Energys Group, one of the UK’s leading decarbonisation delivery companies, has calculated that it has been responsible for the delivery of approximately 20% of the total spend on lighting upgrades as part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).
The West Sussex based company was involved in over 70 projects that were given the go-ahead under PSDS, equating to a total value of around £6m, and estimates that it supplied and installed around 50,000 new light fittings and sensor controls as part of the PSDS projects. Products specified include a variety of Energys’ latest LED solutions, including IntelliDim smart luminaires that can be commissioned via a smartphone app that allows the commissioning of precise light levels and occupancy parameters. In general, installations using IntelliDim can expect to register between 20% and 40% extra savings on top of those normally seen when upgrading from traditional lamps to LEDs.
‘Unprecedented initiative’
First announced in September 2020, the UK Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) entailed a £1bn fund being made available for public sector energy reduction projects. An unprecedented initiative in recent UK history, the scheme also heralded some huge challenges for those hoping to secure grants, who had less than four months to submit their applications from the date of the announcement.
The primary objective of PSDS was to help decarbonise heating. This meant all applications had to include a heat decarbonisation plan or an element of heating decarbonisation. The scheme also made funds available for other energy-efficient technologies that can make a real difference to carbon and energy cost reduction — including LED lighting.
As funds were to be allocated against very tight timescales, with priority to be given to projects with an early implementation date, Energys made available a wealth of services to organisations wishing to apply under the scheme, including: Undertaking a survey and project proposal for LED lighting controls and/or boiler control technologies’; delivery of a heat decarbonisation plan; support with the completion of grant-related paperwork; and guidance on procurement through a compliant framework.
‘Really historic’
Recalling an intense period of work that involved guiding numerous public sector organisations through the complex grant application process, Energys Group Managing Director Kevin Cox describes the resulting upgrade programme “as really historic”.
“We have made it possible for over 70 public sector facilities to improve their lighting dramatically in a very short period of time,” Kevin said. “Delivering to such tight timescales, on such a large scale — and during Covid restrictions — is not to be underestimated.”
The company says its delivery team rose to the challenge; onsite work had to be rigorously planned and executed to cope with countless access restrictions, site closures and issues associated with isolation.
“We’re all delighted to have played such an active — and significant — part in supporting the Government’s decarbonisation goals. The response from end users — teachers, pupils, estates staff — to the new lighting technology has been uniformly positive, while the forecast of carbon emission reductions — approximately 75% at each upgraded facility — speaks for itself,” concluded Kevin.
Longer-term impacts
For the schools, academies and other facilities involved, these upgrades are going to mean they can emerge from the pandemic period with fresh momentum, benefiting from improvements in environmental working conditions as well as huge reductions in carbon emissions and energy costs.
