A radical change to Borough Hall’s heating system has seen Bedford Borough Council reduce carbon dioxide emissions and generate renewable energy.
A biomass boiler has been installed in Borough Hall, taking priority in providing heat to the building and significantly reducing its carbon footprint. The biomass boiler has generated 218mWh of heat, which is equal to over £11,000 income from the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
This boiler works by creating heat and energy from biomass fuel- in this case, wood pellets. These are a sustainable fuel source and environmentally friendly as the carbon dioxide released on combustion is offset by what the plant absorbed. The Council sources pellets from the UK, minimising the carbon footprint of transport, and uses high quality pellets which produce energy more efficiently.
In addition, Borough Hall’s heating system has been converted to operate on natural gas rather than oil, which has seen 200 tonnes less carbon dioxide created in just one year.
This is just a couple of examples in a series of Council measures to save money and protect the environment via renewable energy, including the installation of the successful Archimedes screw hydropower facility on the River Great Ouse.
Mayor Dave Hodgson said “In 2011, we adopted an aspirational target to reduce carbon emissions across Council buildings by 40% and carried out a wide range of works to make that happen. In 2016/17 we achieved this, reducing our carbon footprint by 43%, while cutting energy use and saving taxpayers money. Climate change is a global challenge, and I am proud that in Bedford Borough we are doing our bit to drive down carbon emissions and be more sustainable.”
