SMEasure.org.uk is a free to use energy monitoring website from the University of Oxford that requires no equipment or kit. It can provide a host of valuable analysis by benchmarking the organisation’s energy consumption from adding weekly meter readings against typical use and degree-day data to provide valuable insight to the charitable organisation on possible wastage and leakage, for example, so corrective measures can be implemented.

Yassen Roussev from The Cyrenians uses SMEasure and says of the tool: ‘SMEasure has allowed The Cyrenians homeless charity to monitor the performance of its building stock and evaluate the effectiveness of energy efficiency projects. There has been a lack of specialised tools freely available to SME’s to evaluate energy usage and correlate that with local degree-day data.’ Yassen continued, ‘The creation of SMEasure to fill exactly this gap is really good news for the Energy or Estate Manager on a shoestring.’

The site was born from the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford with an aim to attract organisation’s anonymised data to continue their research into energy consumption by building type so not only can charitable organisations benefit from using the website – the research team can continue their research into a lower carbon future.

Any organisation can use the website; however SMEasure.org.uk would in particular like to attract charities and non-profit making organisations to benefit with an aim for the monitoring organisation to cut energy consumption and potentially cut energy bills to save on the charity’s running costs.

Contact:
Ananh Todman Annah@smeasure.org.uk 0845 2694816

Or

Muriel Bonjean Muriel@smeasure.org.uk

The free-to-use energy monitoring website was born from the Environmental Change Institute with an aim to attract business’ anonymised data for their research into energy consumption by building type. Any organisation can benefit from using it; however the new additional resources may prove specifically useful to the education sector.

The online tool in itself is a valuable and interesting support into energy useage, as users can track their energy consumptions by simply adding weekly meter readings and receive personalised graphic displays relating to the energy useage and efficiency. This provides an ability to assess your buildings energy efficiency and ultimately cut costs from lowering consumption, which can be a further benefit to the school or university’s building manager!

Specific resources for the education sector (schools and higher and further education) were recently added to the SMEasure website, such as the BBC Teachers TV film on ‘How Science Works’ Music’s EnergyFootprint programme, which was produced in association with one of SMEasure’s senior researcher. The programme was created a part of a study into the music’s energy footprint. In addition 4 lesson plans are available along with ideas and action plan templates.

SMEasure is a learning tool for students of all levels from infants to senior researchers to put theory into practise and is an excellent resource for discussions, forums, energy efficiency tips and sector type energy useage. For those interested in a higher-level of research, details of the Environmental Change Institute’s research have now also been included on the site, providing an insight in to areas such as stock modelling, benchmarking across buildings and buildings types and the relevance of performance curves used with degree-day data.

Users simply need to add weekly meter readings and the tool does the rest. No kit or outlay is required and it is a completely free service, so there is no better time to sign-up and start energy monitoring today.

SMEasure believes it can tackle energy wastage in the leisure sector head-on with its free energy monitoring calculator. Energy monitoring is the first place to begin tackling a reduction in business’ emissions, allowing the buildings manger to become familiar with their energy usage, to identify abnormal energy use, apply corrective measures and discover areas in which energy could be saved. Energy monitoring with the equipment and services you already have is the first place to start in ensuring you are energy efficient. With little or no capital investment it is possible to adopt good housekeeping measures that can be put into operation straight away and offer immediate benefits.

Ventilation alone can account for around 30% of heat loss in most commercial buildings for example and the SMEasure research team would like to receive more data to model energy use in the leisure sector and provide advice on how this industry can become more energy efficient.

In times of economical hardship, it is also paramount to businesses’ to cut costs where possible. ‘Energy consumption in hotels can account for between 3% and 6% of total running costs, ‘ says Annah Todman, marketing manager, ‘so there are real saving opportunities with monitoring energy.’

As SMEasure unveil their plans to assist the leisure industry in energy monitoring, they request hotels owners, leisure centres, sports clubs, youth clubs and associations join-up for free energy analysis. Users will be feeding anonymised data back and ultimately help advise on governmental energy policy as SMEasure is part of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford so your business can feel good about what it is giving back to the environment! Further details are available on the leisure page of SMEasure here.

Annah Todman, Marketing Manager Annah@smeasure.org.uk

Muriel Bonjean, Coordinator, muriel.bonjean@ouce.ox.ac.uk

Last week, Julie’s Bicycle launched the most definitive study on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impacts of international touring – setting the scene for a change in the way bands, orchestras and theatre tour by putting the environment at the heart of the action.
‘Moving Arts: managing the carbon impacts of our touring: Bands, Orchestras and Theatre’ is a three volume report which measures the impacts of touring and presents practical solutions to help cut touring emissions.

CIAO! Ark

The Children’s International Art Organisation (CIAO)’ s Ark project is a spectacular public art installation that showcases visual and performing arts created by 10 schools across Oxfordshire in response to the question – ‘If you were sailing away on an Ark to a low carbon future, what would you take with you and what would you leave behind?’.

You can read more on these stories by following this  link.

Centre for Alternative Technology launches influential report that shows how Britain could eliminate emissions by 2030.

The University of Oxford is signing-up to 10:10!

Great news for us: the University of Oxford has signed-up to 10:10

You can read more on these stories by following this link.

I was lucky to get to see HRH The Prince of Wales last week, giving a lecture in Oxford on Islam and the Environment. The lecture was really inspiring, and the Prince of Wales talked about the loss of the deep inner soul, that people in the West no longer believe in. And this is what has caused environmental and financial crises. People have been ‘de-souled’ by consumerism.

Where Are the Opportunities and Risks in Sustainability?”- free webinar from Yale University, Thursday (June 17) from 12:30pm-1:30pm EDT.

A distinguished group of Yale alumni panelists will be offering their insights on new and innovative business opportunities that also address concerns relating to the long-term sustainability of our planet.

You can read more on these stories by following the link.

Moneyless man reveals how to live a cashless life without starving

Separation between stomachs and the soil means most food comes in plastic packets, but eating for free can be fun, says the Freeconomy Community founder, Mark Boyle.

You can read more on these stories by following the link.

That is all for this week!

Within 48 hours of getting into office, the UK Government signed up to 10:10. Meaning that all the government departments will have to produce 10% less emissions than last year, adding up to a staggering 600,000 tonnes of C02 not being pumped into the atmosphere – equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the road.
Watch the video to see Cameron breaking the news here.
Hitting the lights in wasteful offices
Most people instinctively turn off the light as they leave a room at home. But what about the office? Energy saving can seem a mite less vital when we’re not footing the bill. Perhaps technology can help ensure the lights and heating are not left on when the sun is blazing or no one is there to use them. To read this new scientist article, follow this link.
‘Playing God’ with the climate?
Biotech supremo Craig Venter’s latest foray into “synthetic life” is raising all sorts of questions within the domain of medical and scientific ethics. One of the potential uses which he’s looking at for synthetic bacteria – sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – potentially also breaks new ground in the ethics of human effects on the natural world.
Read this eye-opening article here.
That is all for this week!

Energy Management
For Home – www.imeasure.org.uk
Find imeasure on twitter: imeasureou
For Work – www.smeasure.org.uk
Find SMEasure on twitter: smeasure_carbon

Your questions and comments are always helpful: http://help.smeasure.org.uk/discussion/new

Alternative energy – video
Watch this interesting video from the National Geographic on alternative energy.
Julie’s Bicycle London Green Theatre Network Launch, 26th of May, London – event
I will be heading to London next week to present SMeasure at the London Green Theatre Network Launch, organised by Julie’s Bicycle, a not-for-profit company established in 2007 to support the UK music industry in tackling climate change.
So if you are based in London and interested or active in environmental sustainability/carbon reduction in theatre and interested to come along, get in touch with Julie’s bicycle event organisers here.

That is all for this week!

Energy Management
For Home – www.imeasure.org.uk
Find imeasure on twitter: imeasureou
For Work – www.smeasure.org.uk
Find SMEasure on twitter: smeasure_carbon

Your questions and comments are always helpful: http://help.smeasure.org.uk/discussion/new

The Guardian Sustainable Business Quarterly is a series of thought-provoking evening events for corporate sustainability professionals.
The event is free to attend and will take place on Tuesday 15th June, start-time 17.45, at America Square Conference Centre, One America Square, London EC3N 2LB.
For more details see here.
To register go here.

Incorporating sustainability in small and medium businesses – video

Simone Mann of the Commercial Group is sharing her experience and successes in growing as a sustainable business. Watch the video here.
Another example of a company’s commitment to become more sustainable is Mission Zero, which is Interface’s commitment to eliminate the negative impact the company may have on the environment by 2020.

10 questions for Chris Huhne, the new energy and climate change secretary

From reforms to the UK’s renewable energy strategy to tackling the nuclear question, the new energy and climate change secretary faces a daunting in-tray.
Read the interview here.

That is all for this week!

Energy Management
For Home – www.imeasure.org.uk
Find imeasure on twitter: imeasureou
For Work – www.smeasure.org.uk
Find SMEasure on twitter: smeasure_carbon

Your questions and comments are always helpful: http://help.smeasure.org.uk/discussion/new