Overview
The London Borough of Southwark is made up of 21 wards. The mid-year population estimate for 2012 estimated the population of Southwark to be 293,530.
Southwark Council has set a challenging target to reduce carbon emissions in the borough by 80 per cent of current levels by 2050.
The Problem
The council identified car parks as one of the areas where energy saving could be achieved.
Car parks see some of our most impressive savings. The combination of heavy lighting loads and long operational hours mean a high proportion of the unit’s capacity is used for longer – improving the Return on Investment.
Lighting is particularly susceptible to losses at high voltage and, by bringing the voltage to the correct level, savings can be delivered with no discernible drop in light levels.
Our Solution
As part of Southwark Council’s carbon emission reduction commitment, the Council has installed three powerPerfector units – including at a ten storey car park in Peckham.
Voltage logging at the car park showed that the average voltage was 240 volts, 10V higher than the nominal supply in the UK and 20V higher than the optimum voltage for the electrical loads on site.
The Results
Following the installation, there was no change to the operation of the building, however the energy savings started instantaneously and continue every day at the site. Four months after the installation the electricity consumption was analysed to find a reduction in electricity use of 19.3 per cent, equating to an annual carbon dioxide emissions saving of 77,500kg.
As well as reducing energy consumption, powerPerfector reduces the strain on your equipment, and many of our clients tell us that this increases its lifespan.