BME Partnership

Sustainability

A cornerstone of bme partnership’s environmental strategy is sustainability. bme believe that long-term sustainability is achieved through a reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels; and, whilst it accepts that, in the current UK climate we cannot eliminate all of the heating load, bme believe that cooling and ventilation should be by natural means. In this way energy-hungry mechanical cooling and ventilation systems are avoided wherever possible.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy produced from sources that cannot run out for millions of years. Coal, oil and gas fields will eventually be exhausted, but the sun will continue to shine and winds continue to blow for a long time to come.

The main problem facing renewable energy at the moment is that the output is not steady, it varies with the strength of sunlight, waves and wind. Electricity is very hard to store so if we are to have a constant supply we can’t just rely on renewable energy – energy efficiency is vitally important too.

The cost of producing renewable energy has come down in recent years to the level where it is starting to compete with conventional forms of energy. This gap will further reduce in the future.

Renewable energy:

•    is clean
•    is unlimited
•    occurs naturally
•    produces few waste products
•    produces few pollutants
•    causes little damage to the environment
•    can be available where electricity and gas networks don't reach
•    produces less greenhouse gases which cause global warming.

Installing renewable energy technology can:

•    save you money
•    enable you to do your bit for the environment
•    be a rewarding project
•    provide employment and income for rural communities
•    turn 'waste' into a resource
•    attract visitors
•    reduce the environmental impact of a site
•    be an educational tool.