Renewable energy for UK’s newest castle
Renewable energy for UK’s newest castle
CSE helps National Trust choose biomass for Castle Drogo
5 June 2009
A National Trust-owned castle in Devon – considered to be the last ever built in the UK – is joining the low carbon revolution after installing a biomass boiler. The new 400kW Binder boiler is expected to save the Castle Drogo, near Exeter, around £40,000 a year in fuel bills in the long term.
The installation, which goes live on 6 June, follows a feasibility study carried out by CSE examining the possibilities of a biomass boiler at the castle, which was built between 1911 and 1930.
January 2011 | The National Trust has launched an appeal to save Drogo Castle from irreparable damage by water penetration. Click here for more details.
The National Trust was previously using oil boilers in the main castle and convective heating for the visitors’ centre. This meant they used approximately 70,000 litres of oil a year costing around £40,000 and emitting around 180 tonnes of carbon every year.
With the new woodchip boiler, this is expected to be reduced to just 20 tonnes of carbon each year.
CSE's Martin Holley, said: “This installation is fantastic news. This was a unique opportunity to work with the National Trust on an exciting project and hopefully demonstrates the potential of biomass heating on many other Trust properties kind of changes that can be made. We’re very pleased to see how this has progressed and how we’ve been able to help the organisation reduce its carbon and save money.”
Initially the woodchip fuel supply for the new boiler will be split between Forestry Commission supplies and the castle’s own estate. However, by 2011 the estate is expecting to supply the full amount as a result of improved management of the estate woodlands, which will also have a knock-on effect of improving conditions for wildlife and allowing the reintroduction of native trees.
The installation is part of a massive investment by the National Trust, who will be improving 5,000 buildings over the next five years and implementing a number of efficiency savings, including: loft insulation, water saving devices, double or secondary glazing thermostatic heating controls and more efficient lighting systems.