Member Article

Major energy savings for Lincolnshire County Council

Sabien Technology’s patented M2G intelligent boiler load optimisers helped Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) reduce its gas consumption by 15% across 23 properties with reductions in CO2emissions of 1,980 tonnes over five years, with a projected return on investment of 2.3 years.

“We are always looking at new ways of reducing our energy consumption and carbon footprint,” explained Steve Golightly, LCC’s Senior Sustainability and Climate Change Officer. “When we met Sabien we were very impressed with both the technology and the expertise of the people, so when Salix funding became available we decided to proceed,” he added.

M2G units have been fitted to 82 boilers in 23 properties, including residential homes, libraries, registry offices and council offices. Each M2G has been integrated with existing building management systems and other controls, to ensure that set-point temperatures and comfort conditions are maintained.

Careful planning was crucial to the success of the project and Sabien worked closely with LCC to establish a clearly defined project plan. “Sabien highlighted potential problems with site access etc., based on their experience of other projects,” Steve Golightly recalled. “We then worked together to ensure that staff at each site were forewarned of the work, its purpose and what the M2G does. We also reassured them the M2G would not interfere with controls and set points. Sabien was very accommodating in visiting sites with unusual opening hours, such as libraries and registry offices, to suit their requirements.

“As a result, this was the most professional rollout of retrofit technology I have ever been involved in. The feedback from sites regarding the quality of the work has been very positive and, the biggest compliment I can give, I haven’t received any complaints.”

Following the installation, the energy savings were validated on three of the sites. Measurements were taken over a fixed period and adjusted with degree day data to reflect changes in ambient temperature. The weighted average energy saving across these sites was 15%.

The payback period, not including the cost of carbon allowances under the Carbon Reduction Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) is estimated at 2.3 years and this falls to 2.1 years when the CRC EES is taken into account. The savings on carbon allowances alone are expected to amount to nearly £4,752 per annum.

The Council also anticipates that use of the M2G will help to extend the life of its boiler plant. “A lot of our boiler plant is old but the capital funds aren’t available to replace all of the boilers,” Steve Golightly explained. “In controlling dry cycling the M2G eliminates unnecessary firing and that will clearly reduce wear and tear on the boilers and help us keep them in operation for longer,” he added.

LCC is now looking at other buildings where the M2G can be retrofitted. “We visit many sites within the County to advise on energy savings, and the M2G is now one of the first things I recommend. It is a relatively low cost technology with a very fast payback and the installations so far have all met or exceeded targets,” Steve Golightly concluded.

For further information visit www.sabien-tech.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Geoff Newman .