HEMCO
HEMCO is another Eastleigh manufacturer that received an Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) to assist with energy efficiency. The company has been operating on the same site in Boyatt Wood since 1963 and develops bespoke power and control systems for the likes of Rolls Royce and the Royal Navy as well as Eastleigh neighbour, Prysmian Cables. The business employs nine members of staff and recruits engineers locally, citing Southampton University as a good source, though, as is the case with almost all other businesses in the Borough, recruitment is a challenge at present.
HEMCO’s ARG contributed to the cost of insulating the ceiling and inner walls of the workshop on the ground floor of the manufacturing unit, as well as creating a partial wall on the lower floor. Further heat savings were made by enclosing the bannister of the staircase to the upper floor, and natural light was maximised by fitting UPVC windows to the insulating material where it was used to replace PVC strip curtains.
Once the installation was complete, the site’s energy consumption halved immediately: from 3600 kWh/month to 1800.
This heat saving measure is the most recent in a number of energy efficiency steps that HEMCO has taken to operate sustainably and reduce overheads. They have also replaced all their fluorescent bulbs with LEDs, including 8 x 60W fluorescent strip lights with just two LED lights that use 27W each: an energy saving of almost 90%.
HEMCO’s Finance Director, Karen Senior said: “I’m so glad I enquired about a grant in relation to energy efficiency. It’s particularly poignant now with the immense pressures on businesses to afford the energy costs they now face. Seeing an immediate effect on warmth and cost is very encouraging.”
