Fleet Vehicles
The Council's fleet of 208 vehicles are used for the day to day operations of the Council's services such as refuse collection, waste disposal, passenger transport, cleansing, Dial-a-Ride, Meals on Wheels and highway inspections. Several initiatives are in place to reduce the environmental impact of these vehicles and to reduce fuel costs:
- In 2010 all 300 fleet drivers received professional training on Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) techniques. This is expected to save around 10-15% of the fuel used by the fleet, significantly reducing costs and carbon emissions. As the drivers undergo their annual driving assessments the SAFED techniques will also be re-affirmed.
More information on smarter driving
- A 10% Bio Diesel fuel mix is used which is treated with an additive that reduces fuel consumption by 3-5%
- The majority of the fleet has been renewed during the past 12 months all of which are fitted with the latest Euro Specification engines ensuring the lowest possible emissions
- There has been a review of routes for home to school transport with changes being made to routes to make them more efficient.
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Street Lighting and Lit Road Signs
There have been energy efficiency upgrades to over 300 signs, bollards and pedestrian crossings across the district. All high energy lights have been removed and replaced with lower energy versions.
Various technologies are being investigated that will give significant energy and cost savings including replacing street lights with LED technology which has the potential to reduce energy use by 40% and light dimming which could reduce energy use by a further 25%. The Council is trialling LED lighting with 70 street lights on the A4 / A4174 Roundabout at Hicks Gate. More information on the trial is available here.
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Voltage Optimisation
This energy saving technology is installed to give an optimum supply voltage for the sites equipment and can achieve significant energy savings. It has been installed in several of the Council's most viable sites including car parks and Bath Central Library, reducing energy use at these sites by up to 15%.
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Information Technology (IT)
The Council is using new IT to reduce energy use in its offices in the following ways:
- Replacing printers with a reduced number of energy efficient models which automatically print doubled-sided, saving energy and paper. This will save a significant amount of money and is expected to reduce paper use by around 15%
- Ongoing server virtualisation has reduced the number of servers required on site, reducing the associated energy use
- Flexible working arrangements mean fewer computers and more hot desks, as well as more staff using laptops which use less energy than a desk top computer.
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Workplace Sustainability
There are a number of ongoing initiatives which are reducing the environmental impact of the Council's offices:
- Energy use: 'Our Big Energy Challenge' project ran from 2006 to 2009. Its aim was to reduce the amount of gas, electricity and oil used by public sector bodies in Bath by 10%. A number of measures were put in place to monitor and reduce energy use including: energy monitoring equipment, lighting upgrades, hot water pipe insulation, point of use water heaters, water cooler removal and timer switches for office appliances.
There was a programme of staff engagement to raise energy awareness in the workplace and encourage all staff to adopt energy saving behaviours such as switching off lights and equipment when not in use. Central to this effort was the recruitment of a team of Energy Champions across the Council. These volunteers received formal training in energy issues and colleague engagement alongside their existing jobs. They continue to promote and support others efforts to save energy in the workplace.
- Office space: The Council is reducing the amount of office space it uses, improving the energy efficiency of the remaining offices, as well as sharing the office space with other partners. Flexible working arrangements are in place to allow staff to work from home, different offices and from other sites where appropriate, saving travelling time, costs and the associated carbon emissions.
- Recycling: In 2010 the Council recycled 69% of its office waste. In all Council offices there are full recycling facilities for at least 11 materials. Reducing waste sent to landfill saves on disposal costs, helps reduce levels of the greenhouse gas methane and saves energy and raw materials that would otherwise be used in the manufacturing process.
- Office Paper: Since 2000 the Council has committed to using 100% recycled office paper.
- Bottled water: At the beginning of 2008 bottle water dispensers were removed from Council offices and tap water is now used for meetings.
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Display Energy Certificates
It is a legal requirement for all public buildings in the UK with a floor area greater than 1000 square metres to have a valid Display Energy Certificate (DEC). DECs gives an indication of how efficiently energy is being used in the building compared to its potential and gives it a rating on the scale of A-G, with ‘A’ being the most efficient and ‘G’ the least. The certificate should be displayed in a place where it can be clearly viewed by the public and is designed to promote the improvement of the energy performance of a building. They serve as an easy-to-understand measure of a building’s energy performance and can now be seen in all the applicable Council buildings, and many other public buildings in Bath.
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