Mitie has completed the first stage of a £1.7m project to generate energy savings for Bedford Borough Council.
The project is focused on reducing running costs, generating income and cutting carbon emissions across seven council properties.
Allhallows multi-storey car park is the first of the properties Mitie has worked on, installing 212 solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of the car park.
The panels will generate enough energy to power the car park and sell energy back to the National Grid, saving over £1,900 in energy costs and 10.3 tonnes of CO2 per year, and generating an annual income of just over £6,000.
The installation of the solar panels is the first project to be delivered as part of the initial phase of the RE:FIT Project which will see improvements made to seven council properties in order to reduce their running costs and their environmental impact.
In many cases they will also generate a secure on-going annual income for the Council for the next 20 years. The projects are expected to repay their implementation costs within eight years. After this they will continue to save money and generate additional income for the Council.
Mitie first became involved with the RE:FIT programme in 2009 as one of the original contractors on the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) building retrofit, energy efficiency programme.
Since then, the RE:FIT energy performance contract model has been adopted successfully by many local authorities, and Mitie are working with many new clients including Bedford Borough Council.
Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson said:
“This project produces a win-win situation, with real benefits for local taxpayers and for our environment.
“Improvements to the Council’s properties will help to reduce their running costs and impact on the environment as well as generating a regular and sustainable income for the Council long into the future.”
Richard Smith, energy director of Mitie’s Technical Facilities Management business, commented:
“The UK is facing a future squeeze on energy supply and much higher energy prices. Through the RE:FIT programme, projects incorporating energy reduction and renewable technologies are contributing to a more sustainable future, while keeping costs down for taxpayers.”
The next project will see the conversion of existing oil fired boilers to gas at Borough Hall, followed by the installation of a biomass boiler at the site.
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For further information, contact:
Bell Pottinger
Chris Watts
T: 0207 861 2859
E: cwatts@bell-pottinger.co.uk
