By the Energy Reduction Manager (Michael Potter), RBWM.

The Energy Reduction Manager referred Members to pages 15-26 of the agenda and explained that the report provided an update and gave the Panel an overview of the progress being made to deliver the Panel’s energy reduction strategy. 

The key areas covered were noted as follows:

• Town Hall Solar Panels
• Water Baseline
• Integrated Performance Management Report (IPMR) – energy target
• Energy Switching Campaign
• Building LED lighting project
• Work planned over the next period

It was noted that the Council was currently working towards a four year Sustainability Strategy running from April 2014 to March 2018 and that the strategy focused on six workstreams including: Sustainability, Energy, Water, Waste, Transport and Renewable Generation.  Members were informed that the strategy had three key targets over the four year period which were:

1.    Reduce energy in the Council building estate by 15% in 2017/18 compared to a 2013/2014 baseline.

2.    Reduce water usage in the Council’s corporate office buildings by 3% in 2017/18 compared to a 2013/2014 baseline.

3.    Recycling rates increased to 55% in 2017/18.

Each year an action plan is drawn up to enable the Council to meet these targets as well as other goals presented in the strategy documents. This update provides a progress report for the energy workstream.

In the ensuing discussion, the following points were noted:  

Ø  That the solar panels had generated energy savings and a feed in tariff income of just over £13.5k in the year following their installation.  It was noted that an article would be going out in the Around the Royal Borough newsletter about the Town Hall Solar Panels.  It was suggested that Parish newsletters also be looked into as a way of low cost advertising. 

Ø  It was suggested that RBWM officers could help spread the word about the solar panels success.

Ø  That in total the water baseline showed that the Council used almost 44,000m3 (44 million litres) of water a year which equated to roughly the equivalent of 22 Olympic-size swimming pools worth of water. It was noted that the 3% reduction target for 2017/18 would be 1308 m3 based upon this baseline which was the equivalent to removing the water consumption of Maidenhead Road Allotments from the portfolio or just over half an Olympic swimming pool’s worth of water.  Members were informed that the issue with urinal control in the toilets at River Street Car Park, a well used toilet block, had been fixed but that further work still needed to be done.  It was noted that this toilet block was top of the list to be investigated.

Ø  It was noted that the payback periods for waterless urinals at River Street Car Park and the Coach Park toilets would be provided to the Panel at the next meeting. 

That work planned over the next period included:

o   Ensuring the LED lighting project snagging was fully completed.

o   Agreeing the contracts for the Energy Switching Campaign.

UNANIMOUSLY AGREED; The Panel noted the progress made and commented on the proposed work plan over the next period as detailed in paragraph 17.21.