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Boilers drive 'green' campaign
Steam boilers are being replaced at Bradford City Hall and Ilkley Town Hall with new high-efficiency gas boilers and biomass boilers as part of ambitious plans to slash the council's carbon emissions.
Work is under way on installing the biomass boilers, which will be fuelled by woodchips from the council's woodlands and cash has been set aside to explore sites for wind turbines which include a Bradford primary school, Wibsey depot and Richard Dunn Sports Centre.
But this is just the tip of the ice-berg enshrined in the authority's carbon management Strategic Implementation Plan which spells out how the council can reduce its energy consumption, use more renewable energy sources and reduce its impact on the environment to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 20 per by 2011-12
Bradford Council's Executive will be asked, when it meets on Tuesday to back the five-year implementation plan, which is predicted to save the council 6.4m and reduce CO2 emissions by 23,762 tonnes.
Some of the measures are already under way or have secured funding, such as timer switches to ensure vending machines, photocopiers, water coolers and other office equipment are switched off automatically when buildings are not in use and inverter switches at council-run swimming pools to slow down energy-guzzling pumps.
But the Executive's backing would allow officers to apply for more than 1m of funding for some of the programmes more aspirational elements.
Bradford Council's assistant director, facilities management, Mark Steed, said: "Fundamentally there are a number of strands to this: investment in technology, raising staff awareness and looking at how we procure or generate on-site energy. We have put a plan in place that could be developed and we are looking for support to take that forward.
"We have had a lot of support from the CarbonTrust in terms of identifying opportunities with a quick pay back. It makes financial sense and environmental sense."
The council already harvests rainwater to wash its refuse vehicles and to water seedlings used in its parks but wants to explore the possibility of using rainwater in flushing toilets.
Other elements on the wish-list include exploring greater use of biofuels in cars and looking at streamlining its 16 administrative offices across the area.
As well as reducing carbon emissions, the measures will also save the council money on energy costs in the long-term.
In spring 2006, the council renewed its energy contracts for gas and electricity. Prices rose by about 70 per cent, raising the budget requirements by about 4.5m for all council buildings for a full financial year.
The council's executive member for environment and culture, Anne Hawkesworth, said: "Bradford Council is leading by example in reducing its impact on the environment, and we hope to inspire local residents and businesses to follow suit.
"There is so much we can do to reduce energy consumption without having an impact on the services we deliver, from switching off lights when we leave the room to replacing our old boilers with more efficient ones. I look forward to seeing these initiatives in practice."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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