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Case Study Public Sector Carbon Management – Further Education Business focus Gloucestershire College is a successful college of embedding respect for the environment £56k further and higher education in the UK, teaching throughout the College. In light of this ambitious 15,000 full and part time students across three aim Gloucestershire College has pledged in its Annual savings main sites in Cheltenham, Gloucester and the Carbon Management Plan to reduce 25% of Royal Forest of Dean. As the largest college in its 2010 baseline carbon emissions from all its Gloucestershire it is also a major employer, with activities by July 2016. The college has identified 1,300 staff. For several years Gloucestershire savings through a range of energy efficiency, 1,011 tCO2 College had been working to reduce its usage alternative energy and carbon management Carbon saved to date of electricity and gas. Initially the prime driver projects. One key project is the implementation was increasing energy prices, which cost the of a comprehensive Building Management college approximately £500k each year. Recently System (BMS) across the college sites. however, there has been increased awareness of the environmental implications of the college’s What is BMS? activities with staff and students keen to address Julian Baxter (left), Estates Director this issue. A BMS is a series of controllers linked by a Gloucestershire College with the Head simple communication network. A PC is also Participating in the 2011 Public Sector Carbon Caretaker, monitoring meters at the main connected to the network to observe their Management Programme Gloucestershire incoming transformer, Gloucester Campus. performance and adjust settings. College was supported through the process of embedding carbon management into Analysis of energy consumption data using their organisation and the development of a a BMS is very effective in highlighting Why BMS? comprehensive carbon management plan inefficiencies and locating opportunities for It is estimated that electricity consumption which is designed to achieve ambitious five-year reducing energy consumption and costs. High accounts for 80% of carbon emissions from carbon reduction targets. periods of demand should coincide with busy UK colleges. Clearly it is essential to correctly working times and any disparity between this In 5 years time Gloucestershire College would manage the use of electricity throughout can help pinpoint inefficient or malfunctioning like to be recognised for its commitment to buildings and this was the premise that led equipment or working practices. investing in technology for the future and to the introduction of the BMS project at Gloucestershire College. Gloucestershire College Building Management System case study Director of Estates Julian Baxter considered a Energy and carbon savings Figure 1 Gloucestershire College electric consumption BMS system to be the most efficient way of The savings realised from this project from managing consumption across multiple large 2009-11 have amounted to 1,927,136 kWh. 350 2007/2008 sites. The business case for the project stacked 2008/2009 This consumption saving has meant that 330 up so well, with savings of up to £200k predicted 2009/2010 Gloucestershire College has avoided paying over the first three years, that the project was 310 2010/2011 £169k for electricity and has saved 1,011 tCO easily passed by management. Gloucestershire 2 over three years – that equates to an annual 290 College required initial investment of £29k cost saving of 10%. The BMS system will allow to implement the BMS upgrade project, and 270 energy consumption to be monitored into the payback was calculated at 0.43 years. Funding 250 future, on time scales that range from hourly kWh '000 was easily secured and instant savings were to annually and comparisons like the graph on realised upon project implementation. Controlling 230 the right (Figure 1) will be able to be made energy use remotely on a computer was found on an annual basis. 210 to be a far more efficient and cost effective process than the labour intensive checks on 190 controls across the college sites that happened Public Sector Carbon 170 l prior to BMS implementation. h y ber Apri Ma June July ugust Management Programme Marc A October January February November December Septem For information about the Carbon Trust’s Public Sector Carbon Management Programme please email [email protected] or visit our website. A BMS system made both commercial sense and carbon sense. It is the best and most cost effective way of managing energy consumption. If you can’t control it, you can’t save it Julian Baxter, Director of Estates March 2012 Gloucestershire College Building Management System case study.

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