Managing energy in a sub-let office

This event set out to tackle barriers to getting going on reducing your energy use in a sub-let office. A full report of the event can be found here.

The event was hosted by Business in the Community (BITC) at the Start Living shop; a venue and exhibition space in an impressive city centre location dedicated to encouraging individuals to take green steps in their lives. After a green-themed icebreaker (bingo!), delegates were asked to individually identify the barriers to measuring, monitoring and reducing energy use within their respective organisation and workspace.  With a diverse range of companies and organisations in attendance, the results provided an insightful overview into the perceived factors working against carbon reduction across the region.  Barriers included office mindset, staff motivation, lack of energy data, poor communication with landlord, lack of resources and nature of business.

Having identified the barriers the group then turned their attention to solutions.  With a room full of experience, delegates exchanged ideas and picked apart the barriers with their knowhow and examples of best practice.  Solutions included award schemes, green reps, tenant groups, building the business case, energy monitors, task lighting (per desk), publishing of metrics, social media (Facebook groups to rally people) and a staff green code.

The session concluded with three presentations.  The first, by the Centre for Sustainable Energy’s (CSE) Martin Holley, talked through the CSE’s strategy for knocking an additional 10% off existing, already ambitious, carbon reduction targets.  Martin discussed how ongoing gas and electricity monitoring is used to create a thorough and accurate picture of energy use in the CSE head office.  Energy monitors are connected to a dedicated PC and software is used to analyse data.

The second, by the Audit Commission’s Paul Bowtell, discussed guidelines for carbon reduction across government estates and strategy behind the “greenest government ever”. Paul talked through energy saving measures such as identifying and implementing an “optimal core hours window” for heating and cooling, and measures to eliminate unnecessary or redundant internal or external lighting – going on to explain that lighting can account for up to 40% of an organisation’s electricity bill.

The final presentation, by Benchmark Software’s Simon Harvey, highlighted the business case for carbon reduction within an SME.  Benchmark Software is the first SME in the country to achieve carbon standard accreditation; Simon discussed how this is more than just an exercise in saving money.  The business case for Benchmark is strong – it allows them to stand out in the crowd and is identified as a decision breaker for customers looking to “green” their supply chain.