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The British Standards Institution (BSI) has announced that world leading air filtration manufacturer, Camfil Farr, has become the first company to join its recently launched Kitemark scheme for Energy Reduction Verification (ERV). The scheme independently verifies and certifies those organisations that achieve a reduction in carbon emissions through lower energy use.
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The British Standards Institution (BSI) has announced that world leading air filtration manufacturer, Camfil Farr, has become the first company to join its recently launched Kitemark scheme for Energy Reduction Verification (ERV). The scheme independently verifies and certifies those organisations that achieve a reduction in carbon emissions through lower energy use.
With its UK headquarters in Haslingden, Lancashire, Camfil Farr has a reputation for promoting the efficient use of energy and has demonstrated that air filters directly influence energy consumption within the air handling units which heat, cool and clean the air in air conditioning systems.
The company aims to educate property managers and owners about the substantial benefits of replacing existing filtration assets with low energy air filters. Camfil, the world leader in the production and development of air filters, became the first manufacturing company in the UK to be awarded BSI's Energy Management Standard BS EN 16001 in July 2010. As a manufacturing and service orientated business, Camfil Farr took the opportunity to examine its own current and future energy usage.
In light of rising and unstable energy costs, increasing legislation and the government's policy of driving energy consumption reduction, the company wanted to do as much as it could to demonstrate social responsibility while helping its employees, suppliers and customers to learn how to reduce energy and save money.
Bill Wilkinson, Camfil Farr Managing Director commented:
"Although we are not a huge energy consumer, the total savings achieved were remarkable. In the first year (2008) we achieved a saving of over 22% of our total energy bill and in the verification year (2009) a further 14.6%. This represented an annual saving of nearly £200,000 from an energy bill which exceeded £500,000 in 2007."
Bill Wilkinson continues:
"Camfil have always been energy aware, this awareness is an integral part of our culture and our operations. We have already had a lean management culture".
When asked what advice he would give to other companies seeking to join the scheme, Wilkinson said: "Simply doing nothing is just not acceptable, but as we found out, by implementing a company-wide Employee Engagement Scheme, every employee contributed to the substantial energy savings that we made".
Employee Engagement
Camfil's Energy Reduction Employee Engagement Scheme is known as CEASE (Camfil Energy Awareness Saves Environment). This scheme was first implemented in 2007. The scheme rewards employees with bonuses related to their contribution to energy reduction.
They also introduced an employee suggestion system during their Sustainability Week in 2009. Out of 147 suggestions in the Sustainability Week activity, 74 were acted on immediately (known internally as :Just DO It's - JDI's). Other benefits that Camfil enjoyed from the Employee Engagement Scheme include significant behavioural change both at work and at home, and positive attitudes across the company.
BSI Assistance
"The help received from BSI to formalise our Energy Management system was invaluable". Says Wilkinson. "The Kitemark scheme was engaged immediately, so the absolute "proof" was achieved and is now in the public domain".
Unlike other schemes, BSI's ERV Kitemark scheme has been designed specifically with CRC requirements in mind and therefore requires that only greenhouse gas emissions from energy use are taken into account. This allows organisations to focus solely on their energy emissions rather than having carbon resulting from transport and other sources complicate any measurements.
The Environment Agency has also approved the scheme as a CRC Early Action Metric that organisations may adopt to demonstrate carbon reductions. In fact, it is the only scheme to be based on the implementation of an energy management system - BS EN16001 - which demands more of organisations in that continual improvement and ongoing identification of energy reduction opportunities is required.
Camfil Farr were also the first UK Manufacturing company to achieve the BS EN 16001 energy management standard in July 2010. With the BSI Kitemark recognised and trusted by over 82 per cent of the UK population, the ERV Kitemark scheme provides a comprehensive alternative to both the Carbon Trust and CEMAR standards, which do not provide a BS EN 16001 based system around which long-term reductions can be identified, managed and realised. After being approved for the ERV Kitemark pilot scheme Camfil Farr was audited by BSI to assess its use of energy.
Although many of the energy reduction mechanisms required were already in place, mainly due to the company working to EN14001 with BSI for 10 years, the company reviewed certain aspects of its operations and corrected its existing data collection activities. It also undertook a pre-audit, and identified areas of non-conformance set out in the action plan and rectified them.
The transition to the ERV Kitemark was smooth and was completed less than six months after joining the pilot scheme. Commenting on the impact the ERV Kitemark scheme has made on the company, Camfil Farr's Managing Director, Bill Wilkinson, said: "The ERV Kitemark is an externally recognised verification that we have saved over 14 per cent on energy in the current compliance year and also demonstrates to our stakeholders that we practice what we preach. BSI has put us on the map and verified our system in a very short space of time".
Ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Camfil Farr
The Camfil Farr Group is a world leader in the production and development of air filters and clean air solutions with 23 production units and R&D centres in four countries in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, has 3,250 employees and sales in the range of SEK 4.5 billion. International markets account for more than 90 percent of sales.
Camfil Farr's business concept is to provide customers with best-in-class air filtration products and services within four main segments: Comfort Air, Clean Processes, Safety & Protection and Power Systems. For further information visit www.camfilfarr.com
Register for Camfil Webinar Schedule - Camfil Farr Training Academy - Webinar Programme 2010
For more information about low energy air filters or to find out how you can minimise energy use, make energy savings and reduce carbon emissions from your buildings visit www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk and subscribe to the RSS feed here or subscribe to Camfil Farr FEED by Email. We regularly post about filter technology, clean air solutions, improving air quality, low energy air filters, CRC (Carbon Reduction Commitment), AHUs (Air Handling Units) and the EPBD.
For more information on Camfil Farr and their range of products please contact : Kirstie Colledge, SMPR (Simply Marcomms Limited), 18 Generator Hall, Electric Wharf, Coventry, CV1 4JL, Tel: 0870 199 4044, Email: kirstie@simplymarcomms.co.uk.
Representatives from Camfil Farr are available for Media interviews and speaking opportunities. If you would like to be added to the PR distribution list for future news or to arrange an interview, please contact kirstie@simplymarcomms.co.uk or call 0870 199 4044.
About BSI Group
BSI Group is a global independent business services organization that inspires confidence and delivers assurance to over 80,000 customers with standards-based solutions. Originating as the world's first national standards body, BSI has over 2,500 staff operating in over 140 countries through more than 50 global offices. BSI's key offerings are:
The development and sale of private, national and international standards and supporting information that promote and share best practice Second and third-party management systems assessment and certification in all critical areas of management disciplines Testing and certification of services and products for Kitemark® and CE marking to UK, European and international standards. BSI is a Notified Body for 15 New Approach EU Directives. Certification of high-risk, complex medical devices Performance management software solutions Supply chain security solutions which identify and mitigate risks in supply chains Training services in support of standards implementation and business best practice.
BSI and Kitemark® were both voted UK Business Superbrands in 2010, by independent brand experts. For further information please visit www.bsigroup.com or www.Kitemark.com Contact: Claire Lynam, Head of Communications & Alliances, BSI. Tel: 08450 765600, claire.lynam@bsigroup.com For press enquires please contact: Linda Tyrrell, PR Account Director, The Henley Group International. Tel: 01491 570972, linda@henley.co.uk
Contact Information
Kirstie Colledge
SMPR
0870 199 4044
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