News: BG Controls helps Cancer Research UK save money

Rotherham building controls specialist BG Controls is helping Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute (CRI) to save money that can be more effectively used on core services, by installing a system to monitor the energy consumption of its utilities.

The Institute is housed in the £50m, custom-built Li Ka Shing Centre, located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus at the University. This currently houses 21 cancer research groups and associated core facilities.

Dinnington-based BG Controls has installed an EFT Control System that has sophisticated data collection technology and records and analyses the usage of the gas, electricity and water across the entire site. The collated results are displayed in 15 minute intervals on a PC situated in the Facilities Manager's office.

The Facilities Manager analyses the incoming EFT data and uses this data to help reduce their energy consumption and lower utility costs. Resulting improvements from these recommendations include temperature changes on water chillers, lights are switched off at the end of every day, and staff working out of hours turn off equipment when it is not in use.

Additionally, it has implemented time zones and an optimisation strategy on various items of plant, including the chillers, supply and extract fans, main air handling units and fan coil units.

Due to the execution of these actions, over the past two months the CRI has already managed to save around £8,000 on utility bills and predicts even bigger savings in the future.

Martin Frohock, Building Services & Facilities Manager at Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute said: "We've only had the system in for a short period of time but we've already seen various reductions in our budgeted utilities bill versus the EFT estimated cost for utilities.

"With the projected savings, this would lead to a payback period of approximately a year for the whole project and we hope to continue making significant savings in the future. This allows us to focus more resources on important research.

"BG's service was excellent throughout the installation. They are a highly competent, knowledgeable team that delivered all requests and adapted to changes in the specification. I look forward to working them in years to come."

BG Controls has also been awarded the service and maintenance contract for the CRI for the next three years.

BG Controls website

Images: cambridgecancer.org.uk