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Naval Base crowned top energy savers
4 April 2017
HM Naval Base Clyde has topped the list of all MOD establishments for energy saving, with DIO's Energy, Utilities and Sustainability (EUS) recently visiting the base to present a certificate marking the achievement.
Each year the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) presents awards to the MOD sites in the UK which have made the largest percentage reduction of cost and kilowatt hours.
The awards are linked to the Tri-Annual Demand (TRiAD) system, which in basic terms sees non-domestic energy users - like the MOD - charged extra during periods of peak electricity demand.
HM Naval Base Clyde recently came first in the "Cost avoidance and savings" category and also gained first place for "Kilowatt hour usage reduction" at the DIO awards.
This is a substantial achievement for HM Naval Base Clyde exceeding our environmental commitments and supporting Sustainable MOD Strategy.
Alan Black, Assistant Head of Facilities Management, said: "This is a substantial achievement for HM Naval Base Clyde exceeding our environmental commitments and supporting Sustainable MOD Strategy. We will continue to support the TRiAD initiative in the future."
Power normally costs around eight pence per kilowatt hour, but this year during the periods a TRiAD is declared, the price has risen to £47 per kilowatt hour. The DIO has been working hard to reduce energy use during these periods with Area Utilities Managers undertaking a number of energy saving initiatives across MOD sites.
Managing the Naval Base's measures are the MOD Estates Team - John Hanlon, Alan Black, Mary Thomson and Joanne Kennedy - who are also promoting energy saving projects such as the fitting of new, more efficient, steam boilers.
Speaking of the achievement, the team's Joanne Kennedy said: "I am very glad to see that my input is bringing success to Sustainability Measures for HM Naval Base Clyde."
TRiAD periods are calculated at the end of the year by taking the three half-hour periods of peak electricity demand, averaging them and then multiplying by a higher amount. The MOD is not told in advance when the three periods are going to be, so alerts are issued to advise that it might be a TRiAD day and local energy saving plans can be put into place.
Last year there were eleven TRiAD alerts issued, with ten of them accurately predicting periods of peak demand. With the assistance of Babcock Marine Nuclear Operations Team, the Naval Base was switched to diesel generators during TRiAD alerts.