NT commits £30m to updating energy intensive buildings

The National Trust, Europe’s biggest conservation charity, is investing £30m, in renewable energy to heat and power more of its historic places. The news follows the successful completion of five renewable energy projects at National Trust properties – part of a £3.5m pilot launched with green energy supplier Good Energy in 2013.

The investment marks a milestone towards reaching its targets to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, cut energy usage by 20% and source 50% from renewable sources on its land by 2020.

The Trust says its renewable energy programme could also help save up to £4m on its energy costs each year.

Electricity generated from some of the projects will be sold to the grid providing the charity with a source of income. This income, coupled with the savings made, will allow more money to be spent on vital conservation work, it maintains.

The National Trust is investing in more than 40 further projects including a 200kW lake source heating project at Blickling Estate in Norfolk which will remove two oil tanks and 25,572 litres per annum of oil consumption with an estimated saving of 68 tonnes of CO2 per year and two biomass boilers at Upton House in Warwickshire to heat the mansion and other areas saving an estimated 55 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Patrick Begg, rural enterprises director at the National Trust said: “In setting out our 10 year plan we recognised we will have to play our part in helping to mitigate climate change. A key part of that is to reduce our reliance on oil and look for greener energy solutions. We have a responsibility to look after the special places in our care, requiring us to make long-term decisions that will protect them for future generations.

“Many of the properties in our care are energy intensive and in remote areas without access to mains gas. Installing renewable technology in these places is a huge challenge. For instance we found that connecting hydros to the grid is more complicated than we expected. We have learnt a great deal and we will continue to do so.

“The success we have seen in decommissioning oil tanks, lowering our energy costs and reducing carbon emissions has shown us that renewables play a vital part in us reaching our 2020 energy targets and in delivering more for our core conservation mission.”