Public Buildings play a part in all of our lives. Now, attention is being turned to them on a national level. A goal has been set to reduce emissions of public buildings by 75%* by 2037.
Proceedings are well underway to achieve this goal. Over half a billion pounds has been allocated to fit public buildings with affordable, low-carbon heating and energy efficiency measures. Heat Pumps and electric heating are to be installed in multiple buildings across the country, along with other energy efficiency measures, such as double glazing, LED lighting, renewables and insulation. Not only will this contribute to larger national energy objectives, but it will also have a host of other benefits.
Public Buildings Become More Comfortable
The public buildings themselves will become more comfortable places to be for both staff and visitors. This will be particularly valuable at establishments like Birmingham’s children’s hospital. Chief Executive of Birmingham’s Women and Children’s NHS Foundation Sarah Marsh described their hospitals as being “like a greenhouse in the summer and a freezer in the winter”. This is a problem which will be entirely remedied by the installation of these upgrades.
Running Costs Reduced
The upgrades will cut the costs for public buildings significantly, allowing them to function more successfully. This reduction in costs is estimated to save taxpayers £650 million per year for the next 15 years. In addition to this, these country-wide upgrades will create an estimated 30,000 jobs. Business and Energy Minister lord Callanan summed this up, saying:
This funding will bring significant savings for taxpayers of well over half a billion pounds each year by making public buildings cheaper to run, heat and cool, whilst supporting economic growth and jobs across the country.
Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan
Reduce Reliance on Fossil Fuels
These improvements will reduce our reliance on Fossil Fuels. As we have seen recently, fossil fuels are a dangerous lifeline to rely upon. World events can severely impact their price and availability, and things can change with little warning. Thus, switching to cleaner energy will not only be better for the climate but the country as well.
You can read more about this topic, and see a list of the specific planned projects, here. If you are interested in the energy industry then you might like to get involved yourself. There are thousands of people across the country already working in the energy sector, and many more to join as more and more jobs are created. If you would like to look into any of this for yourself, then please consider the NDEA or DEC training courses we offer. Book your space online, or give us a call on 0333 012 0002.
*As compared to 2017 levels
