Thursday 9 September 2010

Council cuts light bill by almost £40,000

Portsmouth City Council has got a head start with the CRC by cutting its lighting bill by around £39,000 a year, resulting in a CO2 reduction of 326 tonnes.

Lighting control firm Ex-Or cut the lighting energy consumption in the council's buildings from 1,259,398 KWh to 655,211 KWh.

Portsmouth City Council electrical services manager Jamie Cake said lighting controls were needed to ensure light was delivered only where and when it was required.

Ex-Or fitted light detectors in open plan office areas, corridors and lift lobbies. These units control lighting by presence detection and photocell control. Photocells monitor levels of natural light, ensuring lights only come on when natural light is low.

"Portsmouth council is an organisation that takes its environmental obligations very seriously," said Mr Cake. "It was unacceptable that energy was being wasted by the lights remaining on when they were not needed. The Carbon Reduction Commitment is designed to reduce the carbon emissions made by larger commercial and public sector organisations like ourselves by 1.2m tonnes of carbon per year by 2020. This reduction in lighting usage has given us a head start in helping us meet our CRC commitments."