TVM has always encouraged green best practice and has a green policy which strives to look after our environment and local community while giving employees a healthy working environment. Being more environmentally aware is an integral part of daily life in TVM and we are constantly progressing on our ambition to a more sustainable approach ensuring we are consistently improving and minimising any negative effect our procedures and systems have on the environment.
In 2012 we moved into our award-winning HQ building in Bartlemy, Fermoy, built to Passive Haus standards. Designed to meet operational needs and satisfy our green policies and ideologies, it was one of the first office developments in Ireland to fully embrace the principles of Passive Haus Design. The building incorporates a strong sustainable design ethos and meets stringent passive insulation and energy standards. With an air handling system, energy saving lighting system, solar panels and rainwater harvesting facilities, TVM HQ far exceeds building regulation requirements in terms of insulation and energy consumption.
Our energy costs are reduced using solar and photovoltaic cells to provide power and hot water to the building. 45kw Photovoltaic panels fitted to the Workshop roof are one of the largest such installation in the country and provides the potential for the building to be a net generator to the National Grid. This Photovoltaic plant generates enough energy to power the entire office daily.
‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ is the motto throughout HQ offices, canteen and in all OB trucks and company vehicles. We recycle paper scripts and running orders to local pre-schools, with match programmes and race cards being recycled to local collector groups. The ‘Green Team’ are tremendous in continually researching and instilling new measures to offer best environmentally friendly practices.
Although a Single-Use Plastic Directive has been adopted by the European Parliament since March of this year, TVM and our sister company IRIS (Irish Racing Integrity Services) were ahead of the curve on this one. In 2017 TVM and IRIS bought 17, 400 single-use plastic water bottles for use within the office and on OB’s. Following on from this alarming discovery our dedicated ‘Green Team’ set about an ambitious action plan and in 2018 this figure was reduced to 0! Branded reusable water bottles are now in use by all TVM and IRIS OB crew and office staff, customers and clients with refills available from boxed water units in OB trucks.
Since the middle of May 2019, we eliminated the use of paper cups from our OB’s. TVM and IRIS branded coffee cups are now available to all crew. This has contributed to a huge reduction in waste generated on OB’s over the last few weeks. It is enduring strategies like this we are determined to adopt, and we are delighted to be leading the way in the world of broadcasting.
The main office has a ‘Go Home’ button which when pressed it automatically turns off the TV’s in the office and any lights that are turned on with the use of a switch in the entire building. This helps reduce unnecessary energy being used in the building. All staff support power saving ideas and practices such as shutting down PC’s and laptops and turning off monitors at the end of each day are simple yet effective way’s where everyone can play their part! TVM conduct an annual Carbon Footprint survey and endeavour to reduce it where possible year on year. All company vehicles have the lowest emissions possible. TVM’s most recently built OB unit, configured in UHD or HD depending on client’s requirements, ‘OB8’ is driven by a Volvo FH12 Globetrotter 460HP Mega Low Chassis, making it an extremely efficient vehicle to drive. Along with this, OB8 itself requires just 1 x 125 amp 3 phase feed, a very energy efficient characteristic! Carpooling is encouraged and with OB’s the length and breadth of the country every week, crew not only avail of it but find it a very effective way of travelling especially with the long hours involved in OB life. The company is good too!