Background: ERW Joinery Limited is a private company based in Middlesbrough, Cleveland, in the United Kingdom. It was incorporated on 14 September 2009. The company is involved in the manufacture of builders’ carpentry and joinery, the manufacture of other products of wood, the construction of domestic buildings, and joinery installation. The company sought to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs and thus participated in the SME Energy Efficiency Scheme (SMEES), a project to support small and medium-sized enterprises in implementing energy-saving measures. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supported the project as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme.
Decerna undertook an energy efficiency audit of the SME’s building, which revealed the best option for cost and carbon reductions was to implement the following;
- A sawdust briquetting machine, allows them to utilise biomass resources effectively and reduce waste.
- Variable Speed Drive (VSD) compressor upgraded the compressed air system, optimising energy usage and reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
Decerna worked with the client to support the procurement process and provided a grant of £11,226.60 towards the total cost of the briquetting machine, and £6,238.90 of the total cost of the VSD compressor, via the SMEES project.
Outcomes: The implementation of energy-efficient measures resulted in the following outcomes for ERW Joinery Limited:
- Annual Cost Savings:
- Sawdust Briquetting Machine: The installation of the sawdust briquetting machine generated annual cost savings of £5,900 for the company.
- VSD Compressor: The upgraded compressed air system with the VSD compressor led to annual cost savings of £7,626.
- Carbon Emissions Reduction:
- Sawdust Briquetting Machine: The utilisation of biomass through the sawdust briquetting machine reduced approximately 29.3 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) emissions annually.
- VSD Compressor: The upgraded compressed air system reduced carbon emissions by approximately 5 metric tonnes of tCO2e annually.
- Payback Period:
- Sawdust Briquetting Machine: With the grant, the payback period for the sawdust briquetting machine installation was reduced to 2.3 years.
- VSD Compressor: The payback period for the VSD compressor upgrade was reduced to 0.8 years with the grant.
Conclusion: Through their participation in the SME Energy Efficiency Scheme, ERW Joinery Limited successfully implemented energy-efficient measures, including installing a sawdust briquetting machine and upgrading their compressed air system with a VSD compressor. The projects resulted in significant cost savings, reduced carbon emissions, and enhanced sustainability for the company. ERW Joinery Limited exemplifies how small businesses can achieve financial benefits and environmental stewardship by embracing energy-efficient solutions.
Lawrence Wall, Managing Director at ERW said:
Decerna provided some very helpful and informative work. Their advice was professional and impartial, which was very reassuring and allowed us to make an informed decision on the best strategy to reduce our energy consumption. With the briquetting system now up and running, we’re saving thousands of pounds on our energy bills and it’s great to know that we’ve really reduced our carbon footprint at the same time.
More Information
Please visit the overall case study for the project on the Decerna website here.
SMEES is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
