We are committed to continually lowering our carbon emissions and improving on energy saving.
Energy Saving
Birmingham Hippodrome is committed to reducing energy use wherever possible. Our heating and cooling are controlled by a computerised Building Management System that allows us to accurately monitor and control pumps, boilers and across the building. We are phasing out older types of incandescent and fluorescent lighting in favour of low energy LED lighting, and improving how we control these across site. Where we have access to natural light (predominantly our main foyer and Thorp Street atrium) we use light harvesting sensors to reduce the use of artificial lighting. Where natural light is not available, we use time clocks and PIR sensors to reduce energy. This includes toilets, corridors, dressing rooms and storerooms.
We are currently working on a project to monitor energy usage across isolated areas within our building to see where we can cut down on electricity used. We are also actively seeking to replace our current boiler system to reduce or eliminate our use of gas to heat rooms and water on site, as we know that gas combustion impacts lower air quality in Birmingham.
Energy Generation
We are proud that Birmingham Royal Ballet, who reside on our site, have invested in a roof mounted photo-voltaic array (solar panels). The clean energy generated directly by the sun reduces the amount of energy we have to import from the grid supply. We hope to install our own zero-carbon energy generation system on site in the future.
Waste Management
We are conscious of our water consumption and have put in place systems to reduce it. We use sensors in our toilets to minimise water use for hand washing and toilet flushing and have installed energy efficient hand dryers across site. During shows, we offer free water from dispensers on each level of the lobby to encourage our audience to bring their own reusable bottles into our building.