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The Energy Agency, a leading charitable organisation dedicated to promoting sustainability and energy efficiency, celebrated being a finalist in the Ayrshire Chamber Business Awards for the Active Travel at Work Award. While they may not have claimed the top prize this time, the Energy Agency remains determined to make a positive impact on the community and the environment.
The Active Travel at Work Award acknowledges a business that
has encouraged their staff to change their travel habits, becoming a more
active and healthier workforce. The nomination is testament to their efforts in
advocating for both staff wellbeing and sustainable transport solutions that
align with their mission to reduce carbon emissions and promote greener living.
The award ceremony, held on the 6th of October 2023 at Ayr
Racecourse, was a night of celebration and recognition for businesses and
organisations that have made significant strides in various fields. The Energy
Agency's presence as a finalist in the Active Travel category is a reflection
of their commitment to fostering sustainable mobility options and reducing the
carbon footprint in Ayrshire.
"We are immensely proud to have been recognised as a
finalist in the Active Travel at Work Award category at the Ayrshire Chamber
Business Awards," said Liz Marquis, Director of the Energy Agency.
"Congratulations to the deserving winner who shares our vision for improving
staff wellbeing and in turn, a greener, more sustainable Ayrshire. We look
forward to continuing our work and making a positive impact on our
community."
As the Energy Agency continues its vital work in promoting
sustainable living and reducing energy consumption, they remain grateful for
the support of the Ayrshire community and are dedicated to making the region a
greener and more sustainable place for all. Promoting energy efficiency,
renewable energy, and sustainable transport continues to inspire and drive
change in the region. The Energy Agency extends thanks to Ayrshire Chamber of
Commerce and their sincere congratulations to all the winners and finalists
across the various categories.
For more information about The Energy Agency and their
ongoing initiatives, please visit www.energyagency.org.uk
In partnership with Glasgow University and NHS Ayrshire
& Arran, Energy Agency conducted research into the impacts of home energy
efficiency measures on resident’s wellbeing and hospital admissions in South
West Scotland. The two part study took place over ten years monitoring the
health of occupant’s pre energy efficiency works and post installation of
External Wall Insulation (EWI). This work, on behalf of South and East Ayrshire
Councils, is managed by the Energy Agency.
After a lengthy peer review process, the results have now
been published in Public Health in Practice https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100396
The findings
suggest ‘a small but significant improvement in the health of residents’ and
provides evidence that home insulation improvements not only lead to
reduced emissions, lower energy bills and a lower carbon footprint, but also a
corresponding reduction in hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular
conditions.
This work also
supports the All Party Parliamentary Group for Healthy Homes and Buildings’
call for better measurement of the economic and social impacts of healthier
homes. It is one of the few UK Studies to provide evidence that shows the multiple
benefits from energy efficiency works; reducing energy demand (and thus
household bills), contributing to net zero goals, and alleviating pressures on
health service bed-spaces. This is an
exemplar of joined-up policy with political and practical benefits.
Statement by Liz Marquis, Director
Energy Agency:
We are delighted that close working with partners allows government funding to be used as effectively as possible to consider all aspects of housing, health and energy to benefit everyone. This practical work also provides real data analysed by academics and the health sector showing the many benefits.
Statement by Elaine Caldow, Public Health Programme Lead:The Public Health Team in NHS Ayrshire
& Arran has been working with the Energy Agency, in partnership with South
and East Ayrshire Councils, to observe the impacts of the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area
Based Scheme on health and wellbeing. This scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency of homes and
reduce fuel poverty in the most deprived communities.
Within NHS Ayrshire & Arran, we
looked at secondary data over a period of time for hospital admissions for
conditions known to be affected by cold or damp homes and observed relatively lower hospital admissions for both respiratory and cardiovascular and circulatory conditions in the areas which received the home improvements, compared to the rest of the health board area. The study also found
improvements in thermal comfort following external wall insulation, which was associated with self-reported
improvements in physical health. The study is a further step in our
understanding of how improving the warmth and the physical environment of our
homes can contribute to health outcomes.
It was our pleasure to welcome South Ayrshire's Community Planning Partnership Board to our Nethermills Hydro Scheme last week. And on such a beautiful spring morning Ayrshire really is a fantastic place to be.
Having been operational for a full year now, it was great to have the opportunity to share some of the lessons learned and data gathered during what has been an unusually dry year. Despite this, our first feasability and hydrological surveys predicted the site could generate 320MWh of electicty and this was fully realised with 321MWh of electricity produced over those first 12 months. 79% of this energy was used by the nearby Riverside Building at Ayrshire college, the remaing 21% being exported to the grid. Once initial capital costs are repaid, any future surplus funds will be used locally for fuel poverty and green energy projects throughout the south west of Scotland.
Read the full letter here: Letter to SNP Leadership Candidates
Check out the Energy Agency article in the spring edition of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce magazine with top tips to help businesses #saveenergy this #spring
If you are a small or medium-sized enterprise, arrange a free, impartial energy saving assessment from Business Energy Scotland www.businessenergyscotland.org
Our local advisor, Brogan Devlin, can also help you apply for an interest-free SME loan and cashback grant from the Scottish Government to help you make energy-saving changes.
E-mail brogan.devlin@businessenergyscotland.org #energysaving
Spring edition Chamber magazine article
