A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact of an organisations activities on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced during the normal course of business through burning fossil fuels, the use of electricity, heating and transportation etc.

The carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases produced and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.

There are increasingly a number of good reasons for carrying out a carbon footprint assessment.

• National governments and the EU are increasingly implementing policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions including emissions trading schemes, voluntary reduction and reporting programs, carbon or energy taxes, emissions labelling schemes and regulations & standards on energy efficiency and emissions. Companies and individuals alike will therefore need to manage their emissions for regulatory and or carbon cost avoidance reasons.
• A Carbon Footprint Assessment is the first step in the carbon management process, giving a company an estimate of the size and breakdown of its carbon emissions.
  

 A Carbon Footprint Assessment provides the basis for further initiatives such as public reporting, target setting and implementation of mitigation activities. Mitigation activities may include energy efficiency measures, sourcing of energy from renewable supplies and offsetting emissions that cannot be practically reduced through on-site projects using offset schemes.

Carbon Twelve carry out carbon footprints for clients to the following standards and guidelines.

• ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse Gases – Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organisational level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals.
• The Greenhouse Gas Protocol – A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard – Revised Edition (World Resource Institute)

In general terms, this involves:

• Establishing the assessment boundaries or scope, i.e. greenhouse gases accounted, operational boundaries, site boundaries.
• Collection of activity data, i.e. fuel consumption
• Evaluation of activity data quality
• Calculation of emissions using appropriate conversion factors
• Analysis of results
• Analysis of uncertainty
• Analysis of materiality within the assessment
• General recommendations for future actions.
  

For further information, or to obtain a quote, please get in contact.

An effective energy management programme is a prerequisite for achieving the efficient use of energy within any organisation. An energy survey will identify measures required to make savings and an energy management programme will achieve these savings. It is only by implementing the recommendations of an energy survey, along with monitoring & targeting and staff training, that maximised savings can be achieved. Experience suggests that the implementation of ad-hoc ideas on an informal basis can make some savings but many of the benefits to be gained are overlooked unless a structured energy management programme is introduced.

The key elements of an energy management programme comprise:

• Energy Audit - a study to determine the quantity and cost of each form of energy to a building, process, piece of equipment or site over a given period.
• Energy Survey - a technical investigation of the control and flow of energy in a building, process, piece of equipment or site with the aim of identifying cost effective energy saving measures
• Monitoring and Targeting - the establishment of targets and subsequent monitoring of performance. M&T complexity should reflect the needs of individual organisations.
• Training - key members of staff should be trained in good energy management techniques and all staff should be aware and motivated towards saving energy. Training is normally necessary to instigate successful energy management techniques and sustain savings achieved into the future.
• Energy Policy Assessment, Design & Implementation - assess the current energy policy within an organisation to identify further requirements as appropriate
  

Carbon Twelve can provide your organisation with the advice necessary to develop a comprehensive Energy Management Programme tailored to your needs and requirements. Examples of previous clients are included at the lower end of this page.

Energy Audit:

Information is the key to improvement. An energy audit identifies when, when, how much and why energy is used. Data collected during an energy audit and the on-going collection of data in the future can be used with a well designed monitoring and targeting programme to identify areas of waste and to serve as a benchmark against which future energy savings can be compared.

Energy Survey:

A starting point for any energy management programme. The objective of a survey is to identify the current energy using plant provision and understand how and where resources are used. Recommendations for improvements that can be implemented to reduce energy consumption can be devised using the information gathered. Recommendations are identified in terms of "No Cost", "Low Cost" and "Higher Cost" measures to allow selection of the most appropriate energy management strategy. Further, Carbon Twelve provide general recommendations on the status of Energy Management and provide guidance for improvement as necessary.

Normally it is possible to identify energy improvement measures that will result in cost savings of between 5% and 20%. Occasionally, it is possible to identify higher savings. A survey generally covers the building, plant and processes. The investigation will normally consider the following items as appropriate:

• HVAC - Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Installations
• Building services controls
• Industrial, assembly and manufacturing processes
• Energy consumption and costs
• Lighting
• DHW - Domestic Hot Water
• Cold Water
• Building services and process controls
• Energy Using Plant. e.g. steam generation, compressed air, chilled water
• Refrigeration equipment
• Combustion equipment efficiency using flue gas analyser
• CHP - Combined Heat and Power
• Staff motivation and awareness with respect to energy use
• Staff training requirements
• Current Energy Management policy and status
• Monitoring and Targeting (M&T)
  

Carbon Twelve carry out combustion equipment efficiency tests using a portable flue gas analyser where possible. Where necessary, additional monitoring and sensing equipment is used during the survey to ascertain energy using plant operating status and environmental comfort provision.

Monitoring & Targeting:

Another essential element of good energy management. The use of established analysis techniques allows the identification of unnecessary waste and preferred areas for investment in efficient technologies and practices in the quest for a more efficient work-place.

Monitoring & Targeting can be carried out with varying levels of detail. The most basic form of monitoring is the use of performance indicators to compare energy consumption with benchmarks for the appropriate business sector. Where data is provided this is carried out as part of the energy survey. It is important to set targets for energy consumption and monitor actual consumption to ensure maximum efficiencies are achieved and continue to be achieved into the future.

Carbon Twelve can provide detailed advice on M&T or carry out the process on your behalf. Established analysis techniques that Carbon Twelve can provide assistance with include:
Degree Days
Normalised Performance Index
Specific Energy Consumption
Twelve Month Rolling Totals
Yearly / Monthly / Weekly / Daily / Hourly Analysis
CuSum Analysis

Specialist software packages are available to assist with monitoring and targeting. However, the dedicated software packages are normally uneconomic for all but large companies or organisations with multiple sites. It is normally more economic for smaller companies to develop M&T spreadsheets using, for example, Microsoft Excel. Carbon Twelve are able to provide advice and assistance in this respect.

Training:

The training required during the implementation of an energy management programme has two key objectives: to raise the awareness of energy issues at all staff levels within the organisation and to provide essential technical and managerial training to the people who will deliver the benefits of the energy management programme. Training and awareness-raising should:
build greater understanding of the importance of energy efficiency and environmental protection, both locally and on a global scale
create a sense of ownership in the energy management programme and the results that it delivers
facilitate the dissemination of technical information
focus attention on the key issues.

Training programmes should cascade through the organisation, carrying the message that everyone needs to be involved in achieving energy efficiency. Training requirements vary greatly from organisation to organisation. The energy survey will identify the general needs. Carbon Twelve are able to offer training packages tailored to your company's individual needs.

Energy Policy Assessment & Implementation:

In order that an energy management programme works efficiently, both during its initial set-up and continuing into the future, the programme should be supported by an energy policy and action plan. A reporting structure is required and key members of staff should be delegated responsibility with the back-up of senior management. Carbon Twelve are able to compile energy policies and action plans based on your organisation's requirements.

Examples of Previous Audits / Surveys:

Energy Surveys / Audits carried out in Ireland include:

• Bandon Vale Cheese
• ALZA Pharmaceuticals
• Kilkenny College
• Fusion Building Systems
• Centocor

Energy Audits / Surveys carried out by Andrew Shepherd during employment previous to forming Carbon Twelve include:

• William Price (UK) - large scale bakeries
• UEF (UK) - large scale heavy forgings
• Bedfordshire County Council (UK) - responsible for energy management of c. 120 local authority owned buildings including schools, offices, swimming pools
• Kitakyushu City Council (Japan) - offices / hospitals for local authority with population c. 1,000,000 (18 month contract)

Carbon Twelve work as an EU ETS verification sub-contractor with the UK and Ireland's largest greenhouse gas verification specialist LUCIDEON CICS Ltd. For more information see http://www.lucideon.com. LUCIDEON CICS are accredited by UKAS as a verification organisation in the UK and operate in Ireland under INAB.

If you require accredited verifier services for Phase III of EU ETS in the Republic of Ireland or the UK please get in contact with Carbon Twelve or contact LUCIDEON CICS directly using the link above. 

LUCIDEON CICS verify in excess of 300 installations and 250 aircraft operators in the UK and Ireland annually.

Further information on the EU ETS can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency (Republic of Ireland), the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (Northern Ireland), the Environement Agency (England), Natural Resources Wales (Wales) and SEPA (Scotland) websites.

Renewable energy systems are becoming an increasingly attractive option in the light of rising fossil fuel costs and European commitments to reducing environmental pollution. A combination of best practice building thermal design, renewable energy systems and good control can lower fuel costs, reduce environmental pollution, create local employment, increase security of supply and provide a more sustainable energy future.

Carbon Twelve can offer bespoke independent feasibility assessment packages for the the commercial, industrial, public and domestic sectors where renewable solutions are being considered. Independent renewable feasibility assessment packages can include:

• Heat load calculations for the purposes of sizing renewable systems.
• Estimation of annual heat consumption and costs.
• Consideration of improved thermal design for reduced annual heat requirements / installed renewable system capacity.
• Assessment and recommendations regarding the practical design of renewable systems.
• Technical possibilities, practical considerations, capital cost implications.
• Running cost implications and comparison to conventional fossil fuelapproaches.
• Consideration of integrated solutions using combinations of renewable technology.
• Assessment and guidance on appropriate typesof heat distribution system and controls.
• Summary of advantages and disadvantages for the systems under consideration.
• Options currently available for obtaining grants for the installation of renewable systems.
• Assistance with identifying suitable equipment suppliers and obtaining quotes.
• Simple payback analysis.
• Life cycle costing analysis.
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Renewable systems considered include:

• Solar Thermal
• Heat Pumps
• Wood Chip / Wood Pellet Boilers & Stoves
• Photo Voltaic (PV)
• Small Scale Wind

Examples:

• Domestic Houses
• Hotels
• Hospitals
• Offices
• Factories
• Industrial facilities
  

Examples of Previous Renewable Feasibility Study Projects by Carbon Twelve:

• Inchydoney Lodge and Spa (wood pellet boilers and solar thermal system; installed 2004/2005) [previous employment as energy engineer with SWS Group)
• Bioheat II EU Project (10 x feasibility studies for wood fuel boilers)
• Amber Springs Hotel Gorey (wood chip boiler and preparation of SEI funding application; installed 2006)
• Private house renewables feasibility study, Co Kerry
• New garden centre renewables feasibility study, Co Kilkenny
• New Roastery for Java Republic renewables feasibility study
• Private house renewables feasibility study, Northern Ireland