Belfast shopping centre slashes electricity bill by a third

The upgrade of a 26-year-old lighting system to new LEDs for the foyers, basement carpark and toilets at The Kennedy Shopping Centre is believed to have saved 362MWh, with an anticipated payback period of 19 months.

“Not only have we cut our energy costs significantly, the LEDs in the basement car park are a significant improvement – shoppers feel safer returning to their cars,” The Kennedy Centre manager John Jones said. “The new lighting in the foyers has also made the centre more vibrant overall.”

Significant savings

Jones highlighted that the work was made possible through a 20% funding grant from energy provider Energia. Any Northern Irish business carrying out an energy efficiency project can qualify for the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP) grant, based on the amount of energy they save.

Energia energy services programme manager Janine O’Donnell said: “The Kennedy Centre is following a wide range of businesses by making its operations more energy efficient. By working with us on energy efficiency schemes they can save significant amounts of money on their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint.”

Several organisations have reported significant energy cost savings through energy efficiency measures in recent times. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Natural History Museum had secured a new 10-year energy performance contract (EPC) with waste management firm Veolia after recording hundreds of thousands of pounds in energy efficiency savings. Meanwhile, energy efficiencies at Heineken UK brewing and cider making sites have reportedly led to a 32% reduction since 2015.

George Ogleby