Carbon load shifting: Brunel House

Related markets and services

It is a challenging time for public sector organisations with budget constraints, increasing service demands and new, stringent regulatory and environmental requirements.

At a glance

Using E60+, Amey undertook a carbon load shifting initiative at National Highways’ Brunel House, creating a 24kg CO₂e saving a day, through a small, simple change.
By using data to predict outcomes, we adjusted heating and cooling systems in low-occupancy areas to deliver minor changes that gave a 9% energy reduction.
This approach to energy efficiency highlights the benefits of E60+, and how small operational changes can make a big impact on sustainability and costs.

Key metrics

9%

energy reduction achieved in one building
24kg

CO₂e saved everyday
£14,235

annual saving identified

As a leading maintenance services provider, we understand our role in helping our public sector clients achieve maximum value for money and mitigate some of these pressures, and a key area where we have been delivering this effectively is in optimised energy management.

Amey installed E60+, an AI-driven energy tool, to optimise carbon load shifting and reduce emissions.

The Approach

In 2025, in partnership with National Highways, Grid Edge and BMSi, Amey successfully trialled a carbon load shifting initiative within Brunel House, one of National Highways’ main offices, which demonstrated even small changes can have significant impacts.

Carbon load shifting reduces emissions by intelligently timing energy use to times during the day when the UK’s power grid is mainly powered by renewable energy sources (low carbon intensity) and avoiding those times when fossil fuel use is high (high carbon intensity). By measuring real-time carbon intensity data and acting accordingly, we can drive cost savings and reduce carbon footprints.

As part of the trial, we installed E60+, Amey’s unique, AI tool, within Brunel House, powered by Grid Edge sensor technology to measure and analyse energy use.

Tailored to the building and programmed to understand how each appliance uses energy, its operational use and criticality, E60+ worked out which appliances can be shifted at the right time to avoid peak carbon periods and provided our team with detailed analysis to maximise energy effectiveness.

Public sector buildings can manage energy and emissions, without compromising.

The Results

Measuring energy efficiency and carbon intensity with E60+, we immediately identified opportunities to reduce carbon emissions within Brunel House, including one simple change: turning the office HVAC down at the end of the day when carbon intensity was high.

E60+ identified that by optimising heating and cooling systems during the carbon peaks, the temperature could be dropped by less than a degree across the building from 4pm to 6pm. This retained comfort levels while reducing costs and carbon emissions.

This single change, when implemented, saved 24kg CO₂e a day and led to a 9% energy reduction, without impacting comfort or operational KPIs, over the year, delivering a £14,235 saving and substantial carbon reductions of around 5,520kg CO₂e.

This trial demonstrates how public sector buildings can proactively manage energy demand and emissions, without additional investment or compromising service.

This one small amendment to how the building operates has led to a significant saving and inspired the National Highways team to look at what more can be done to optimise energy use and drive behavioural change.

National Highways Carbon load shifting: Brunel House