At the time of purchasing the building, there were several things we were certain we wanted to do; and committing to reducing carbon emissions was a no-brainer! It’s important to us to be an environmentally conscious coworking space.
Prior to refurbishment, we decided to apply for a grant from Green BELLE (Green Business Energy in Leicester and Leicestershire). Green BELLE supports SMEs (small and medium business enterprises) in Leicester and Leicestershire to increase their efficiency, reduce energy costs and lower carbon emissions.
As with any application, the process did take a good while, but we were absolutely thrilled to learn that our full application was successful. Green BELLE have since provided a grant towards the cost of installing LED lighting, Heating Replacement, Solar PV panels and Cavity Wall Insulation.
What are the benefits of these?
• LED lighting
LED lights have a smaller carbon footprint. Compared to incandescent or compact fluorescent lights, greenhouse gas emissions associated with LED lights are considerably lower. LED lights are more energy efficient, provide minimal heat loss and reduce light pollution. Furthermore, LED lights don’t use harmful chemicals, have a long life and because they have no UV content, they’re the least appealing to insects (which is always nice). LED lights are also proven to be one of the best artificial light sources available to help plants of all kind grow – which is just another positive thing to help purify the air around us.
• Heating Replacement
Nothing is powered by gas in our building. Instead, we utilise solar energy for heating support through our air power conditioning units. Our hot water is also powered with electric sourced from our solar panels. Unlike fossil fuels, solar energy positively impacts the environment because it is carbon neutral and uses no pollutants.
• Solar PV panels
It’s important to us that we can power our building in a more environmentally conscious way, rather than just buying more power from the grid. We opted for solar energy as it’s a renewable source of power, plays a vital role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to alleviating climate change.
• Cavity Wall Insulation
Poor wall insulation accounts for around 25 to 45% of all the heat lost in an uninsulated building. By ensuring our building has cavity wall insulation, we have reduced our costs and saved further energy.
What positive effect have these implemented changes had?
In the first 12 months following installation of the waste compactor using the Green BELLE grant, we have saved the equivalent of 5 tonnes of CO2!
This is not a one-off reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We should continue to make similar annual savings, as well as knowing we’re doing all we can to help the environment.
If our values align with yours, and you share our passion for helping the planet, then be safe in the knowledge that when you choose to rent a hot desk, or hire our meeting room, everything is powered in an environmentally conscious way.
We all have a responsibility to do whatever we can to make a positive difference, and we’re proud to say that we’re doing just that!
Oh, and we also recycle (obviously).
