In pole position for energy efficiency gains
Built on more than 30 years’ experience, Chris Dittmann Racing (CDR) is an international motor racing team founded in 2010. The team contests the GB3 Championship, the F3 Cup and the British F4 Championship among others, running both customer and team-owned cars. Their Tewkesbury base houses a state-of-the-art simulator using the latest software to enable drivers to train on almost any track in the world.
CDR occupies two units on a small industrial estate in Tewkesbury 9:00 to 5:30 during the week, while the team is typically away racing on most weekends. The business owns one of the units and leases the second, which is used mainly used for storage.
The business uses electricity for lighting, heating and equipment such as the simulator, a damper dynamometer, an air compressor and computers. In 2019 Dittmann consulted Severn Wye about Target 2030 funding to help reduce the company’s energy bills and make the workshop a more comfortable environment for staff.
‘In general,’ says Dittmann, ‘environmental considerations are not a large driver for the company. We had considered installing energy efficiency measures previously, but in the end it wasn’t a viable option for us until we found out about the grant.’
CDR’s energy efficiency report contained a number of things the business hadn’t been aware of, notably the running cost of compressed air. They applied for two grants totalling £5,537 and matched this with their own investment of £11,540 which enabled them to replace their existing plug-in electric heaters with air source heat pumps, install loft insulation and some new lighting, and replace draughty windows and doors, and finally to install a 7kWp solar PV array.
‘The most time-consuming part of the process was getting quotes from companies willing to install the size PV system we needed,’ says Dittmann. ‘But completing the funding paperwork was fine.’ Although the heat pumps and solar installations caused some disruption inside and outside the workshop, it was short-lived while the benefits have been long term.
‘The biggest difference for us is the staff comfort levels,’ Dittmann explains. ‘We also saw a reduction in our bills – at least until the energy price rises.’ Over the lifetime of the improvements the company should see savings of nearly £28,000.
Armed with more knowledge about their energy use, the company now also makes sure to turn off their compressor over the weekend and holidays. They’re monitoring consumption more closely now too, and discussing energy at management meetings.
Without the grants Dittmann says they would not have installed the improvements. In fact, the availability of Target 2030 funding put energy efficiency higher on the agenda for the company.
