Environmental Audit Case Studies

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)

The following examples show how a building can be made.

Reduce Lighting Costs

By changing tungsten bulbs to modern low-energy lamps it is possible to raise productivity by providing optimum illuminance in factories and offices. An increase in output of as little as 0.3% will pay for the capital cost of new lighting over the average factory floor.

Reduce maintenance costs

Compact fluorescents last eight times as long as filament lamps which can cut maintenance costs by more than 80%. A local authority discovered that the labour cost for changing a single filament lamp in sheltered accommodation was 40 times the cost of a new modern lamp. So a change to compact fluorescents has given savings in maintenance costs as well as a 75% saving in energy costs.

Environmental Management System (EMS) Audit

Energy Use and Waste

The EMS audit was applied to an office block and warehouse located in Humberside. The warehouse contained containers used for the storage of consumer goods. After the completion of the audit the benefits to the company included a 25% reduction in the use of electricity with an improved legal compliance with environmental legislation. There was also a 3% reduction in grey water and 20% reduction in waster usage. The auditor also improved the maintenance plans of the business which reduced the downtime on essential plant.

Reduce waste, increase recycling and improve safety

Owners of an office block which was also used for the storage of goods wanted to implement ISO14001. Our auditors took into account all the legal requirements of the site and also minimized the site’s waste streams. As a result of the audit there was a 15% reduction in the use of electricity and 3% reduction in gas usage. The 10% reduction in waster usage led to a 10% reduction in grey water and also a 30% saving in the cost of material being sent for recycling. Overall there was improved legal compliance to environmental issues with the added benefit of all site staff also being trained in spill emergency response procedures making the site a safer place for them to work.