Utilise Plus Event Report: Energy Saving Workshop in Crawley

Delegates arrived at Avensys in Crawley on a bright June morning for an Energy Saving Workshop, part of the Sustainable Business Partnership CIC’s ongoing Utilise Plus programme. These interactive half-day sessions equip delegates with the confidence and knowledge for tackling energy use in their organisations.

The SBP CIC’s Jack Dale welcomed delegates and introduced the session, before handing over to BHESCo’s energy-saving expert, Kayla Ente, who delivered the workshop. The group outlined their own specific goals for the day, which included addressing ongoing issues as well as identifying new energy and cost saving opportunities.

Once Kayla outlined the business case for making energy savings, Alaric Wood – Technical Director at Avensys – gave a short talk on the energy savings they’ve made around their site, including saving an impressive 75 tonnes of CO2 from installing solar panels. Alaric then treated us to a tour to see these measures in action! These included Quooker taps providing boiling water instantly and efficiently, as well as electric forklifts being used in their warehouse rather than their gas-guzzling alternative. In addition to this, their show-room boasted a wide array of smart technologies, such as ‘smart lights’ which turned off when they sensed that the blinds were open and can be dimmed using an iPad. Alaric noted that these technologies are ideal for new-builds so that they can be planned in advance and integrated easily. Retrofitting is possible but can often include greater installation costs. Taking a slight detour from energy efficiency, Alaric concluded the tour by showing us their state-of-the-art cinema room which has been carefully crafted to provide maximum comfort and audio quality (which we can all vouch for!).

After the tour, the group were motivated to take action on their energy use. After some practical group exercises, Kayla presented various methods of saving energy – some quick-win and others long-term, both behavioural changes as well as physical technologies. With this plethora of energy saving information, it was then time to put pen to paper and start action planning! Delegates created their own, unique Action Plans, tailored to their organisation’s specific needs, allowing them to clearly identify their objectives and the ways in which they can be achieved.

At the end of the session, SBP CIC were delighted to be able to offer follow-up support to delegates with other Utilise Plus services, including grant funding and an energy audit. The delegates seemed very pleased with the session too, with Opus Innovation’s Laura de Klerk calling the workshop “well presented and informative,” while Seraphim’s Robert Wilson noted that he’d “highly recommend to others.”

This event was held in partnership with the Manor Royal Business Improvement District and Crawley College and was fully-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). At the Sustainable Business Partnership CIC, we’re always looking for enthusiastic event partners, interesting venues, and inspirational speakers. If you’d like to work with us, please get in touch.