PSEC Case Studies
ENERGY EFFICIENCY - INVESTING TO SAVE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
Background
The public sector estate in Northern Ireland consists of about 3500 buildings occupied by public bodies, such as Northern Ireland Government Departments and their associated organisations, including Health Trusts, Education and Library Boards, District Councils and Non Departmental Bodies.
The Departments and public bodies are all autonomous organisations, each with responsibility for the management of its own resources, including energy. The targets for improvements in energy performance contained in the UK Climate Change Programme and the White Paper Our Energy Future – creating a low carbon economy have been adopted, and are advanced within the public sector by the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland which has an overall policy and co-ordinating role.
Investment for improved performance
Financial support is provided by the Central Energy Efficiency Fund, which is an initiative unique to Northern Ireland. It provides funding for energy and carbon dioxide saving measures, including the installation of renewable energy schemes, in buildings occupied by public bodies which cannot be financed from Departmental budgets or other sources.
Since its inception in 1993, the Fund has invested over £30 million in support for some 2000 projects, with typical paybacks of under 5 years and a total saving of about 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Eligible projects fall into the following categories –
| Category |
|---|
| BEMS/EMS/Boiler Controls/Zone or Area Controls/TRV |
| Refrigeration or Air Conditioning Controls |
| Conversion to Low Energy Lighting |
| Change of Fuel (Electricity->Oil->LPG->Nat Gas) |
| Installation of CHP |
| Point of Use Water Heaters |
| Boiler Plant Upgrading or Decentralisation |
| Heat Recovery including Destratification Fans |
| Radiator Reflective Panels |
| Roof Insulation |
| Cavity Wall Insulation |
| Pipe Insulation |
| Draughtproofing |
| Double Glazing / Secondary Glazing |
| Swimming Pool Covers (automatic) |
| Renewable Energy Technologies |
Operation
Applications to the Central Energy Efficiency Fund are invited annually, and are assessed using one of the methods described in GPG 312 Invest to Save ? Schemes which meet the Fund’s qualifying criteria are analysed, taking account of the project’s expected lifespan and anticipated savings of cash, fuel, and carbon dioxide. Bids are then ranked in order of their benefit cost ratio, and financial support offered to the most effective schemes up to the limit of the funds available.
Evaluation
In view of the investment of public funds, great importance is attached to demonstrating that projects offer value for money and are cost-effective in reducing energy consumption and the emission of carbon dioxide. So after some months’ operation and monitoring, evaluations are carried out on a number of schemes, selected to represent a spread of cost and technology.
Over the years that the Central Energy Efficiency Fund has been in operation, these evaluations have compiled a substantial amount of information on improvements in buildings’ energy efficiency and reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide. This site includes a selection of these reports to show the action taken and the results achieved.
