B2C Distribution - Breathing a new lease of life into a historic building

Background

B2C Distribution wanted their renovated premises at the Gunnery Drill Shed to be as energy efficient as possible. They came to Low Carbon Business for support with the lighting and biomass boiler aspects of the renovation.

Formed and based in Shoeburyness since 2004 B2C Distribution trading as Wetsuit Outlet, are online retailers offering watersport clothing from all the top manufactures. Since 2004 they have shipped over 400,000 products.

Since 2004 B2C Distribution has had a couple of premises in Shoeburyness. However the expansion of the business meant they needed larger premises whilst wanting to stay in Shoeburyness.

So in August 2010 they purchased the Gunnery Drill Shed a grade 2 listed building that is over 150 years old. The building was derelict and had not been used for nearly 20 years.

Built in 1859 in response to the Crimean War, the Gunnery Drill shed was the home of the Gunnery for the Royal Artillery which was founded in the same year. The garrison was disbanded in 1976 and the building has remained derelict for the majority of the time since.

Since acquiring the building B2C Distribution have invested a lot of money in restoring and renovating the building so that it was suitable to move the business there.

The Project

As they neared the final stages of the renovation B2C Distribution turned their attention to the heating and lighting. This accounts for the majority of their carbon footprint and they are, as is the whole of the water sports industry, very conscious about their impact on the environment.

Having already installed low energy lighting and insulating the offices as much as possible, B2C Distribution wanted to make the warehouse efficient as well.

After careful thought they decided the best solution was to install a 60kw biomass boiler and induction lighting in the warehouse.
At the same time they had objectives for this project that they wanted to follow closely. These were;
• Ensure they had the lowest practical carbon footprint.
• Provide a safe environment in terms of adequate lighting and heating for the staff.
• Support local businesses by sourcing the wood chips locally.
• Re-use packing materials and cardboard as additional fuel for the boiler.

Now that they had identified the project they would like to carry out, B2C Distribution contacted Low Carbon Business for support with the project.

Low Carbon Business was able to support B2C Distribution by advising them on the best way to undertake the project and suppliers that may be suitable for them.

Low Carbon Business then provided further support by guiding B2C Distribution through an application for a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant for 40% of the project costs.

Outcomes

B2C Distribution was successful with their grant application and were awarded a 40% grant of £20,376 from ERDF funding. This meant that the project could commence.

The induction lighting was installed by Energy Mizer who are based locally on Canvey Island. The new lighting is so effective and efficient that only half of the lights in the warehouse are needed.

The biomass boiler was installed by MHS Boilers who are based in Laindon. The boiler uses wood pellets that are sourced locally. The boiler provides efficient heating to the whole building and the waste from burning the wood pellets is minimal.

The award of the grant has enabled B2C Distribution to purchase and install the biomass boiler, and avoid purchasing an affordable but inefficient oil burner that is more harmful to the environment.

The project is expected to see B2C Distribution create energy savings of 156,514 kWh per annum. This is equivalent to 85 tonnes of CO2. Additionally the project will see costs savings of £7,000 a year as the wood pellets are half the cost of gas.

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B2C Distribution - Breathing a new lease of life into a historic building