Clean Energy Awards

Avon Fire and Rescue Service win Clean Energy Scheme of the year at the Regen Green Energy Awards.

The clean energy scheme award commends pioneering energy projects that are spearheading the clean energy industry and delivering significant carbon savings in the UK.

More than 120 entries were submitted this year by companies, communities and individuals and the finalists were scrutinised by an expert panel of independent judges, before the winners were announced on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at the Assembly Rooms in Bath.

Merlin Hyman, Chief Executive, Regen, said: “The 2022 Green Energy Awards showcased the extraordinary range of innovative zero carbon solutions available and the pioneering individuals committed to bringing them forward. The inspiring award winners and nominees demonstrate we have the ability to end our addiction to fossil fuels and will, I hope, galvanise us all to take even bolder action towards net zero.”

Avon Fire and Rescue Service is on the frontline in responding to the increasing impacts of climate change and as a result they feel they have a responsibility to reduce their own carbon emissions which contribute to climate change. AF&RS has publicly committed to achieving Net Zero carbon by 2030, in alignment with the commitments of another four local authorities.

The fire and rescue service aim to demonstrate climate leadership by embedding environmental best practice, by making climate-responsible decisions, and by responding to their communities’ concerns, such as poor air quality issues in urban areas.

This clean energy project will play an integral role in educating not only other local authorities, but all other organisations on how investing in clean energy can contribute to the fight against climate change, whilst saving vital funds that can be reinvested in both core business activities and further sustainability efforts.

Combining a range of integrated renewable energy technologies, including solar panels, battery storage, solar thermal and heat pumps across five stations in the Southwest, the Avon Fire and Rescue Service clean energy project will generate carbon savings of more than 127,117 kg per year.

Annabel Harford, Environmental Manager at Avon Fire & Rescue Service, said: “As a Fire & Rescue Service we are on the frontline in responding to the increasing impacts of climate change and so we feel we have a responsibility to reduce our own carbon emissions. We have publicly committed to achieving Net Zero by 2030 and this project was an important step on the road to achieving that ambition. It was great to work with a local company who shared our passion for sustainability. It’s great to have this recognition after all the hard work, but of course there is still more to do! It’s a big thumbs up to all the work going on across the Fire & Rescue Service sector towards our Net Zero goals.”

By combining several different clean energy technologies, Avon Fire and Rescue service were able to address a number of the key objectives set out in their environmental strategy, including generating their own clean power and heat, as well as addressing cleaner transport and travel. On top of installing their own clean energy technology to generate renewable power and heat on-site, the organisation is exploring options to better utilise this clean energy to create further financial and carbon savings, including piloting electric fire engines in the near future.

Each of the five pilot stations chosen for phase one of the project required careful planning to ensure each site was integrated with the existing energy system with minimum interruption. For example, at Nailsea Fire Station a large-scale battery solution and grid limitation device was integrated with commercial solar panels to ensure the station could generate as much power as their roof would allow without reducing the system size or placing too much strain on the local energy infrastructure. As well as reducing strain on the existing energy system by opting for this type of system, AF&RS can store their excess solar energy for later use, reducing the need to purchase energy from the grid and allowing them to become a step closer to energy independence.

Stephen Barrett, Managing Director of Solarsense, said: “It was fantastic working with Avon Fire & Rescue Service on this project, which shows how a range of different clean technologies can be combined for maximum impact on carbon emissions – as well as long term cost savings. We were absolutely delighted to receive this award and hope that the scheme will inspire other Fire & Rescue services to make similar improvements.”

For more information on the project, please visit Avon Fire and Rescue Service Clean Energy Project.

Avon Fire and Rescue – Clean Energy Project Video

Avon Fire and Rescue Service has partnered with Solarsense to install a combination of solar panels, air source heat pumps, solar thermal tubes, EV charge points and energy storage systems at a number of their sites in the UK.

Regen Green Energy Award Photos

The Green Energy Awards dinner is a night of celebration and a chance to recognise the fantastic work that has been undertaken over the past year in the journey towards a smart and sustainable energy system. Taking place at the beautiful Bath Assembly Rooms, the prestigious Green Energy Awards has been a highlight of the sustainable energy calendar and now in its nineteenth year, is a fantastic celebration of the sustainable, clean and smart energy sector.