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Cardiff approves retrofit in bid to become carbon-neutral
Re:Fit programme will save energy and continue progress towards the Welsh capital’s One Planet Cardiff programme, launched to tackle the climate emergency.
Plans to retrofit 23 council buildings to make them more energy-efficient in the Welsh capital of Cardiff have been approved.
The work forms part of the City’s One Planet Cardiff programme to become carbon neutral.
Green electricity
Green, locally sourced electricity already provides the power for council buildings wherever possible. But the 22 school buildings provisionally identified for the first round of the programme alongside Channel View Leisure Centre, still produce 1,595.7 tonnes of CO2e (equivalent) annually, at a cost of more than £1.1m for 7.7million kWh of energy.
The Re:Fit programme, which is managed and run via Local Partnerships (LP), a joint venture between the Local Government Association, HM Treasury and the Welsh Government, will guarantee minimum 15 per cent energy, carbon- and cost-savings.
The intention is that the work will be financed by the Salix managed Wales Funding Programme, which allows public sector bodies to apply for flexible interest-free loans for energy-saving projects.
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“The Re:Fit programme offers an opportunity for us to reduce costs, save energy and continue the good work that has contributed to a 12.3 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from the council’s estate since launching our One Planet Cardiff response to the climate emergency,” said cabinet member for investment and development, councillor Russell Goodway.
A Re:Fit service provider will be appointed for a four-year period, with delivery of retrofit measures in the first group of buildings to take place in 2024-25. Subsequent groups will then follow over the next four years.
“The Re:Fit programme offers an opportunity for us to reduce costs, save energy and continue the good work that has contributed to a 12.3 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from the council’s estate”
Further buildings that would benefit from investment in retrofit measures will be identified for delivery during the remainder of the contract, in order to help achieve the ambitious target, set out in the Council’s One Planet Cardiff strategy, of a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from the council’s operational and schools estate by 2030.
Previous version of the Re:Fit scheme have already seen 19 schools benefit from more than £3m of investment in a range of energy conservation measures, including solar PV, building management systems, direct hot water passive infrared sensors (PIRS), fridge freezer motor controls, LED lighting upgrades, valve jackets and tea boiler PIRS.
The council reports the investment has resulted in:
- Energy savings of c.3.87million kWh per year
- Carbon savings of c.1,123 tonnes/CO2e per year
- Cost savings of c. £328,000 per year.
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How will the Re:Fit programme achieve 15% energy savings in buildings?What retrofit measures contribute most to reducing carbon emissions?How does the Salix Wales Funding Programme support energy projects?What role do building management systems play in energy conservation?How will retrofit investments impact operational costs in council buildings?
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