Introducing Matt Brooks

Having started out as an electrical apprentice when he was 16, Matt worked for a local electrical company for over 10 years. He qualified in 2012, and began managing projects, chiefly specialising in BMS, for one of the industry leaders in this field. In 2014 Matt became a qualified supervisor, responsible for all NICEIC paperwork.

He joined Woodward group in February as the next step up in his career, with the goal of growing our Energy Solutions division even further and continuing to build on our strong reputation as being one of the best in the industry.

A ‘right first time’ approach

As senior supervisor, Matt’s role involves making sure all our engineers are working safely and in line with the site programmes, ensuring all materials are on site, and that work is being carried out to the highest standards, on time, in budget, and with a ‘right first time’ approach.

Friendly, calm under pressure, and with an excellent work ethic, Matt is detail-orientated – he sweats the small stuff, so our clients don’t have to – and likes to lead from the front. Away from work, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, walking his dog, and going to the gym.

Commenting on joining Woodward Group, Matt said: “After chatting to Aden and Matt, I felt really positive about the culture at Woodward Group. Their commitment to investing in their workforce is impressive, and seeing the incredible growth over the past few years made me eager to be part of their future.”

Aden Woodward, MD at Woodward Group, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Matt Brooks to our team. His extensive experience and dedication to the highest standards align perfectly with our culture of excellence and growth. Matt’s expertise in BMS, alongside his strong leadership qualities, will undoubtedly drive our Energy Solutions offering to new heights.”

Offering flexible, green solutions

Woodward Group’s Energy Solutions division builds energy efficient and environmentally friendly spaces for our clients, without compromising on aesthetics. From Building Management Systems (BMS) to Ground Source and Air Source Heat Pumps, our team can advise on a number of flexible green solutions tailored to your business.

To book your free consultation or find out more, please call 01283 819379 or email us on enquiries@woodwardgroup.net.

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The Government’s Net Zero Strategy

The UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy sets out how the country will unlock £90 billion in investment to reach ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050. It outlines the support that will be provided to businesses and consumers in the transition to clean energy and green technology – including reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels and switching to low carbon travel options like electric vehicles.

Are we on track for 2050?  

While the UK has been successful in the reduction of its carbon emissions, there is concern that it might miss future targets. There is, arguably, a lack of urgency in reducing emissions, with the majority of reductions from the last decade having been from the electricity supply sector alone. There needs to be significant progress in agriculture, land use, and waste areas in order to meet the targets set out in the Net Zero Strategy.

What progress has been made?

Despite concern that the UK might miss its net zero targets, a few areas of promising progress have been made, including:

• A three-quarter reduction in carbon emissions from electricity generation since 1990, caused by the growing popularity of renewable energy.
• Electric cars are slowly gaining popularity, accounting for 16.5% of new car sales in 2023. This is likely to increase with further public charging points continuing to be added.
• Meat consumption has fallen by 17% in the UK over the last decade, and environmental land management schemes mean farmers can apply for public money to support activities that benefit the environment.

What can businesses and individuals do?

Both businesses and individuals are being asked to help support net zero efforts and to play their part in reducing emissions. This could involve many different actions, such as:

• Installing a Building Management System – a BMS can analyse and monitor your energy use, control your assets and ultimately optimise the way energy is used in order to cut carbon emissions and lower business costs.
• Visiting the UK Business Climate Hub in order to find practical tools and resources to help them understand and reduce emissions.
• Installing energy efficient lighting.
• Switching to electric transport options and installing EV charging points in your business.
• Installing Ground Source and Air Source Heat Pumps – which take heat from the ground and air and use it to warm your home.

Practicing what we preach

At Woodward Group we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint while providing high-quality products and services. We maintain an Environmental Management System with due reference to the standard BS EN ISO 14001:2004 and strive for environmental best practice throughout our business activities. We have also installed roof mounted solar panels at our office, as well as EV chargers for staff and customer use.

Woodward Group also made the decision to switch our company vehicles to plug in hybrids, and we are in the process of moving to a fully paperless CRM system.

Read our environmental statement to learn more.

How Woodward Group can help

At Woodward Group we are committed to helping build energy efficient and environmentally friendly spaces without compromising on aesthetics. Our Energy Solutions team can advise on a number of flexible green solutions for your business, including energy efficient lighting, Building Management Systems, electric vehicle charging and more.

To book your free consultation or find out more about our Energy Solutions, please call 01283 819379 or email us on enquiries@woodwardgroup.net

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Since the clocks went back, UK evenings have been noticeably longer and darker, with many workers seeing little or even no daylight during worktime hours. An increasing amount of research has evidenced the impact that poor quality lighting can have on the physical and mental health of employees, including causing eye strain, headaches, fatigue, stress and anxiety.

With this in mind, it is paramount that businesses really make the most of their lighting, particularly over the darker winter period. But if the more traditional incandescent, fluorescent or halogen bulbs have been doing the job just fine up to now, why should you make the switch to LED lighting? 

What is LED lighting?

LED stands for light emitting diodes. Simply put, they are tiny lightbulbs fitted into electrical circuits. Unlike regular lightbulbs, LEDs have no filament, which means they won’t burn out and don’t generate much heat.

LEDs typically use 90% less energy than traditional incandescents. This means they usually pay for themselves through energy savings in as little as a few months. Moreover, energy efficient lighting can last 15 times longer than conventional fittings, which therefore reduces the need for frequent and costly replacements.

What are the benefits for businesses?

In a time where there is a growing pressure on businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, LED lighting can offer a host of environmental, financial and operational benefits. These include:

• Reducing the effect of rising electricity prices
• Increasing businesses overall profitability
• Helping businesses to meet their corporate and social responsibilities
• Decreasing carbon emissions
• Offering greater versatility; individual fittings can be programmed in a variety of ways such as lux levels, sensor sensitivity, time duration, and luminaire lighting.
• Better working conditions for employees

Because solutions can be easily tailored to individual businesses – LEDs can be adjusted to emit warmer, cooler, brighter or dimmer lighting conditions – they can help mitigate against the potential health risks for workers caused by poor lighting. Office workers, for example, could benefit from settings that replicate natural light. As LEDs are also highly directional, they can help to limit screen glare too. 

How we can help

We can provide you with a free proposal/lighting design, which identifies energy and carbon savings. Our design will also provide LUX level to ensure compliance.

The Woodward Group Energy Solutions team is committed to helping build energy efficient and environmentally friendly spaces without compromising on aesthetics.

Our experienced engineers use the latest LED technologies to supply and install tailored lighting solutions for businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. We also offer financing options, where your monthly repayments cover the electricity cost savings, thus making the scheme cost neutral and more cash positive.

To find out more about how we can help you reduce your energy costs, please give us a call on 01283 819379 or send an enquiry here.

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