Cheltenham Borough Council is investing £151,000 into new systems which will monitor the energy usage of various flagship buildings in a bid to reduce their bills.
Iconic Cheltenham buildings such as the Pittville Pump Rooms, The Wilson and the council’s own offices will get these systems as part of the building management scheme. The scheme, funded by the council’s Green Investment Deal, will help to fight climate change and also ease the budget squeeze the council is facing.
A wise investment
Climate emergency cabinet member Alisha Lewis said that investments like the monitoring systems pay for themselves and save money in the long run as they ensure that energy use is properly managed and maintained.
The systems help to make sure that no appliances or electrical systems are operating when they needn’t be. They also allow staff to manage everything remotely, so if there’s an unexpected rise in ambient temperature, the buildings’ heating can be turned down or off to reduce fuel consumption.
Making the way for solar
Reducing the energy consumption of the buildings strengthens the case for installing solar panels in the future, as well as producing financial savings. Lewis described the moves as “A win-win case,”.
More savings in the pipeline
Cheltenham Borough Council has also applied for government funding for feasibility studies for the potential launch of two heat networks in the town. These networks could heat hundreds of homes and businesses in Cheltenham.
Council chiefs are interested in collecting the heat generated from various mechanical processes and commercial kitchens and using it to heat the water in a network of underground pipes. These pipes can supply designated homes and premises via a heat exchanger. Buildings benefitting from this network will no longer need boilers.
Heat networks work best in high-density areas such as town centres and Cheltenham’s town centre is one of the potential sites for the network’s source, with the other being the Golden Valley Development.
