Alpha-Rowen Cut Energy Costs and Boost Efficiency with BEAS
Founded in 2009 in the heart of the Black Country and supported by a team of 15 full-time employees, Alpha-Rowen is the UK's largest specialist sub-contractor for the Austempering of spring steel with a Heat Treatment process that strengthens metal for the spring and presswork market. As an energy-intensive business which uses furnace burners daily, energy costs are a significant expense and with gas prices rising six-fold, the viability of the business was in jeopardy and at real risk of closure. They registered with BEAS in the hopes of improving the energy efficiency of their site and ultimately reducing costs to the business.
Energy Assessment & Findings
After registering online, they were referred to the local delivery partner, Pro Enviro, who ran an assessment which revealed that modifying the control on Alpha-Rowen’s furnace would improve energy efficiency and result in reduced gas consumption. It was also noted that once the number of furnaces was reduced and all put onto one site, that the company’s monitoring system would require re-configuration to be able to track energy consumption.
Implementation & Impact
Once Alpha-Rowen implements the changes recommended by Pro Enviro—optimising the furnace burner and reconfiguring the energy monitoring system—the company is expected to save enough natural gas to heat approximately 30 homes for a year. This will also reduce annual carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to taking 12 cars off the road.
Mike Leach, Managing Director of Alpha-Rowen says: “I was delighted by the depth of insights gained from the free business energy assessment provided by the Black Country delivery team (Pro Enviro) for the BEAS-Decarbonisation Net Zero Programme. The recommendations supported our plan and the assessments provided were not only practical but should also lead to a reduction in our energy costs. Without the Grant Funding support, we wouldn’t have been able to move forwards. The added benefit is that the quantified opportunity it generated also made the grant application far more straightforward.”
The Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) is a pilot scheme run by the BGWM, aimed at helping SMEs reduce their carbon footprint. As energy costs continue to rise, it has become increasingly urgent for businesses to minimise their energy consumption. Fortunately, there are many simple and straightforward steps they can take to decarbonise and save money in the long term. BEAS supports this effort by offering free energy assessments and grants ranging from £1,000 to £100,000 for SMEs in the West Midlands.
Energy assessments and grants are still available for SMEs across the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, as well as Worcestershire and the Marches, Warwickshire and Stoke and Staffordshire.
After a business undergoes an energy assessment, there will be an opportunity to apply for a grant to invest in energy efficiency measures. Whether your business is considering upgrading to energy-efficient lighting systems, implementing heating, or cooling optimisations these grants offer financial support to turn your sustainability aspirations into concrete actions. Additionally, after the assessment BEAS also offers tailored one-to-one advice, webinars, workshops, and peer networks to help businesses gain the knowledge needed to maintain sustainable practices.
To learn more about BEAS and to take the first step towards a more sustainable and cost-effective future for your business, please visit www.businessgrowthwestmidlands.org.uk/beas and register for a free business energy assessment today.
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