Making your salon more energy efficient

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Making changes means strong managerial buy-in which requires the nomination of one person to be in charge of all environmental matters. They must have the authority to seek out any appropriate tax breaks or environmental grants. So where to start? Some consider that they can reduce waste by only using green suppliers. Others institute green travel policies. But whatever line is taken, it is guaranteed to fail if the management is not fully behind it. Going green isn’t just about saving on energy, it also means cutting waste and those items that unnecessarily go to landfill. While it’s inevitable that some things will need disposal, there should be scope to cut down on, say, paper and water usage while also using eco-friendly detergents and only using the washing machine when it’s full. First things first But before savings can be made it is essential to look at how energy is currently being used and a simple walk round the salon will identify energy-using processes and any energy-saving opportunities. Staff can help with this task as well as with ideas on making savings – they see the day-to-day detail that management can miss. Common areas of wastage There are common areas of wastage to most firms. Take heating – buildings become overheated when areas that do not need to be warmed (such as storage areas or corridors) are heated and where systems are poorly controlled or serviced. The Carbon Trust reckons that poorly serviced boilers cost 30% more to run. Poor insulation and draught control and staff opening windows to cool down can significantly increase heating bills. Could the salon benefit from investing in a new boiler? The Carbon Trust says that a standard boiler in a poor condition is only 45% efficient while new condensing boilers can be 90% efficient. Savings can also be made with the installation of instantaneous water heaters that deliver small quantities of hot water when needed rather than having to heat water centrally in a large boiler. And having the pipework insulation inspected and upgraded could provide another welcome boost. Updating this costs little but can return a large payoff. Buildings should ideally be zoned (possibly with thermostatic radiator valves) so that heating can be adjusted for each area. And heating should be controlled using seven-day timers to allow it to be turned off or down when not needed. Lighting can be costly but few realise that 26mm fluorescent tubes use 10% less electricity and can be less expensive to buy than older 38mm tubes. Low energy bulbs, including LED lights, are the way forward and use a fraction of the energy. Salons shouldn’t underestimate natural light - this means keeping windows clean and free of obstructions. When it comes to the back office, the Carbon Trust reckons that it can take half as much energy again to remove the heat generated by office equipment as it takes to run the equipment in the first place. So high energy equipment should be located in naturally ventilated areas to reduce the drain on air conditioning units.  Those specifying office equipment should look for equipment with an Energy Star rating as this signals that it can automatically enter a low power mode after a preset amount of time – but only if the user enables the option. Computers should be turned off at nights and weekends, rather than left running – they’ll use 75% less energy. If computers can’t be turned off, they should at least have the monitor switched off when not in use – say over lunch – as this could lower consumption by 90%. There are a multitude of different technologies that salons can deploy. With solar energy, for example, it’s quite possible to get paid for every unit of solar power produced and exported to the National Grid – ideal for when the salon is closed. An alternative is the installation of a ceramic fuel cell device that converts natural gas into electricity. This power can cost less than the electricity supplied by the generators and in the process generates heat that can run a hot water boiler. Biomass burners that use wood pellets are eligible for the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive. Salons can be paid for every KwH of heat they produce - for 20 years. And then there are technologies such as ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps and combined heat and power. Ofgem is the guardian of these programmes and has detail at http://bit.ly/NMurrq. Get help There are a number of sources of advice including the power companies, government and the independent energy body, the Carbon Trust (www.carbontrust.com), and it’s quite possible that a salon may qualify for grants depending on what it is planning to invest in. With interest free loans from the Carbon Trust energy and the 100% tax allowance for energy-saving or water conservation plant and machinery that’s on the Energy Technology List investment can be affordable. There’s a list of products that HMRC will allow at http://bit.ly/1PvZvcA. Energy efficiency is a huge topic and there are savings to be made. Get it right and salon not only save the planet, but improve their financials while raising their standing in the community.