Carbon reduction scheme on track
Plans to dramatically reduce carbon emissions from Dudley Council buildings by hundreds of tonnes are progressing well, bosses said today.
The £4.4million project will see a reduction in CO2 of around 350 tonnes.
The council has been awarded a grant through the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to carry out the work which includes replacing forms of heating such as oil and gas, to electrical forms of heating.
The grant includes funding to install air source heat pumps which absorb heat from the outside air to heat the interior of a building and supply hot water. They can still extract heat when air temperatures are as low as -15°C.
Under the scheme, several larger council buildings including Dudley Council House and Town Hall, Stourbridge Town Hall and Library, Himley Hall and Ward House are set to benefit. Some primary schools are also part of the work including Amblecote, Caslon, Cotwall End, Glynne, Queen Victoria, Straits and Wrens Nest Primary Schools.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage will also be installed where possible, and lighting will be upgraded to LED.
Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise:
I am delighted to see this scheme is progressing well. Work has taken place over the summer to ready the primary schools for the heat pump installations. Planning permission has been granted for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels at the schools so we really are working at pace.
Reducing carbon emissions is one of our top priorities with Dudley sharing the ambition of the West Midlands Combined Authority to reach net zero by 2041, work like this allows us to maintain that level of commitment.
Once installed and fully operational it is estimated the work will reduce the council’s consumption of gas and oil by 2,300,000 kilowatt hours a year, and prevent the release of 350 tonnes of Co2. In addition the installation of the solar panels will generate 452,000 kilowatt hours a year of renewable energy.