County Borough schools kitted out with energy-saving technology

A number of schools in Bridgend County Borough have been kitted out with a range of energy conservation measures to help improve their energy performance, reduce energy bills and carbon emissions.

The council’s Refit programme, which has been run in partnership with energy experts Ameresco, has seen schools and public buildings fitted with a range of measures including LED lighting, lighting controls, Building Management Systems and solar PV systems.

It is hoped the scheme will deliver a significant reduction in annual energy and maintenance costs as well as contribute to the local authority’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030, in line with Welsh Government targets.

In total, the scheme will see the sites involved save 249 tonnes of carbon per year, close to one million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in energy and over £150,000 in total energy cost savings per year.

One school to have been fitted with energy conservation measures is Ogmore Vale Primary School.

Lights at the school have been replaced with LED lighting and the Building Management System has been upgraded which will see savings of more than 84,000 kWh in energy each year, for an energy cost saving of more than £13,000. Carbon savings have also been calculated at 21.6 tonnes per year.

Bridgend County Borough Council is leading the public sector in our commitment to reducing our contribution towards climate change. This is in line with the ambitious Welsh public sector commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2030.

We aim to make Bridgend a decarbonised, digitally connected, smart county borough. The Refit scheme will go a long way to helping us achieve that aim and we are proud to see that a number of school and public buildings are already benefitting.

Councillor Richard Young, chairman of the Bridgend 2030 Decarbonisation Programme Board

Sites benefitting from the scheme include:

• Brackla Primary School
• Bridgend Bus Station
• Bryn y Cae Care Home
• Bryntirion Comprehensive School
• Caerau Primary School
• Cefn Cribwr Primary School
• Llangynwyd Primary School
• Ogmore Vale Primary School
• Pencoed Primary School
• Pen y Bont Comprehensive School
• Pil Primary School
• Plasnewydd Primary School
• Porthcawl Primary School
• St Mary’s and St Patrick’s R.C. Primary School
• St Robert’s R.C. Primary School
• Tondu Meadow Street
• Trem y Mor Offices
• West Park Primary School