Case Study: Evening Baseload Reduction Initiative

Objective

To address this issue, external consultants from Siemens proposed an evening baseload reduction initiative. The goal was to identify non-critical loads and turn them off during off-hours to reduce energy consumption.

Implementation

Siemens consultants conducted an assessment of the Law and Sociology building outside of operational hours with departmental staff. They systematically went through the building, identifying and turning off low-level electrical appliances, lights, monitors, AV equipment, and other non-critical loads, which were known to not be needed. The initiative aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of proactive energy management strategies in reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

Results

The initiative yielded significant results, with a 10kW reduction or 33% decrease in the normal evening baseload achieved, demonstrating the potential for further substantial energy and cost savings. Extrapolating this reduction to the entire University, it was estimated that implementing similar measures across all buildings could potentially save up to 1MW of energy, circa £1,760 for the 8 hours overnight. However, further verification would be required to confirm this estimate.

Conclusion

The pilot showcased the potential for significant energy savings through conscious and proactive energy management strategies. By identifying and turning off non-critical loads during off-hours, the initiative not only reduced energy consumption but also highlighted the benefits of smart appliance controls. Scaling up such initiatives across similar buildings within the University could achieve substantial energy efficiency gains and reduce overall energy costs.