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The capital’s fire service is celebrating winning an award for its energy portal, which is helping reduce energy usage across its estate, enabling it to become a more sustainable organisation.
The Energy Portal is a module within the Building Energy Management System (BEMS) which controls around 65 per cent of the energy used by the Brigade’s 103 fire stations.
The Energy Portal, which was introduced to the Brigade in January 2022, won the Building Management Low Carbon Initiative Award at the highly acclaimed Energy Awards held in July. It was also nominated for Energy Efficient Partnership of the Year, for the development of the system with Nordomatic.
Thanks to an accessible and interactive implementation of the system across the Brigade’s estate, the Energy Portal allows staff to monitor the amount of energy being consumed across the Brigade’s estate, encouraging them to cut the amount of energy consumed (like a home Smart Meter).
The BEMS also allows the Brigade’s Technical Assurance team to virtually control heating and hot water systems. Meanwhile, any system issues can be promptly addressed through an alarm that notifies the Brigade’s property department.
Between April 2022 and March 2023, the amount of energy used was cut by 17 per cent, surpassing a target set by the Brigade of 10 per cent.
“We are proud to have been recognised at the Energy Awards. The implementation of the Energy Portal has been really successful and we are so pleased by the response and engagement from our staff. Collectively, we all have a part to play in the fight against climate change and the way this system has been set up allows people to do just that.
“We are committed to becoming a more sustainable organisation, which will help support the Mayor of London’s ambitions to make London carbon net zero by 2030. Saving energy also helps to save money, which can be reinvested into our services.”
Mitch Layng, Carbon and Utilities Manager at London Fire Brigade.
Sustainable initiatives
The Brigade is developing its own comprehensive carbon net zero strategy and, in 2022, it unveiled its first ever carbon net zero fire station in Walthamstow.
This was achieved by removing the use of gas, with new electric heat pumps providing the source for heating and hot water. Solar panels have been installed on the roof, helping to produce electricity, and energy efficient lighting helps reduce energy by as much as 60 per cent.
By the end of 2024, a further five fire stations are due to be carbon net zero and funding has been secured to decarbonise a further 12 stations by the end of 2026.
Away from fire stations, the Brigade’s fleet of emergency cars that respond to incidents are all electric and the development of the first zero emission pumping appliance is in progress.
Hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) is also being introduced to help fuel some appliances, such as fire engines. Sometimes known as Renewable Diesel, HVO is created by collecting vegetable fats and oils and putting them through a hydrogenation and isomerisation process which removes impunities. HVO reduces carbon emissions from vehicles by about 90 per cent.
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