Stroma pioneers new energy strategy
Stroma is trialling a new approach for improving energy performance across the Isle of Man Department of Education's building stock, to assist them in reducing both running costs and carbon emissions.
Legislation such as the Climate Change Act and the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is driving the improvement of existing building stock which is often expensive to run and less comfortable to occupy. Designed specifically for multiple property portfolios, Stroma's energy strategy is a phased approach which considers the buildings individually to determine scope for improvement, before addressing the portfolio as a whole to determine where available funds can best be concentrated to achieve the maximum benefit for the minimum capital outlay.
The first stage involves reducing energy wastage through comparative performance assessments and targeted improvement works. Only then are potential renewable technologies appraised for their ability to provide additional benefit. Thereafter the focus turns to better control, building management and ongoing monitoring and targeting. A key advantage of the strategy is the scope for recycling savings. Available funds can be invested to start proceedings and subsequent savings reinvested for future improvement works.
Stroma is currently involved in a joint initiative with the Isle of Man Department of Education (DoE) and Department of Local Government and the Environment (DLGE), identifying and implementing strategies for improving the energy performance of the island's schools. Stroma employed benchmarking analysis to identifying the worst performing buildings focusing on those to create individual improvement plans.
For example, an air leakage test conducted at Cronk-y-Berry Primary School in Douglas indicated an air leakage rate of 31m3/hr/m2 @ 50Pa, considerably higher than the UK benchmark of 10m3/hr/m2 @ 50Pa. After carrying out a full survey of the building, Stroma estimated that up to a 32% improvement could be achieved via air sealing works. The remedial works were carried out by Stroma's contracting division and a retest indicated an improved air leakage rate of 13.2m3/hr/m2 @ 50Pa. Peter Longworth, Energy Initiatives Officer for DLGE is pleased with the results: "The works carried out on Cronk-y-Berry so far will reduce CO2 production by 44 tonnes a year and energy bills by a projected £9000 a year. Cronk-y-Berry is now looking into the potential for integrating air source heat pump technology in order to further improve the energy performance of the school."
At another school, Andreas Primary in Ramsey, an energy assessment carried out revealed that there was limited or no roof insulation throughout the building, no doubt a contributing factor to its G-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Stroma therefore recommended the installation of loft insulation to significantly improve the building's energy performance. However, since the Display Energy Certificate (DEC) produced for the building also indicated an Operational Rating of G, and the electricity usage was 78% above the UK benchmark figure of 40kWh/m2 for a building of this activity class, Stroma has also recommended that a full electricity usage study be carried out to identify other possible areas for improvement.
Work is still ongoing but already notable improvements have been made across the school stock addressed so far. Discussing the success of the initiative, the Minister for Education, Hon Mrs Anne Craine MHK commented:
"This has been an interesting project and one that has been well worth doing. The energy audit produced some surprising results. For example, it is not always the oldest buildings in our stock that are the most inefficient. Some of newer buildings were shown to have the greatest heat loss and with the energy audit data, we will now be able to take the necessary remedial actions, to hopefully achieve a marked reduction in our energy consumption. We, as a government, are trying to reduce our Co2 emissions by 20% by 2010 and this exercise has enabled us to identify our heat loss problems and as a result, will prove a great contributor in meeting that target. I welcome the fact that it has given the Department of Education a 'green' feather in our cap."
For further information on this project or Stroma's service offering in general, call 0845 621 11 11 or email info@stroma.com.
