The national NHS target for reducing the use of primary energy is 15% from 2000 to 2010. To help achieve this saving, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (ICNHT) embarked on a continuous-commissioning project, working with the Carbon Trust and ABS Consulting. This approach, devised by ABS Consulting, develops a strategic approach to the operation of buildings that delivers the optimum cost and value to the occupier. It enables energy consumption to be limited to meet business needs and provide a safe and comfortable environment for occupants.
A key part of the strategy was to identify pilot schemes with the potential for replication. Pilot schemes were monitored, improved, monitored again and savings calculated before full-scale implementation. Investment in repeating the improvement was seen by the financial officers as an obvious next step.
Improvement in the operation of building-management systems and air-handling units achieved energy savings of 9600 MWh, worth £256 000 a year and representing a reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions of 2424 t a year.
Low-cost and continuous-commissioning initiatives achieved energy savings of 2500 MWh a year, representing 750 t of carbon dioxide.
Lighting and controls delivered savings of 3960 MWh a year, representing 1750 t of carbon dioxide.
The installation of variable-speed drives and EFF1 motors is reducing energy use by 2420 MWh a year, representing 1040 t of carbon dioxide.
The total reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions is 5964 t a year.
The use of continuous commissioning by ICHNT has demonstrated its worth in delivering cost-effective reduction in carbon emissions.
