Size Matters: How Big Is Your Carbon Footprint? 

If you want to cut your energy costs and green your business, you first need to be able to measure how much energy you’re using and where you’re using it. Here are some ways to find out how much energy you are using:

According to the Carbon Trust, a ‘carbon footprint’ measures the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product.

The footprint considers all six of the Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases: Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6); and is measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). 

The carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) allows the different greenhouse gases to be compared on a like-for-like basis relative to one unit of CO2. CO2e is calculated by multiplying the emissions of each of the six greenhouse gases by its 100 year global warming potential (GWP).

To Measure your business or product's carbon footprint, head over to http://www.carbontrust.co.uk

AE Energy Solutions Takes Rwanda’s Children One Step Closer To A Brighter Future

Cardiff-based renewable energy leader AE Energy Solutions Ltd has extended a helping hand to Rwanda Restored — a charitable organisation that is dedicated to providing schooling, shelter and community to the children of Rwanda (many of whom are orphaned) — to develop and complete their much-needed water harvesting project. 

The water harvesting project is part of the Gihogwe Secondary School development in Kigali City, which began in 2005, and currently enriches the lives of 105 boarders and 236 students by providing an invaluable education to the city’s eager-to-learn children. 

AE Energy Solutions MD Andy Edwards explains;

“AE Energy Solutions is committed to bettering communities — having already built strong working relationships with numerous local agencies (including all local housing associations and charities) to bring our services within the reach of every household in south, East and west Wales — when we heard about the work being carried out by Rwanda Restored, we jumped at the opportunity to be a part of such a worthy cause. 

“As renewable energy advocates, we believe that harvesting rainwater is an incredibly effective energy saving method and can fully appreciate the importance of such a water-saving device.”

The presentation of a community-changing £4,000 cheque — which will allow the project to reach completion by November —  was made on Friday 14th October 2011 at AE Energy Solutions’ Rumney base.