Compared to the domestic sector, commercial energy efficiency projects are relatively new. Nick Warburton looks at Camden LBC's working model, which could offer guidance to other councils interested in pursuing renewable energy developments.

Energy is essential to everyday needs - it is used to drive our transport systems, provide warmth and light in our homes and offices, and power our industries. The problem is that all non-renewable energy fuels have a negative impact on the environment to varying degrees, from the point of extraction through to consumption and disposal of waste.

In the UK, energy consumption has increased dramatically over the last twenty years (25 per cent growth). As Daniel Clayton points out, the increasing use of electrical appliances in homes and offices with standby modes is one of the major contributors to this trend. The Government's response has been to promote a number of policies aimed at reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency.

One such approach has been to set national targets to reduce C02 emissions by 20 per cent by 2010. The Government has estimated that 0.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions could be saved through the private sector (mainly local authorities) by becoming more energy efficient, eg using cleaner fossil-based fuels and introducing appropriate insulation and ventilation measures.1

Another approach is renewable energy. The CIEH's own policy document, which actively promotes a wide range of policies on energy efficiency, has long supported the exploitation of renewable sources to meet our future needs.2 Yet, the enthusiasm for pushing forward the renewable agenda has not generally been harnessed, and the UK lags behind many of its European counterparts in its commitment to renewables. At present only 2.5 per cent of electricity is generated from these sources. Nevertheless, the Government is eager to pursue this route and has set a 5 per cent target for local authorities by 2003 and 10 per cent by 2005. The UK certainly has the potential; it possesses close to 30 per cent of Europe's wind farm capability and, theoretically, enough offshore wind to supply three times the country's current electricity requirements.3

The potential also exists to further develop other renewable energies, particularly solar power, which has become cheaper to harness due to improvements in technology and the availability of more robust materials. Many local authorities have begun to utilise these sources for commercial means, but generally the uptake has been slow compared with the domestic sector which has been pro-active in this area for several decades.4

One council that has spearheaded the use of renewable energy is Camden LBC, a borough with a committed policy to raising awareness of renewable energy. Camden has been actively developing a number of initiatives over the last few years that could provide a benchmark for other councils. The council's first renewable project - a solar panel used to provide hot water in the town hall's canteen - was completed last year at a cost of £9,000. It has proved extremely simple to operate and requires no maintenance. Mains water, which is normally sent direct to the boiler, is heated by passing it twice through each tube on the solar panel array, positioned in such a way that it maximises the sun's energy. The system should be particularly effective in the summer when it is expected that the boiler will not need to come on at all and will only be used to ensure that hot water achieves the minimum required temperature. Inside the hot water cylinder is a special finned coil which allows warm water to pass through it to heat the water contained in the cylinder.

Norman Fancett, the chief executive's building services manager, thinks that take up of renewable projects has been slow among local authorities because the commercial industry is still in its infancy. "There is a wealth of information and countless working examples of renewable energy projects in the domestic sector, but when we started out, I couldn't find anything commercially that we could refer to. There is also little, if any, guidance available on how to develop initiatives", he says.

Mr Fancett explains that a lot of painstaking research was involved getting the project of the ground, including hours surfing the internet to find relevant materials and information. It was through this medium that he located one of the key components - a pre-insulated and ultra-violet resistant dual copper piping, which is used to connect the two solar panels installed on the building's roof to a hot water cylinder located in the loft.

Although the system has not produced the savings that the council had initially envisaged, around £110 in the first year, Mr Fancett believes that from an environmental angle, the solar panels have made an invaluable contribution: "We have saved about 2,500 kilos of carbon emissions since the project began running around a year ago, and although the savings over the long term will only be around 45-50 per cent, there is great potential to improve on this in the future. We learned a lot from our first experience and are now better prepared for the next project, a larger solar panelling system based at our West Hampstead offices."

Though it has yet to be commissioned, the West Hampstead project is expected to be more cost-effective. "By tightening up on the specifications, finding alternative and cheaper parts and having a better idea of what parts to get and how to install them cheaply, we have been able to reduce costs quite dramatically", says Mr Fancett.

The council's most ambitious project to date, the Crowndale Centre based in Mornington Crescent, is still only at the feasibility stage. Estimated at a cost of £30,000, the project will consist of 31 meters of hot water cylinders linking solar panels on the roof to a hot water cylinder in the basement. The purpose of the project is to provide hot water to a multi-complex consisting of offices, a library and a health centre.

An additional planned feature for the offices are sun pipes - flexible tubes coated on the inside with a reflective material that, once installed at roof level, will transfer sunlight down into the offices so that lights can be left off for most of the working day. Should the project materialise, and he is optimistic that it will go ahead, it will offer yet another working example on how renewable energy can contribute to a more sustainable future.

However, not all councils are willing, or able, to invest in renewable energy projects, and the associated people skills, like Camden has. Nevertheless, all councils have to carefully balance spending regardless of any budgetary constraints, and as long as the commitment is there, Camden has proved that there is plenty of scope to develop small working models. The council is eager to raise awareness of renewable energy in the borough and encourages other councils that are looking for advice on how to set up similar projects to approach them.

For more information about Camden's projects, contact Norman Fancett at the London Borough of Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE, UK (Please do not e-mail).

REFERENCES
1 www.camden.gov.uk/green/sections/urban/renewable_energy.htm
2 www.cieh.org.uk/about/policy/policy/energy.htm
3 Sustain, March 2001, page 5
4 The Sustainable Homes Directory provides case studies of housing developments that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. For more information visit: www.sustainablehomes.co.uk
A government-backed initiative, run by the Energy Saving Trust, can be accessed at: www.energy-efficiency.org.uk/