In 2009/10, we continued to deliver our energy efficiency programme which included lighting management and pumping efficiency. The pumping of water and sewage requires a lot of energy, and we have therefore continued to focus on this area, and have upgraded a further three pumping systems.
This work, which included improvements at Kew Bridge, in west London, and at Lockwood, in east London, has saved 889 MWh of electricity – equivalent to 483 tonnes of carbon dioxide (TCO2e) – in 2009/10. In addition, our lighting efficiency project has saved 2,187 MWh of electricity since 2008/09, which equates to a carbon reduction of 1,190 TCO2e per year.
A critical factor in managing energy is the need for better metering, so that we can measure how much gas or power we are using. During 2009/10, we installed meters which can be remotely read at 2,566 sites, providing accurate energy consumption data to manage energy efficiency. This project aligns with the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment, a mandatory UK-wide scheme promoting energy efficiency among large businesses and public sector organisations, which started on 1 April 2010.
At the end of 2009/10, we started a sub-metering project, which aims to measure specific energy consumption of individual on-site processes. This will enable our operators to see where energy is being used effectively and manage energy efficiency performance of specific processes. This project is currently being piloted at Swindon Sewage Treatment Works, Hampton Water Treatment Works (WTW) and Kempton WTW. To date, it has achieved 2,329 MWh savings to April 2010 – equivalent to 1,267 TCO2e per year, or a medium-size car driving over 3,600,000 miles. We are now investigating the potential to expand this programme across other major operational sites.
Page externally verified