Worldwide Government Organisations & Agencies

Carbon Trust, LEED, BERR, SEI, Estidama, GBC etc

There are now many agencies across the world aiming to reduce world energy use and promote sustainable energy use. In addition they are trying to help reduce global CO2 production. Governments are offering incentives such as Enhanced capital allowance in the UK and Accelerated Capital Allowance in Ireland. Below are some examples of such organisations.

The Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust has a mission: “to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies”.

The Carbon Trust suggests that an organisation that installs upgraded lighting system and lighting controls could halve their electricity bill for lighting. PhotonStar LED works with Carbon Trust to help customers to realise these potential savings.

We are also pleased to co-operate with activities led by the Carbon Trust to develop further the independent testing and specification of LED lighting products.

Public Sector

We are excited to be part of the discussions looking at future lighting for Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust. Rotherham FT has a forward-looking programme of ward refurbishment. The Trust’s review of potential ultra-efficient lighting (UEL) products and technologies is being facilitated by BERR, DIUS and the DoH.

Sustainable Energy Ireland

The mission of the Sustainable Energy Ireland (formerly the Irish Energy Centre) is to promote and assist the development of sustainable energy in Ireland. This includes implementing significant aspects of the Energy White Paper: “Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland” and the National Climate Change Strategy (2007-2012) as provided for in the National Development Plan (2007-2013) such as:

• improving energy efficiency
• advancing the development and competitive deployment of renewable sources of energy and combined heat and power
• reducing the environmental impact of energy production and use, particularly in respect of greenhouse gas emissions.

SEI is also responsible for:

• advising Government on policies and measures on sustainable energy
• implementing programmes agreed by Government
• stimulating sustainable energy policies and actions by public bodies, the business sector, local communities and individual consumers.

The Republic of Ireland Finance Act, 2008, outlined a number of measures to assist in tackling climate change, with the specific aim to reduce carbon emissions in line with meeting EU targets by 2020. One of these measures was the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA).

The ACA enables businesses to write off the entire cost of a limited set of energy efficient motors, lighting and building energy management systems in the first year of purchase. The Finance Act (pp70 – 72) sets out a number of limitations on products that will qualify, and specifies that Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) will hold the list of qualifying equipment.

PhotonStar CS5 IC & CS5 NIC qualify for SEI Accelerated Capital Allowance.

USGBC and L.E.E.D

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.

LEED is a third party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Who uses LEED?

Architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials all use LEED to help transform the built environment to sustainability. State and local governments across the country are adopting LEED for public-owned and public-funded buildings; there are LEED initiatives in federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, and State; and LEED projects are in progress in 41 different countries, including Canada, Brazil, Mexico and India.

Estidama

Launched in May 2008, Estidama, which means ‘sustainability’ in Arabic, is Abu Dhabi’s contribution to the global discussion of how to create more sustainable communities, cities and global enterprises. It is the result of a clear political vision that is intended to balance environmental, economic, cultural and social imperatives in pursuit of a higher quality of life for all living things.
 

Estidama is the first program of its kind that is tailored to the mid-east region. It was conceived to initially support the realisation of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, under the direction of Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, the agency responsible for the Future of Abu Dhabi’s urban environments, and in collaboration with a number of government agencies and developers who share a common vision to transform Abu Dhabi into a model of sustainable urbanization in the region.

Estidama’s philosophy is based on the four sustainability pillars, environmental, economic, social, and cultural underlying in its multidimensional approach and underpinned throughout the implementation of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030.