NHS Oldham - carbon management
NHS Oldham has significant targets for carbon reduction and for the energy performance of its buildings, and Green2Go (G2G) is working to help it achieve those targets.
G2G is firmly committed to helping organisations minimise any adverse impact their activities may have on the environment and actively champions new and innovative green technologies that can offer significant advantages in terms of energy and carbon performance.
G2G is working closely with NHS Oldham to perform carbon reduction assessments across the Trust’s built estate.
The assessment measures how a building’s existing carbon footprint compares with best practice, identifies where energy is inefficiently used or wasted and establishes the attitudes of staff towards energy management. These findings provide a firm basis for a wide range of practical and bespoke recommendations for improving energy efficiency and therefore reducing NHS Oldham’s carbon emissions.
G2G bio-fuel generating systems have been installed in the new Oldham Integrated Care Centre and Chadderton Wellbeing Centre and will be installed in Royton Health and Wellbeing Centre which is currently under construction.
These combined power and heat (CPH) generating systems are powered by a 100% sustainable bio-fuel manufactured from waste used cooking oil.
As well as delivering electricity to the building, the generating systems also produce heat as a by-product, which is harnessed to provide low cost heating and hotwater. The CPH generating systems deliver a carbon reduction in excess of 80%, far exceeding the local planning requirement of 10% on-site generation.
In addition, the systems are fully synchronised with the National Grid, allowing them to export electricity during periods of low demand from the host site. This excess electricity is then sold on to other facilities and delivered to them via the National Grid. The electricity supplied in this way has exactly the same green credentials as if the building had a CPH system installed. In practice, this means that NHS Oldham can power its existing estate with electricity from the G2G generating systems that have been installed in its new-build facilities.
A collection scheme for waste used cooking oil to help fuel the generating systems is already in place. The scheme collects from the local community, public buildings and businesses across Oldham.
This ensures improved cost effectiveness in terms of running costs, minimises the impact on the environment through a lower carbon footprint, and makes use of a product which would otherwise end up blocking drains or as expensive landfill.