Reducing our energy consumption
In order to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the Council have published a Carbon Management Action Plan.
Our target is a 14% reduction in the Council’s carbon dioxide emissions by 2009/10, compared to our 2001/02 levels. To support this aim the Council is investing £100,000 a year in energy saving measures.
The Council’s ‘Carbon Management Group’ is continually seeking out new initiatives to reduce the Council’s carbon footprint. One such initiative is the use of biomass heating boilers in our buildings. A trial system at Beacon Community College in Crowborough was installed in 2006 and could save up to 600 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The system has already won a prize at the South East Renewable Energy Awards.
Other initiatives include:
- better heating control systems in council buildings
- green electricity supplied to all council buildings including schools
- green electricity now supplied to 6% of street lighting
- an award-winning scheme to heat a school extension at Upper Dicker near Hailsham using a ground source heat pump.
We are also considering the use of wind turbines and occupancy lighting controls.
