Network Update – March 2015

Welcome to March’s Network Update. This month; Meet Willmott Dixon; LED lighting case studies; Free EV charging points

Meet Willmott Dixon

One of the UK’s largest construction and property companies, Willmott Dixon are looking to grow their supply chain in Sussex. Their construction and interiors teams are interested in meeting local businesses of all sizes from a range of trades, including electrical contractors, heating engineers, plumbers, carpenters, glazers, scaffolders and other construction professions. Event details.

LED Lighting Case Studies from West Sussex

West Sussex businesses are looking forward to combined energy cost savings of over £16,000 after installing LED lighting, with the support of grant funding from West Sussex County Council.

The Holbrook Club in Horsham replaced halogen spotlights with LED equivalents. With an existing mix of low-voltage and mains-voltage fittings, some rewiring was required. Manager Paul Felgate explained, “In the gym we had to install new transformers to suit the LED bulbs. In the main hall however, the GU10 fittings were already compatible. The lighting level is great and we are all very pleased with the results.” The club are expecting to save 15,400 kWh of electricity each year, reducing their energy bill by over £1,500. Full case study.

Upcoming Breakfast Events… Littlehampton & Brighton

The line-ups for our next Sustainable Business Breakfast learning and networking events have been finalised. On the 21st April in Littlehampton we’ll hear from case study the Woodhorn Group about their 5 MW solar farm and LED specialists JCC Lighting. On the 7th May in Brighton our case study is Glyndebourne Opera House and topic expert Brighton Paper Round. We hope to see you there!

Government Moves to Simplify Tender Process

New regulations have been introduced with the aim of reducing the burden on businesses looking to compete for public sector work. Pre-qualification questionnaires are no longer allowed to be used as part of the tender process for contracts below an EU threshold set for goods and services of (currently) £112,000 in central government and £173,000 outside central government. All contracts worth over £50,000 must also be published on the Contracts Finder website.

Free EV Charging Points for Leisure & Hospitality Sector

Zero Carbon World, a registered charity, are giving away 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations to UK businesses in the hotel and leisure industry, as part of their mission to create a sustainable decarbonised society. The business must cover the cost of installation, typically £400 to £500, and make sure the charging station is available for customer use, not just reserved for staff. Full details.

And finally…

Opportunity for solar PV suppliers – Tender details
South Cambridgeshire District Council tender for rent-your-roof style programme.

Sustainable Sussex – Project profile
Can you help? Community project seeks tools and compost.

Business Matters Awards – Categories
For the Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex area. Nominations open 19th March. Who’ll win Green Business of the Year?

End of Your Financial Year? – Tax relief details
Enhanced Capital Allowances are available for energy and water efficient equipment purchases.

The Brightest Ideas in Energy Efficiency – RBS article
The Sustainable Business Partnership’s Rowan Wallis contributes.