Avon Fire and Rescue Service is making strides towards its Net Zero carbon emissions commitment by utilising a £823,670 Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) grant.
As one of the only fire and rescue services to receive funding from the PSDS scheme, Avon FRS continues to lead the way with ambitious plans to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions across its estate.
After receiving confirmation of the grant on 10 February 2021, and following consultation with staff, work has begun across the service. So far, it has installed: cavity walls, roof and plant room insulation; new LED lighting; double glazed doors and windows; and upgraded heating controls and meters.
Thanks to the grant, Avon FRS has now partnered with Solarsense who will design and install a range of renewable energy and low carbon technology projects at Bedminster, Nailsea, Lansdown and Southmead Stations, and at the service’s Nova Way Technical Centre. This will include a combination of air source heat pumps, solar electricity panels, and solar thermal and battery energy storage systems. The partnership also provides the service with an ongoing mechanism to deliver additional future projects as part of Avon FRS’s Net Zero carbon commitment.
Annabel Harford, Environmental Manager at Avon FRS, said, “We are delighted to have this opportunity to accelerate the decarbonisation of our buildings as a key step towards our sector-leading goal to achieve Net Zero carbon by 2030. These projects are predicted to deliver an annual reduction of almost 7% in our carbon emissions and will help generate savings as our reliance on fossil fuels and imported energy decreases.”
The PSDS-funded projects will improve the energy efficiency of the service’s estate, make buildings more comfortable for users, reduce the use of carbon-intensive gas and heating oil, and self-generating more renewable electricity.
Annabel added, “As a fire and rescue service we have a long way to go in fully decarbonising our vehicles and stations, and as one of the only services to receive a grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, I’m proud of the strides we are making to achieve our ambitious plans.”
