Zero carbon, low energy site . . .
From the outset of the new RCHQ at Park Farm, the intention was to create a site that was zero carbon, low energy and that considered the various issues of sustainability on the site.
River Cottage employed Satellite Architects to develop a holistic approach for the site that would assure nothing went to waste and that all aspects of the energy creation, infrastructure and physical build were realised with maximum sustainability.
Everything from the materials sourced to the systems used strives to have minimal impact on the environment.
Through numerous systems like a bio mass boiler that is fuelled with clearings from local forests to the reed beds that naturally process effluent from the site; sustainability has been the primary design focus of the project.
The wind turbine supplies some of the electricity for the site and the remainder of the power is provided by 100% renewable resources from Good Energy.
Hugh says:
"It's been three years now since we moved into our buildings at Park Farm," says Hugh.
"Installing then getting to know all our renewable and environmental technologies has been a learning curve for us all, but it’s also been rather fun!
"Ultimately though we have a serious, and exciting, goal: to make River Cottage HQ a zero carbon site.
"To help us achieve this, in 2009 we started to work with our energy partner Good Energy, the 100% renewable electricity supplier.
"Together we’ve been monitoring our energy needs and usage and evaluating how best to reach our zero carbon target.
"Much or our recent progress has been in identifying some key elements to help us reduce our carbon output (and save us money in the process) — from simple things like making sure we use high quality Low E light bulbs to more advanced additions like an anaerobic digester.
"As we continue to reduce our energy requirement an increasing proportion of it can be covered by what we generate ourselves with our Wind Turbine and Solar Panels.
"All these physical measures are underpinned by the philosophy we share with Good Energy: the desire to change the way we think about energy and work with our environment to minimise the impact we have on it."
Introducing Good Energy . . .
Good Energy supports more than 1300 individuals and communities making energy from wind, water, sunlight and sustainable biomass, including River Cottage HQ.
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