TidyCo

Derby business saves 60% on lighting costs

Tidyco is a Derby-based small business which manufactures and supplies Parker hydraulic and pneumatic components, largely to the rail, defence, utilities and manufacturing industries in the UK. They also have a climate control division that designs and installs innovative industrial heating and air conditioning systems. The company exports globally to around 50 countries. Tidyco identified a business case for becoming more energy efficient, and has made an ongoing commitment to becoming low-carbon by investing in measures to reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions.

In total, the company has invested £16,000 in the lighting upgrade, with two 50% match funded grants over three years from Derby City Council and the European Regional Development Fund. Each year, this investment will save Tidyco at least £4,000 and twelve tonnes of carbon emissions.ntified an opportunity to make significant cost and energy savings by upgrading the lighting in their premises. The whole site now has LED lights controlled by daylight and movement sensors. The company also invested in a programmer for LED panels in their offices, to adjust the lighting level to suit individual staff and business activities in different areas.

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Tidyco has worked with Gemma Sylva and her D2 Energy Efficiency team at Derby City Council to improve our lighting and save on electrical costs while helping to also reduce our carbon footprint. The whole process from application to the completion of the project was quick and easy. Tidyco has a more efficient lighting system using 60% less energy so it’s win-win all round.” Philip Mason, Production Director.

Investing in renewable energy

Tidyco previously invested over £100,000 in a 50kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system, (comprising 208 panels!) to meet some of the company’s electricity demand from renewable solar energy. The system produces over 38,000kWh of electricity per year, saving 20 tonnes of carbon emissions. This saves Tidyco at least £10,000 a year, through reducing electricity bills as well as income from the Government’s Feed-In Tariff, which pays for electricity generated and exported to the grid. Over a 25 year period, potential savings from the PVs (which can last over 50 years in the right conditions) could reach £340,000 due to the increasing costs of energy.

Providing energy-efficient products

Tidyco’s AquaThermic domestic heat pump is a water heater which consumes less energy than conventional electric water heaters, according to (Dave Hithersay, Climate Control Director of Tidyco).

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The system has a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 3.6 – this means that for every unit of electrical energy input, over 3.6 units of heat energy is generated. The maximum COP of an average electric hot water system is 0.95; for every unit of electricity input, only 0.95 units of heat are generated.” More information on this product is available on Tidyco’s website.

Locally sourced goods and services

To boost the local economy and reduce the carbon emissions from transporting goods from further afield, Tidyco manufactures the majority of products in-house and purchases goods and services from as near to its premises as possible. The company is also working with another local small business to try and create a form of kite mark to help businesses in Derby identify that the products they buy or sell are manufactured in Derby and surrounding areas, rather than being imported and sold on.