Best Practice Save Energy

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Best Practice

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Monitor Energy Use

The first step in managing energy use is to conduct a site audit and identify where energy is being used and possibly wasted. Free advice is available from The Green Blue and our Sustainable Facilities Officer would be pleased to help you with this. Another option is to complete our online self assessment tool, The Marine Toolkit, which can help you to identify usage and potential savings.

Once sources of energy consumption have been identified, an energy saving plan can be drawn up and measures put in place to reduce energy consumption. The most obvious sources of energy use will be lighting and heating. Many facilities will also have power available outside for maintenance activities.

It is helpful to conduct a site audit at least twice a year so that seasonal differences can be taken into account – e.g. if you conduct an audit in summer, you may not notice if winter heating controls are set incorrectly.

It is also prudent to monitor your meter readings and energy bills so that any steep increases in energy use are spotted. If the heating controls are set incorrectly for example, heating may come on at night when club buildings are empty, but this would not necessarily be noticed unless someone is monitoring the bills/meter.

Low Cost Measures

Nominate someone to monitor energy use regularly
Install energy efficient light bulbs
Adopt a switch off policy
Insulate heating pipes
Check room temperature and thermostat settings are between 18 and 21 degrees
Turn off heating in unused rooms
Ensure fridges and vending machines are installed away from heat sources and south facing windows
Turn down hot water thermostats to 60 degrees. (60 degrees is recommended as the lowest to prevent breeding Legionnella)
Keep windows clean to ensure maximum natural light
Ensure radiators are not obstructed by furniture
Fit draft excluders to doors and windows
Install automatic switches on hand and hair dryers
Switch to a proven green tariff for electricity supply
Try a paperless approach or if printing is essential, set printers to double-sided
Take advantage of tax incentives to invest in energy saving equipment
Clean filters and extractor fans to keep them working efficiently
Regularly maintain and service heating
Complete the Marine Toolkit

Higher cost measures

Install light sensors which will automatically switch off lights when no one is around
Insulate wall and roof cavities
Install double glazing
Replace hot water tanks which heat and store water with an efficient instant “heat on demand” or combi system
Install solar hot water heating panels
Install photovoltaic cells - Check out the feed in tariff
Install wind generators
Invest in power down equipment to switch off non essential equipment at night

Find out more

Case Studies	Marina Managers Tour of the Netherlands Greening a Visitor Attraction Environmental Audits Easy Ways to Go Green Developing a Green Inland Marina

Fact Sheets	Environmental Tax Incentives Green Grants in Scotland

Useful Links Save energy and money Advice for BMF Mambers Advice for Clubs Low Carbon Building Programme	The Marine Toolkit The Energy Saving Trust The Carbon Trust British Marine Federation Businesses Link Royal Yachting Assiciation Department of Energy and Climate Change