MOST people are switching on their heating at this time of year, but one Newcastle business has been able to delay doing so longer than most.

Nov 6 2007 by Karen Wilson, The Journal

While people throughout the North are firing up their boilers, Statexcolourprint, on the Airport Industrial Estate, has a far more efficient way of heating its factory.

The company is one if the region’s leading print companies, with the latest presses working round the clock to meet customers’ orders.

The presses generate vast amounts of heat, which Statex ensures does not go to waste – huge ducts extract the heat from the presses and redistribute it around the factory to ensure everyone is kept warm throughout autumn.

Even when winter kicks in, the heat from the presses means the real heating system is used less.

Statex finance and HR director Sue Maitland said: “The method is simple but very effective – we have so much excess heat coming off the presses that we wanted to be able to put it to good use.

“We also use the ducts to transfer heat away from the presses and out of the building during the summer, which helps keep the printing rooms cooler too.”

Statex has also installed more hi-tech methods to ensure it is using as little energy as possible by investing £30,000 and working closely with the Carbon Trust, the company has identified a number of ways to manage its energy use. Rather than just being on or off, the heating is monitored closely to ensure it is on exactly where needed.

Sue said: “There are automated processes in place to encourage staff to think about the way they use energy, too. If a door is left open, the heating in that room automatically goes off, which means heat is not lost needlessly.

“The technology does not just apply to the heating, either – the lighting is intelligent so lights are never on needlessly. The lights respond to natural light, sound and movement – they will switch off on a sunny day and only stay on if someone is moving or making noise in the room.

“The lighting system is wonderful and means you know you are not spending money or wasting energy needlessly. When you combine all these measures with our comprehensive recycling practices and responsible approach to renewable and sustainable paper sources, we must have one of the greenest businesses around.”

In addition to quality standards ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001 and Investors in People, Statex has been accredited with the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System since 2004 and also has accreditation from both the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).