Connell Co-op College

Tackling Waste Management

During our visit, we were shown around the college’s waste facilities. We conducted a full waste management audit including assessing compliance against the new legislation introduced in March 2025, and discovered that there were very few food waste bins on site.

Their current agreement meant that most waste bins were collected once a week. However, our waste audit identified that this could be cut to once a fortnight with the right procedures in place.

While reviewing Connell Co-op College’s bills, it became clear they were being overcharged for exceeding bin weight allowances. By slightly increasing the allowance per bin, we could eliminate those overage charges – a simple adjustment that alone should save around 4% per year.

We then rebalanced the number and types of bins, reducing some and increasing others. The result? A projected 20% annual saving on waste management costs.

Water: Untapped Savings

Connell Co-op College had never undergone a water audit before. We’re now exploring a backdated reclaim of up to five years by reducing the Return to Sewer Allowance (RSA) from 95% to a lower, more accurate amount. This has the potential to unlock significant savings on their water bills.

Energy Efficiency in Action

While on site, we also reviewed the college’s lighting, HVAC, and building management systems. While conducting energy audits we often find that savings can be made through a combination of reprogramming systems and also simply changing procedures. Both of which cost nothing to implement, but can potentially save thousands of pounds a month. In the case of Connell Co-op College, we noted:

• Unattended classrooms with lights left on.
• Air curtains blowing heat over entranceways unnecessarily.
• Computers left switched on or on standby overnight, or all weekend.

After implementing simple changes – switching off computers at night, turning off lights when not in use, and optimising HVAC systems – the college saw an immediate impact. Their August electricity bill dropped by approximately £2,500, even though the building was closed for the summer.

We’re continuing to monitor these savings to confirm the long-term impact, but the early signs are promising.

After monitoring energy consumption for a few months, we can also provide recommendations for system and lighting upgrades if applicable, that could increase savings even further.

The Solar Panel Surprise

Finally, we examined the college’s solar panel installation, which was fitted around 10 years ago. Many people don’t realise that regular maintenance and cleaning is important to ensure that solar panels work to their maximum efficiency. In this case, we suspected that weathering had damaged many of the panels, reducing their output.

We monitored the system’s energy output over a couple of months, which confirmed that energy generation was far below expectations. We’re now investigating further to determine whether other, less visible issues could be contributing to the low output, such as cabling damage, or the meter itself. This will ensure the college can get its renewable energy generation back on track, further reducing their electricity costs.