| London Mayor Boris Johnson and London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson visited Ilford fire station |
London Mayor Boris Johnson visited Ilford fire station to see the first completed building under the Mayor's building energy efficiency programme (BEEP).
Ilford fire station has benefited from a range of carbon busting measures, as part of the Mayor's innovative programme to save energy from public buildings and save money off fuel bills. This includes: photovoltaic panels, an old and inefficient heating boiler replaced with a new, high efficiency boiler and the lighting system upgraded. This means that the station has cut its CO2 emissions by more than 40 per cent.
The Mayor visited the appropriately named Green Watch alongside LFEPA Chairman Brian Coleman, and London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson.
The BEEP provides guaranteed energy savings over those sites committed. Ilford is among ten fire stations that were included in the programme. These are Greenwich, Heston, Holloway, Homerton, Ilford, Norbury, North Kensington, Romford, Westminster and Woodford.
Councillor Brian Coleman AM FRSA, Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, said: "This project is a good example of the work London Fire Brigade is going to cut CO2 emissions, and Ilford is the first station to benefit from the Building Energy Efficiency programme and another nine are nearing completion. This Authority has approved for another 20 to be part of this scheme which enhances the Brigade's commitment to the Mayor's green vision. The fire service may be best known for helping Londoners in an emergency, but the range of sustainability projects we are involved in is another important way we can protect our city."
"The range of sustainability projects the fire service is involved in is another important way to protect our city." |
Stats for all ten fire stations in the project:
- Capital cost: £521,042
- A decrease of: 491,978 kWh/pa of gas, 370,782 kWh/pa of electricity
- Savings in CO2 (over 10 year payback period): 2,530 tonnes
- Cost per tonne saved: £206 over the 10 years
Improvements at the station:
- Lighting upgrades and controls
The old lights were predominantly T8, which is inefficient, and were often left on when no one was in the room. These have been replaced with high-efficiency T5 fittings.
The meeting room had several halogen spot-lights that consumed 50 Watts each. These have been replaced with high-efficiency LEDs at 3 Watts each.
Lighting controls have been installed in all suitable locations in the station.
- TRVs
Thermostatic radiator valves ('TRVs') control the temperature of each radiator. This means that it is possible to fine-tune the temperature of a room, and to reduce the temperature in areas such as corridors where less heating is required.
- Voltage Optimisation - voltage reduction
London Fire Brigade is going to cut CO2 emissions, and Ilford is the first station to benefit from the Building Energy Efficiency programme |
The normal voltage measurement at sites across London Fire Brigade is 245-250v. Nominal voltage in the UK is 230v and equipment is designed to operate at 220v: this leaves considerable room to reduce voltage, saving energy and prolonging equipment life.
Using the installed equipment the voltage is reduced to 230v. It could be reduced to 220v, but they prefer to have a safety factor to avoid the emergency mobilising equipment failing to work.
- Photovoltaic panels
Photovoltaic panels ('solar panels') turn the suns energy into electricity. The electricity is used on site, so avoiding taking grid electricity. If more is generated than can be used on site, it is exported to the grid.
A display panel is installed in the lobby of the building so that everyone visiting the site can see how the system is performing, how much energy has been generated, and how much carbon has been saved.
Other measures include:
- Cavity wall insulation
- Draught proofing
- Drying room controls
- New boilers
- Fan controls