Buildings

This page provides information relating to the improvements that can be made to buildings to reduce your company's environmental impact. You can also see what steps Wealden District Council is taking to make energy savings in its buildings.

What Businesses Can Do
What Wealden is Doing

What Businesses Can Do

Businesses can make energy savings in buildings in a variety of ways:

Regular Maintenance of Buildings

Checking insulation, windows, and for damp will help ensure that your building is not using excess energy it will also help maintain a better working environment. The Carbon Trust website provides details on improvements you can make.

Improve Building Fabric

When renovating look to improve building fabric Measures such as double glazing and insulation can help make buildings more energy efficient, heat loss accounts for around 15% of a buildings total energy cost. The Carbon Trust website provides details on improvements you can make.

Use Environmentally Friendly Materials

When renovating look to use recycled materials and materials with a low environmental impact.

The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) provides a directory of recycled materials.

Heating and Air Conditioning Controls

Controlling heating and air conditioning more effectively will help save energy and reduce costs. Adjusting thermostats rather than opening windows during winter, for example.

Utilise Microgeneration

Microgenerataion, or micropower, from sun, wind, hydro or other renewable resources can help meet businesses energy needs while helping to lower carbon dioxide emission. The Micropower website provides further information on what micropower is and how to use it.

BERR - Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Visit the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) website for information about obtaining a grant from the Low Carbon Buildings programme.

What Wealden is Doing

Wealden District Council has already taken the following steps to reduce the environmental impact of its buildings:

Tackling Energy Efficiency

Energy Management has been carried out in the Council's own properties since 1987, with the introduction of the Council’s first energy control scheme (one of the first in the UK and the subject of an Energy Efficiency Office grant and national report).

Achieving Efficiency in Buildings

In 1993, the Council brought in an Energy Plan. This plan set out to:

Achieve a high standard of energy efficiency in current and future buildings.
Maintain and use the properties efficiently and in the context of this plan, particularly the heat source and distribution, ventilation and thermal insulation.
Minimise CO2 emissions to a level consistent with the achievement of objectives 'a' and 'b'.

Raising Awareness of Microgeneration

Wealden has started using microgenration at our award-winning public toilets in Pevensey Bay.

Tap water is heated using solar panels, and the roof mounted wind turbine generates electricity to run the car park pay and display machine. It also has a rain water collection system to flush the toilets.