Companies House opened its doors to organisations from across South Wales after saving over £30,000 in heating costs through working with Carbon Trust Wales to install a biomass boiler.
The day was designed to help energy managers with projects to install biomass boilers at their own organisations and is part of Carbon Trust Wales’ exemplar visit series, where host organisations are invited to share their knowledge and carbon cutting experience with others.
Companies House made an impressive saving of 227 tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to a £32,000 reduction in heating costs, in the first heating season after installing their new boiler. Through hosting the exemplar visit they were able to share their journey from the decision making process right through to successful implementation and full operation of their new biomass heating system, including any issues that arose along the way and how they overcame them.
The event aimed to provide assistance to all organisations considering biomass heating whether at the feasibility, design, tendering, construction or commissioning phase of their project. It included a tour of the boiler room as well as talks from Karen Griffiths of the Carbon Trust, Steve Smith and Gareth Leek of Companies House and Dr Gabriel Gallagher of Sustainable Energy Ltd.
Companies House decided to invest in a new biomass boiler when their gas boiler was nearing the end of its working life after nineteen years of use. With support from Carbon Trust Wales and Sustainable Energy Ltd, Companies House looked into the feasibility of a number of options involving renewable technologies. After conducting an analysis of heat demand profiles, it was agreed that the optimum biomass boiler size would be a 500kw boiler with 22,000 litres thermal storage.
The savings achieved as a result of installing the new biomass boiler have made a significant contribution to keeping Companies House on track to meet government targets. Originally, the organisation was hoping to pay back the installation cost over seven years, but the fantastic results achieved in the first heating season proved that this would in fact be possible in just five years.
Tim Moss, Registrar of Companies for England and Wales and Chief Executive of Companies House, said: “We’re very proud of that fact that we’ve significantly reduced our CO2 emissions. As well as improving our energy efficiency and saving substantial amounts on our heating bills, the changes we’ve made have led to a better working environment for our staff.”
Karen Griffiths, Innovation Manager for Carbon Trust Wales, added: “Installing a biomass boiler can be a lengthy process, as it’s not a matter of simply replacing your existing boiler. There are several different stages to complete and it’s important to find a designer and contractor who will work with you to identify and fit a boiler to meet your specific requirements.
“However, the savings achieved by Companies House prove that investing in biomass is certainly worthwhile as organisations will begin to experience the benefits of reduced heating costs in a matter of years and rest assured that they’re playing their part in accelerating the move to a low carbon economy.”
Carbon Trust Wales runs a series of workshops, seminars and exemplar visits throughout the year. For more information please call 0800 085 2005 or visit www.carbontrust.com/wales