Source BMX
HASTINGS, EAST SUSSEX
The Challenge
Source BMX operates a skate park and retail space in Hastings, boasting a main skating area with a café and bar, a retail space and smaller second skate area. The site was redeveloped in 2016 from a derelict swimming pool building. Only electricity is used on site, with the café and retail space being heated using two halogen heaters and four electric fan heaters. These are expensive to run and do not heat or cool the space efficiently. Source BMX, with the help of the LoCASE programme, tackled this problem to decrease electricity costs and improve the thermal comfort of the retail and café area.
The Project
Carbon Smart, as part of the LoCASE programme, conducted an energy efficiency audit at Source BMX in order to establish how the business could reduce its electricity consumption and associated costs. It was recommended that Source BMX install air source heat pumps (ASHPs) within the café area to replace the electric fan heaters and halogen heaters.
ASHPs are a highly efficient way of heating buildings as they draw heat from the air and use electricity to raise the temperature. Carbon Smart outlined the two possible options to Source BMS – either to use the LoCASE grant funding to install the ASHPs or receive the financial incentive from the government. Source BMX decided to install the ASHPs using the LoCASE grant funding to reduce the upfront costs.
The Impact
Source BMX received LoCASE grant funding, enabling them to install the £8,600 ASHPs on site. The in-room emitters provide heat in the winter months and cooling during the summer efficiently, giving a much more comfortable environment for staff and customers. The ASHPs provide annual savings of 9,500kWh, equal to 4 tonnes of carbon, saving the business £1,500 per year. This has increased use of the café and skate park, increasing visitor frequency and average spend, therefore benefiting the business through increased custom and reduced energy bills. Customers of Source BMX travel long distances, so improving the environment of the skate park also brings valuable tourism to Hastings as a whole!
Testimonial
“It was amazingly helpful to get a grant from LoCASE. Without it we would not have been able to invest in an ultra efficient heating system for our shop under Hastings seafront. As a result, we now have an air-source heating system alongside our 100{359841609f278dd470ce466616e99c9df7bf3d948850778bd1d3463a3840b22c} LED lighting, which means that our staff and customers have a comfortable experience when visiting us and we save energy at the same time.”
Richard Moore, Managing Director, Source BMX
Contact LoCASE team at Carbon Smart
T: 01323 790 030
E: locase@carbonsmart.co.uk
W: http://www.carbonsmart.co.uk/locase-project/
