Lighting work lowers levels of school energy use

A new phase of work at a school will continue to reduce the site’s carbon footprint.

Denbighshire County Council’s Energy Team has completed phase 2 at Ysgol Tir Morfa to reduce site carbon emissions.

The Council is working to reduce its building estate carbon footprint which is responsible for over 60 percent of direct emissions.

Early this year the Energy Team oversaw the installation of two Ecomod air source heatpumps at the school by UK boiler manufacturer Ideal which use air temperature and electricity to generate heat in place of a gas boiler.

The heatpumps are helping lower carbon emissions and costs compared to a traditional boiler. They use air temperature to turn 1 unit of electricity into over 3 units of heat.

In addition,  two solar PV arrays and battery storage were installed to help generate electricity to power the heat pumps and store any ‘excess’ and otherwise exported electricity produced by the solar PV, further reducing fuel bills and carbon emissions.

Now the team have installed LED lighting at the school which needs less energy to function.

The LED lighting was installed over the summer holidays  and will save a further 6 tonnes of carbon emissions per year as well as reducing the electricity costs.

Robert Jones, Principal Energy Manager said: “It’s been great to get back to Ysgol Tir Morfa who were so accommodating during the Easter holidays when we came to install the heat pumps and solar PV. By adding the LED lighting system this is going to help the school even more with lowering their carbon emissions and energy usage.”

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “This is great work by our Energy Team to help the school continue to drive down their carbon emissions and energy costs by the installation of these new LED lighting systems alongside the previously installed heat pumps and solar PV. The Council is grateful that the school has been so supportive of this new technology.”