Tag: Climate emergency

£31m energy saving funding for charities announced – how will you spend yours?

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
charity energy grants

Energy confidence

 

Third Sector magazine has announced that £31 million in dormant assets will be released to charities to fund energy saving measures.

If you are a charity, I can help you decide where to start with making best use of this funding.

I give honest, practical, jargon-free advice to:

  • Charities
  • Social Enterprises
  • Cooperatives

In all building types including:

  • Offices
  • Theatres
  • Libraries
  • Swimming baths
  • Leisure Centres
  • Co-working spaces
  • Educational establishments
  • Churches, mosques, synagogues, mandirs, gurdwaras, Quaker meetings

and many more.

My recent clients include:

  • Jericho Foundation
  • Moseley Community Development Trust
  • Rep Theatre
  • Moseley Road Baths
  • Plus dozens of places of worship.

I can give you energy and environmental advice across all aspects of your operations including:

  • Energy efficiency
  • Renewable energy including solar, heat pumps
  • Water saving
  • Your “scope 3” emissions such as procurement, transport, waste
  • Monitoring your progress so you can prove your impact.

 

Working with me will give you:

  • Clarity on where to begin
  • Confidence that you are taking the right actions for your building
  • Cost-effective use of your money and resources
  • Carbon savings by implementing the right measures and monitoring their effectiveness.

 

Contact me now to discuss how I can help you show your community, your funders and donors that you are ethical and sustainable.

 

 

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https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charities-31m-release-dormant-assets/finance/article/1815422 

Innovative ways to heat a place of worship

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
thermal image of heat loss from a church

 

Energy confidence

 

Many places of worship are difficult and expensive to keep warm, especially if they are used only intermittently.  Plus heating the worship space is often the biggest single source of greenhouse gas emissions from a church, mosque, mandir, synagogue or gurdwara.

Often I give advice to places of worship who have old heating systems that are based on wet radiators; they are suitable for a home but not for a place of worship with high ceilings, because they don’t get heat where it’s needed.  So the congregation complain of being cold during the winter.  

Sometimes it’s best to consider whether the congregation can move to another space that is easier to heat.  But this isn’t always possible or desirable.

One solution is to heat the person as well as the space.

Some efficient ways of heating the person are:

  • Under-pew heating – this is like a low-temperature electric blanket that goes under fixed pews, and heats the person from below
  • Rechargeable chair cushion heaters, that heat the person where there are individual chairs instead of fixed pews (if you have access to solar panels – either onsite, or offsite, or a solar charger, then you can potentially use solar energy to charge the heaters, as cushion heaters are low-temperature and don’t need much power).  
  • Infra-red heaters.

You should continue to heat the space as well as the person.  If you heat the person, then you need less heat for the space.  If you eliminate space heating altogether, then this can lead to problems with condensation and damp, and cause damage to the building fabric.  It can also cause circulation problems in a wet central heating system if you have short bursts of on/off.

The first video below is a case study from a church that uses rechargeable heaters.

 

 

The second video below is a case study from a church that uses under-pew heating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you need impartial expert energy saving advice for your place of worship, business or home, please contact me.

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Tonight I visited Maggie and Dave ahead of the next Birmingham Green Doors event – I love how cosy they have made their home

Posted on by Phil Beardmore

 

Maggie and Dave are hosting our next Birmingham Green Doors event on 4 March 2023.

 

 

 

I have been there before to give them energy advice, but tonight was the first time I have been back since their green home makeover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many features and benefits I could list but what struck me most was that it was evenly and consistently warm and comfortable throughout.

 

There are lots of measurements, thermal images, spreadsheets that could prove the carbon impact of what they’ve done. But you need to feel the comfort with your own five senses. This is an early 20th Century Edwardian terrace. They are notoriously leaky and draughty. If you move from one room to another you notice the difference. But not in Maggie and Dave’s house. On a cold January evening, the whole house is warm as toast.

At Maggie and Dave’s open house event on 4 March you will learn about:

  • How wall insulation has not only reduced heat loss, but improved airtightness, whose role in making a house warm or cold is often overlooked
  • The heat pump installer has done their job properly – they have designed flow rates, flow temperatures, and radiator sizing to ensure a steady background heat; with heating controls that are easy to use
  • How they have dealt with heat loss from the extremities of the house, such as the bay window
  • For those who like figures, you will be able to learn how much energy and carbon has been saved
  • Why you need to add ventilation when insulating a home – and how to do it
  • How Maggie and Dave chose and supervised the right contractors for the job

 

Who should attend?
  • People who are interested in making their home more energy efficient
  • Professionals working in housing and energy who are interested in warm, green homes
  • Community workers who want to help residents save energy
  • Students, teachers and academics interested in decarbonisation.

 

BOOK NOW!  Three time slots available.  Near Erdington train station, bus routes.

 

What are scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and why do you need my help with them?

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions

 

 

 

Energy confidence

 

 

Your business has three types of greenhouse gas emissions.

    • Scope 1
      – Burning natural gas, LPG, heating oil in your building; for space heating, domestic hot water, industrial processes
      – Burning transport fuels such as diesel and petrol in vehicles that your business owns.
    • Scope 2
      – Is mainly from energy that you buy; e.g. electricity from the grid; heating or cooling from a district energy system.
    • Scope 3
      – Is emissions that you do not cause directly, but which arise from actions in your value chain. The goods and services that you buy in, have scope 3 emissions. Remote working and staff travel are also examples of scope 3 emissions.

Scope 3 emissions are easy to overlook. I can help you to understand and measure your scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Most importantly, I can help you to develop a strategy to manage and reduce your emissions. There is no point understanding your “carbon footprint” for the sake of it.

 

Consumers want to buy goods and services from businesses that are ethical and sustainable.  Understanding and measuring your scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions means you can prove to your customers that you are serious about greening your business.

If you need my help in reducing your business greenhouse gas emissions, please contact me now.  

Photo – me helping a business with their scope 1, 2, 3 emissions (credit – Richard Beard).

 

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How to use thermal imaging in energy saving projects – webinar recording

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
thermal imaging

 

Thermal imaging is a great way to understand how heat is being lost from a building. In this webinar I show you what to look out for when doing thermal imaging, and how to use a camera and software. Plus general hints and tips on energy saving and also ventilation. This webinar was held as part of Community Energy Fortnight 2022. I am grateful to Civic Square and Dark Matter Labs for their support in putting on this webinar.

Click on the video link below to watch the recording.  

I offer thermal imaging services as part of a whole-building approach to saving energy in your home or business.  Householders please click here for more information, businesses please click here.  

 

It’s just an Energy Saving Show, on my radio

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
On Air

 

Unity FM radio were kind enough to invite me on to their Connecting Communities broadcast with Mehmooda Qureshi and Dr Peter Rooke.

This broadcast will be of interest to people who are looking for expert help with energy saving in their home or business, for two reasons:

  1. In this broadcast, I talk about how I go about an energy saving plan for a building – in this case it was a faith building, but I have a similarly strategic approach to any home, business, or community building
  2. A recent client of mine, Hitesh Kukadia, the President of Shree Ram Mandir, is also on the broadcast, in which he talks about his experience of working with me.

Please click on the widget below to listen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(In case you’re interested, the title of this blog is a tribute to The Selecter, who were part of the soundtrack to my youth)

 

The successor to the Green Homes Grant is here … some of you may qualify for it

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
cottage

 

The Green Homes Grant (Local Area Delivery Scheme) – also known as LADS – is here.  It provides grant funding for some measures, but how much you get and what for, varies from one local authority to another. In some local authorities it is means tested, in others it isn’t.  Also because of supply chain issues, in some areas it is behind schedule.  If you have energy saving measures through this scheme, then the scheme manager chooses the installer for you.  Unlike the previous Green Homes Grant scheme, it is operated by the local authority and the charity Act On Energy, which I think is a good move.

Act On Energy are managing the customer journey in most of the West Midlands, and you can see what is on offer in each local authority on their website – https://actonenergy.org.uk/local-authority-delivery-scheme-lads/

If you’re not in the West Midlands, then Google “Local authority delivery scheme [your local authority name]

As part of the quality assurance scheme that includes LADS, you should receive independent advice from a Retrofit Coordinator, free of charge, if you qualify for LADS.  Which means you don’t have to pay me for advice!  If however, you would still like to pay me for independent and impartial advice on saving energy in your home –  or even your business –  then I would be happy to help.  I help you to understand where to start, and how to plan for making your home or business environmentally friendly in the short, medium and long term.  

 

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Energy confidence

 

Are you looking for the most energy efficient kitchen appliance? Things have changed post-Brexit :-(

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
washing machine

Are you looking for a kitchen appliance?  My post-Brexit advice is now to compare the amount of kiloWatt hours (kWh) of electricity the appliance is predicted to use in a year.  Not the energy rating (A-G), as you might have done previously.

Why is this?

It’s to do with Brexit and the UK’s antiquated electricity distribution system.

The electricity that comes into your house is 240 volts.  But none of the appliances in a modern house need 240 volts.  They typically run at 220 volts.

So that is quite a bit of electricity going to waste.

Since we left the European Union, that waste is now reflected on the energy label of appliances.  So something that used to be A-rated, might now only be E-rated, as I found recently when shopping for a new washing machine.  

So it’s best to compare appliances by predicted kWh use in an average year.  So fridge-freezer A might use 60 kWh, whereas fridge-freezer B might use 70 kWh.  You can compare water use on washing machines and dishwashers too.

If you’re a householder then there’s not much you can do about the fact that your electricity supply is 240 volts.  But there are still a myriad of ways you can save energy in the home.

Whereas if you’re a business, it might be worthwhile fitting a voltage optimiser.  This is a transformer that reduces the voltage from 240 volts to 220.

If you’re a householder, business or public body than needs advice on reducing your greenhouse gas emissions, then check out my expert advice packages.

Energy confidence

 

What did the Romans ever do for us?

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
Hadrian's wall

 

I used to wonder what the Romans ever did for us when they ruled Britain.  Was it introducing the fig tree to Britain, at Reculver in Kent?  Was it Latin place names?  Or the first ever recorded Black residents of Britain, ushering in our fabulous multi-cultural society?

Then in 2018 along with my fiancee Claire, I fulfilled a long-standing ambition to visit Hadrian’s wall and I realised the answer … the Romans gave us under-floor heating.

Like many Roman buildings in Britain, here at Housesteads Roman Fort, you can see that they went as far as building a suspended floor so they could have under-floor heating.  So they knew a thing or two about building physics, even if they hadn’t invented insulation yet.  They may even have copied under-floor heating from Egypt or Mesopotamia. 

under-floor heating
Warm as toast, even if you’re wearing a toga

Have you ever been in a building where your head feels warm but your feet feel cold?  A house, or an office, or maybe a place of worship?

This is because most of our buildings have been designed for engineering convenience, and not for the comfort of the occupants, or the environmental impact of energy and water use in the building.  

Not every building is suitable for under-floor heating.  It is not always practical to completely re-engineer an existing building like an Edwardian house or a 1960s office block or a former pub converted to a mosque.  But we can, and should, break with the bad habits of the past that have made our homes and workplaces energy inefficient.  

That’s what I do when I visit your home or business.  At the moment it’s full of problems.  Missing insulation.  Fossil fuel heating systems.  I help you to find solutions to all these problems.  A whole-building approach, that doesn’t start with a fixation on a particular technology, whether it’s under-floor heating, solar energy, or heat pumps; but which helps you understand where to begin and what you might do in the future.  

 

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Energy confidence

About me

Grinning at Moor Street Station

 

I am the West Midlands’ leading expert in:

  • energy saving
  • renewable energy
  • procurement of energy saving products
  • water saving.

My customers include householders, landlords, public bodies, small businesses, charities and coops.

I am independent and impartial.

Phil Beardmore, FRSA AIEMA.

CONTACT ME NOW

TESTIMONIALS

Nathalie Rush

Nathalie Rush

Phil is truly an expert in his field. I can understand why most people around the West Midlands choose to go to Phil for energy-saving consultancy. Phil has a thorough understanding of energy conservation and sustainable living. Would highly recommend.  Nathalie Rush, MD, Six Star Insulation.

Claire Spencer

Claire Spencer

His knowledge of community-led sustainability is second to none, and his perspective on local and national issues is invaluable to us. He adds value, and is everything a good consultant should be, and I would recommend him to anyone in our field  Claire Spencer, Sustainable Moseley.

Rosemary Coyne

Rosemary Coyne

It has been hugely inspiring to work with Phil.  While others talk, Phil gets on and does it.  Rosemary Coyne, Coordinator, Sustainable Housing Action Partnership

Ray Walker

Ray Walker

In working with Phil I have been impressed by his level of knowledge and enthusiasm. He has a vast array of contacts and has brought us into contact with other stakeholder in the energy business that would have been much more difficult to achieve without him. I am also struck by his commitment to supporting communities and the most vulnerable client groups.

Ray Walker, Disability Resource Centre

Karen McCarthy

Cllr Karen McCarthy

 

 

 

Phil Beardmore has a long association with Localise West Midlands and is a valued associate on environmental, housing and fuel poverty projects. 

He works with us both as an individual practitioner and leading multi-disciplinary teams on larger projects, delivering high quality results on time and on budget.

 Cllr Karen McCarthy, Localise West Midlands

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AECB

Membership of the AECB – Association of Environmentally Conscious Buildings – enables me to keep my skills up to date

making birmingham green

I won a Making Birmingham Greener Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement.

green leader

I was nominated twice by my peers as one of the top Green Leaders in the West Midlands

 

 

Setting your 2022 environmental goals … don’t wait until Hogmanay

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
Shropshire Hills

 

 

How are you spending New Year’s Eve?  I will be in a cottage in the Shropshire Hills, Covid permitting, with my fiancee Claire, who also works with me on Energy Confidence.  As Claire is of Scottish heritage we will be celebrating in traditional Scottish style, with

Phil and Claire
Phil and Claire

gluten-free Dundee Cake.  

I’m not one for heavy drinking on New Year’s Eve, nor am I one for making New Year’s Resolutions just because of the date.

Goal setting is something that can, and should, be done at all points throughout the year.

You can call it goal setting, you can call it a resolution, but whatever you call it, two of the key things to remember are:

  • You must write it down
  • You must record your progress against meeting the goal regularly – ideally every single day.
Dundee cake
Gluten-free Dundee cake

Environmental goals are no different to other life goals.

Shropshire Hills
The Shropshire hills

Everyone who aims to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in their home, their life or their business is an environmental leader.  You don’t need to be an environmental expert to be an environmental leader.  

Good luck with setting your environmental goals.  If you need my help then please check out my Environmental Leadership Coaching – for environmental leaders like you.  

 

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Energy confidence

“Coaching is the universal language of change and learning.”  author unknown

 

Coaching with
PHIL BEARDMORE 
ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER
  • Decades of experience of environmental leadership
  • Voted as one of the West Midlands top Green Leaders by my peers
  • Mentor on the Uprising Birmingham environmental leadership programme
  • Mentor on the Business Innovation at Staffordshire University Programme

 

Proof House

COACHING

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS LIKE YOU

WHAT GOALS WILL YOU ACHIEVE?

Join my one-to-one coaching programme for environmental leaders.  Use my knowledge and expertise as an environmental leader to help you turn your environmental goals into achievable actions.

You should join my one-to-one coaching programme if you are:

  • a leader in an environmental business
  • aiming to set up an environmental business, charity or cooperative
  • a leader in any business and you are responsible for improving its environmental performance.

Anyone can become an environmental leader. 

You don’t need to be an environmental expert, to become an environmental leader.

What will it mean to your business if you can:

  • transform the reputation and profitability of your business through being recognised for environmental leadership?
  • turn your good idea into a profitable and successful environmental business?
  • put your environmental and ethical values into practice?
  • set, monitor and achieve realistic goals?

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