LED retrofit reduces energy use by 21% for South Western Railway
South Western Railway (SWR) has delivered a 21% reduction in the energy consumption of its properties, following the installation of more than 16,000 LED light fittings across its properties.
SWR has committed to reducing the energy consumption of its building portfolio by 41% by 2024
SWR has committed to reducing the energy consumption of its building portfolio by 41% by 2024, against a 2015 baseline. The company has today confirmed that the installation of 16,180 LED lights to replace older bulbs has contributed to a 4.9m kWh reduction in energy usage across 165 stations.
Between 2015 and 2020, the equivalent of 1,164 tonnes of carbon emissions has been avoided, as a result of the retrofit. Lights have also been replaced in car parks, footways, cycleways and footbridges that fall within SWR’s lease.
SWR’s head of sustainability Amelia Woodley said: “We are passionate about sustainability and continue to introduce improvements that help us reduce our environmental impact. Like all businesses, we have a responsibility to constantly review and improve practices.
“We hope, when travel restrictions ease and we welcome more customers back to the railway, that people will notice the difference and feel safer at our stations thanks to the new lighting.”
SWR is also committed to a reduction of traction-related carbon emissions by 56% by 2024 by improving fleet efficiency. Solar photovoltaic technology is also being used to help reach the property emissions target.
The company has also pledged to measure and reduce embodied carbon of any new infrastructure project costing more than £1m in design and construction. The World Green Building Council reports that operational emissions (from energy used to heat, cool and light buildings) accounts for 28% of the built environment sector’s 39% contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. The remaining 11% derives from embodied carbon emissions found in the material and construction processes across a building’s entire lifecycle.
Additionally, SWR is committed to delivering at least an 18.8% reduction in water consumption through water-saving measures.
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With industry responsible for around a fifth of UK greenhouse gas emissions, the deployment of innovative energy efficiency technologies and systems is critical to improving the energy intensity of industrial processes.
edie’s online masterclass on energy efficiency, featuring expert speakers from BEIS, Bam Nuttall and the Carbon Trust, is now available to watch on-demand.
The 45-minute masterclass is free to watch on demand. It explores the role that energy efficiency will play on the road to net-zero for industrial business. It was hosted in association with Carbon Trust and BEIS on 10 March.
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Matt Mace
