A range of
green energy techniques deployed at a fire station have resulted in the London Fire Brigade winning a sustainable refurbishment award.
The brigade picked up the prize at the recent Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers' (CIBSE) Low Carbon Performance Awards, which took place in the capital, for its work at Croydon Fire Station.
CIBSE's titles are handed out to organisations which do the most to make use of green energy instead of pay out for traditional fuels.
Perhaps the most notable of the green improvements made, which could reduce reliance on
gas and electricity and reduce energy bills, is the installation of solar panels.
The panels trap sunlight and use it to power appliances in the station - such as cooking equipment.
Also introduced to Croydon Fire Station recently was a biomass boiler which runs on wood pellets made from compressed waste sawdust and provides all of the energy required to heat the building and all of its hot water.
A night time cooling regime recently got underway, storing cool air to pump around the station during the day and reduce the need for air conditioning.
High-efficiency lighting has also been installed, while the refurbishment also allowed the opportunity to line perimeter walls with
insulation and double-glaze windows.
Maurice Heaster, chairman of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority's Finance, Procurement and Property Committee, said: "The improvements this authority is making to fire stations across London shows how serious we are about reducing London Fire Brigade's carbon footprint."
As a result of the green improvements, carbon emissions have been cut by more than 50 per cent at the station, while it could also be enjoying lower energy bills.
News of the fire station's work may please Doug King, author of a recent report by the Royal Academy of Engineering, who said that producing green energy on a large-scale to fuel whole buildings and centres was the way forward.
