LAKE DISTRICT, UNITED KINGDOM – During Great Big Green Week this past September, the Lake District National Park Authority highlighted how innovative technology installed at Lake District Visitor Centre will help save up to 50 tonnes of carbon annually.
At the Lake District Visitor Centre, Brockhole, a cutting-edge sustainable heating system to reduce carbon emissions has just been installed.
This is a way of stimulating innovation and highlighting technology to encourage everyone who lives in, works in, and visits the Lake District to explore how they can make changes to their own carbon footprint.
Lake source
A new lake source heating system is now in place and operational, consisting of technology that draws heat from the water through coils placed below the public transport jetty on Windermere. This provides energy to Brockhole House and coupled with installation and window upgrades makes the house much greener.
Solar charging
An innovative solar car charging canopy has also been installed at the Brockhole site, linked to 10 electric vehicle charging bays. This technology trial links solar energy with electrical storage. The hi-tech canopy stores energy for when it is needed and not just when it is sunny, meaning that cars can be charged overnight by the power of the previous day’s sun.
The battery can also be slowly ‘trickle’ charged overnight and then discharged rapidly during the day for fast charging of visitors’ electric cars, which in theory means that expensive upgrades to the electrical infrastructure will not be required in the future.
The EV (Electric Vehicle) chargers can be used by Lake District National Park staff and have been added to the national Electric Charger map so that they can be easily located and used by the public.
Chief Executive of the Lake District National Park Authority, Richard Leafe said: “Where better to highlight several new low carbon technologies including solar powered electric vehicle charging and a water source heating system than the Lake District Visitor Centre?
“We hope that by demonstrating the benefits of these technologies, we’ll show people how achievable great carbon reducing results can be.”
Funded by the European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) The Low Carbon Lake District initiative is a comprehensive programme to help tackle climate change in the National Park, working in partnership with local businesses and communities to reduce greenhouse gases and prepare for the impacts of climate change.
There is a range of grants available to help local businesses lower their carbon footprint. Find out more here: Low Carbon Lake District Grants – Lake District Foundation