A number of Transport for London (TfL) buildings and depots are about to get energy upgrades to help reduce their carbon emissions and the cost of heating the buildings. The upgrades will be used to bring in carbon reducing infrastructure such as heat pumps, solar panels, LED lighting, improved glazing and wall insulation.
The project is being funded through a £16 million grant from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). Most of the grant will be used to reduce carbon emissions at six sites on TfL’s estate, and the rest will be used for carbon-reducing measures at two London Underground depots.
Currently, gas use at Palestra, TfL’s head office in Southwark, represents 45% of all TfL head office gas use and 22% of TfL’s office carbon emissions, however, once the work funded by the grant is completed, both will be totally eliminated.
Palestra House (c) TfL
TfL has also been awarded £2.3m of grant funding to decarbonise buildings at both Neasden Depot and Finchley Central Signals Depot for the London Underground. These projects will target the replacement of ageing fossil-fuelled heating systems with low-carbon alternatives as well as improving building performance through the implementation of fabric measures.
Last year, the PSDS awarded £592,000 to TfL for work to make the London Trams depot at Therapia Lane TfL’s first of a number of low carbon depots– making it cleaner, greener and cheaper to run.
The Therapia Lane project will upgrade heating systems with a mixture of efficient heat pumps and infrared panel heaters that will replace fossil fuel gas boilers. The additional electricity consumption from the new heating system is planned to be offset by using 1,800m2 of south-facing roof space for solar panels, as well as other energy efficiency measures such as improved insulation and LED lighting.
Lilli Matson, TfL’s Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer, said: “We are very pleased to have received this grant from Government, which will help us go faster in our plans to decarbonise our estate. By bringing forward plans to get us closer to the Mayor’s 2030 net zero target, we are getting ever closer to our vision of being a strong, green heartbeat for London.
“As London’s main public transport provider, we have a vital role to play, making our organisation and network ready to respond to the climate emergency and taking action to reduce harmful pollution in our city. We are committed to helping London thrive and become a sustainable city.”
The six head office sites to be improved through this funding are:
- Palestra
- Buckingham Palace Road complex (above Victoria Coach Station)
- 210-216 Baker Street
- Aldgate BTP
- Victoria Station House
- 15-17 Allsop Place
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