DIO energy savings see the light
Investing money in lighting improvements is paying dividends for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) in south east England, cutting emissions of planet harming greenhouse gases and helping to save more than £2 million to date.
DIO has worked with regional industry partner PRiDE to deliver a range of energy efficiency improvements under the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) three-year 'Energy Spend to Save' Programme.
The programme, which started in 2011, has invested £105m in a range of energy reduction projects across the UK and overseas. These range from energy-efficient lighting to draughtproofing and adding new controls to boilers. 'Spend to Save' targets a £70m pa saving, meaning the money invested will have paid for itself in less than 2 years.
Some of funding has been spent on lighting projects in the South East, which have so far achieved energy savings of 44,000,000 kW/h as well as reducing MOD’s carbon output by 9,000 tonnes.
DIO Energy Spend to Save Programme Manager, Rebekah Jones said:
“DIO’s priority is to support our Armed Forces as they prepare for operations, but the MOD has a duty to balance delivery of this support with measures that help to achieve government targets that will help combat the threat of climate change.
“This new lighting is a winner for all concerned. Defence personnel get better working conditions, whilst the MOD takes another step in 'greening' our operations and supporting important environmental goals set by the government.”
At the rehabilitation centre at Headley Court, new lighting creates a more welcoming aspect to the wards. The introduction of HealWell lighting in four patient rooms has resulted in patients sleeping for approximately 30 minutes longer. New lighting in the corridors can be dimmed at night and new LED downlighters use considerably less energy than traditional fluorescent bulbs.
Wellington Barracks, the home of the Guards Regiments, has seen new exterior lights fitted, which use energy at the rate of 3.75 kW/h, compared with 18.04 kW/h under the previous system. The lights are dimmed to 50% in the evening and reduce to 20% at night. This decreases overall energy use to only 2.25 kW/h, 87.5% less than the previous lighting.
New street lighting at RAF Northolt uses approximately 70% less energy than the previous lights. They can also be dimmed at night, where appropriate, to save even more energy.
Eunice Mabey, Regional Energy & Environment Manager at PriDE, said:
“The examples given here are just three of many projects we’ve undertaken, but they sum up how what may appear to be relatively minor changes can really make a big difference in energy efficiency. While there has been an initial investment, these improvements will result in ongoing savings compared energy costs before the work was undertaken and together with the other ‘Spend to Save’ projects, represent considerable savings for the taxpayer.”
Ends
Further information:
Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Senior Communications Officer 0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk
DIO website: www.gov.uk/dio
Twitter: @mod_dio
Read DIO’s blog: https://insidedio.blog.gov.uk/
Notes to Editors
1) The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) plays a vital role in supporting our Armed Forces by building, maintaining and servicing what the men and women who serve our country need to live, work, train and deploy on operations.
2) DIO is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is responsible for managing and maintaining land and properties, as well as providing related support services, to meet the current and future needs of the MOD and personnel at home and abroad, and to support current operations.
3) Our work includes supporting operational units by providing and improving single living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, and its heritage is protected, and to achieve its environmental goals.
4) PriDE is Interserve’s joint venture with SSE Contracting, responsible for estate management and construction services at almost 100 MOD sites throughout South East England, encompassing nearly 6,000 buildings and facilities.
5) Photograph captions:
New exterior street lighting at Wellington Barracks. (Copyright Philips 2013)
A patient's room at Headley Court, fitted with new HealWell lighting. (Copyright Philips 2013)
New street lighting at RAF Northolt. (Copyright Philips 2013)
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