), I’ve also looked in on my daughter at home and played a nursery song through our baby monitor (Motorola) and I’ve checked to see if the lights are switched off in the loft (Philips Hue).
To find out more about the work of The Green Blue visit
www.thegreenblue.org.uk
JUNE 2017 FORE & AFT 31
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