THE NATIONAL TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORS
Let me introduce myself and colleagues. I have been working for almost four years on reducing the National Trust’s environmental impact specifically in Wales but also wider across the organisation and with individuals, communities and organisations. Our jobs have laudable aims but what does it look like on the ground i hear you ask? (well i think you do?)
That brings us to this blog and we hope over the coming years (there’s confidence for you!) to share what we are learning, doing and developing (the good, the bad and the funny). Be it big exiting renewable energy projects, understanding our impact or new wizzy gadgets to make the world a little bit better or just simple approaches to managing what we have better.
we don’t claim to have all of the answers or even many but we have some suggestions and we hope to share the successes and not so successful approaches we are developing / borrowing/ making up!
and now back to doing stuff!
WHAT DOES A NATIONAL TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISOR DO?
Bit of a generalist in terms of environmental management. supporting properties in their day to day work by advising on improvements, reporting back on performance and looking to see what the opportunities are – which sound all very laudable. We go back to what does that mean on the ground. To give you flavour of our work…
Work which Paul and I are involved in
- 14 hydro’s ranging from 10Kw to 3Mw (feasibility scoping funding and tendering)
- Biomass boilers galore – 10kw to 400kw
- Research into the UK’s first large scale closed loop Marine Source Heat pump
- Heat pump role-out and evaluation (gardens, shops, offices and cottages)
- 5 micro wind turbines
- 4 visitor center developments or improvements
- LED lighting in every mansion
- Secondary glazing in mansions
- large scale PV role-out
- Monitoring of water and energy us
- Waste management and compliance
- Energy trading development
- Continual development of the NT’s first Environmental Management system
- LED bulb development (conservation grade bulbs)
- Presentation and engagement (like this Blog) across the country
- Community energy development – advice and active participation
- and on and on…
- THINK YOU GET THE GIST – it’s a great job and we are lucky to be doing it in an organisation which is now pushing the environmental boundaries (and in a big way) !!!
Keith,
Really interesting site and truly inspirational work. Just goes to show new tricks can be taught to old buildings…. sounded funnier in my head. I am very keen to see whether we can help or assist with your mission to save and improve energy of the NT stock. We note that the English Heritage roll out an annual Display Energy Certification regime on all their >1000m2 buildings, to establish energy use and target how and where savings can be applied (this does apply to EH as they are a Government funded organisation and they are open to the public). Where are the NT on this front, you are a private/charity organisation Iso I expect this is not being forced as yet.
The work you are carrying out though would I’m sure benefit from having all your large buildings to be assessed and a recommendation report put in place. Although a small organisation we have an imediate team of surveyors who could roll out an inspection programme and produce these reports and voluntary certificates for the NT. Our cost for the report and EPC is very low and as members of the NT we would be very keen to work along side your team. It might be the case you are already underway with this or have completed this, but we have done some checks with the national register and find most NT buildings have not had the work carried out. Our approx fee for most DEC work would be £95-150.00 per building depending upon the numbers and areas. We feel the future will be a greater envasis on DECs to gage a buildings performance rather than an EPC, as this gives a much more valued assessment.
It might be worth noting there has been a recast of the EPBD that ditates the requirements for DECs and EPCs and this will now include most private buildings which are open to the public.
It would be great to catch up and discuss further.
If you wish to view our web-site using the address below, log in as adam.alexander
Password : password.
We are in the process of remodelling it but this will give you access.
Regards
Adam Alexander
thanks for the email – you are right in that DEC’s don’t apply to us and in the recast of Energy Performance of Buildings Directive EPC don’t apply
DEC to be displayed in buildings larger than 250m² that are occupied by a public
authority
• EPC to be displayed in commercial buildings larger than 250m² that (a) are
frequently visited by public and (b) where an EPC has previously been produced
on the sale, rent or construction of that building
• the energy performance of existing buildings of any size that undergoes major
renovations to be upgraded in order to meet minimum energy performance
Requirements. Currently, there is a threshold of 1,000m²
we have done quite a bit on the value of EPC’s on our larger buildings esp match SAP / SBEM and detailed dynamic thermal modelling and found the results to be weak at best in terms of where to focus improvements for a better rating which can be completely undone by the simple means of changing the heating source and thus still waste kw but based on a different heat source eg biomass. All of our let buildings already have to undergo EPC assessment but the larger buildings are not subject to this. These buildings are mostly classified as museums and not commercial. this is a watching brief at the moment and we work with DECC and other agencies to make sure we end up with a meaningful system which is a bit further on from the current EPC and DEC one size fits all approach.
http://ntenvironmentalwork.net/2011/11/17/energy-performance-certificates-worth-the-paper/
Thanks for the comment and I hope you continue to track
All the best
Keith
Helo Keith. Buasai’n wych petai’r NT yn gallu cael presenoldeb ar Maes Gwyrdd, yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol eleni. Siaradais hefo Stephen Parry yn sioe y Smallholders mis yn ol, ac efallai ei fod wedi son am hyn? Mae gennym babell darlithoedd yna, ac yn awyddus i hybu mentrau ecolegol Cymraeg yno – yn yr iaith Gymraeg wrth gwrs. Mae nifer o aeoldau seneddol, darlithwyr prifysgol, ac elusennau eraill wedi cytuno i siarad yn barod – ond rydym angen mwy ar brosiectau egni adnewyddol ayb – buasai newyddion am fenter yr Wyddfa yn ddiddorol iawn, er enghraifft. A oes cynlluniau gennych i fod yn yr Eisteddfod eleni beth bynnag? Ac a fuasai gan yr NT ddiddordeb mewn dod a stondin at y Maes Gwyrdd? Gallwn gynnig stondin am 2 ddiwrnod ar y tro, yn lle’r 8 diwrnod ddisgwylir gan yr Eisteddfod fel arfer. Mae’n ddrwg gen i gysylltu mor hwyr, a thrwy’r wefan fel hyn, ond rydym wedi bod yn brysyr iawn – ac roeddwn wedi gobeithio buasai Stephen wedi pasio neges ymlaen! Fy rhif ffon yw 07551 498910 neu 01458 832508 os hoffech siarad, neu medraf eich ffonio chi ar amser gyfleus os fedrwch gysylltu yn ol.
oes mae gan yr YG gynlluniau i fod yn yr eisteddfod ond dwi ddim yn gwybod y manylion. dim problem helpu gyda cyflwyniad. yn y ddwy flynedd diwethaf rydym wedi arbed 41% o’n egni, gosod 4acer o BV, 24 biomass, hydros ayyb. y peth dwi yn hoffi dangos ydi ei bod yn bosib gwneud rhywbeth ym mhob man. cestyll ac bythynod
Gret! Fedrwn ni gysylltu yn uniongyrchol drwy ebost? nathan@maesg.org.uk – byddwn angen trefnu dyddiad ac amser i’r cyflwyniad. Hefo pwy dyla i siarad am bresenoldeb y YG hefo stondind yn yr Eisteddfod, os nid chi? Diolch, Nathan
The case studies that you are posting on this blog are fantastically useful and so clearly explained. We are an independent tourism consultancy and it can be really hard to get good case study material to show to clients to illustrate how the tourism sector is (or could be) addressing sustainability issues – this blog is a rare exception. So few organisations are good at telling people want they are doing for the environment in practical terms and this blog is a great example of how it should be done – thanks and well done.
thanks for the kind words. we designed the blog to answer the ‘what would i like to know or see’ we also like to share the not so successful projects. Interestingly those seem to get more hits than the successful ones
Is there an email address I can reach you at, Keith?
Hi Keith,
I thought you might be interested in the grant funding WRAP has announced this month for recycling facilities at visitor attractions etc. in Wales. £50,000 is available per application to cover temporary project management expertise, capital costs and communications materials – Recycle on the Go Wales.
As one of WRAP’s selected Recycle on the Go Consultants please feel free to get in touch for more information (no obligation general chat) or visit the WRAP website.
thanks for letting me know. few questions – is this for SME’s only? what % is the grant? – we have been caught out on the SME thing a few times. all the best Keith
Hi Keith,
Amazingly this is one grant which isn’t limited to SMEs or convergence areas. Any size organisation and any location in Wales.
The grant is 80% so a total project cost of £62,500 inclusive of VAT would be eligible for grant of £50,000 inclusive of VAT, cost to yourselves £12,500. Of the grant funding a maximum of 25% (i,e, £12,500 of the £50,000) can be towards the project management support needs. In terms of what the project management support can fund please visit: http://www.environmentandsustainability.co.uk/RoTGWales
The grant can cover one site or a number of sites (all to be located in Wales) and the recycling facilities must be for use by the general public. There is likely to be an element in the assessment of the grant of the scale of potential recyclate that can be achieved in relation to the amount of funding being requested (as you would expect). To register interest and obtain an application form and guidance you need to go to http://www.wrapcymru.org.uk/content/recycle-go-wales
I hope this helps but if you would like to talk do give me a call on 07917 324343
Best wishes
Ann
thanks for this – we are currently undergoing a free assessment of all of our recycling and waste management as part of a sustainability and cost cutting exercise. we already compost most food waste on site, plastic and wrap is recyled on all of our in hand farms. in terms of public we have good relationships with most LA’s. will wait for the result of the review and if we have a GAP and will get back to you. All the best and thanks for the contact. keith
example of some of the work – http://ntenvironmentalwork.net/2011/04/18/waste-not-want-not-catering-waste-recycling/
Glad you found the information useful.
Note that all funds are to be allocated before November 2013 with assessment panels held regularly until then with funds allocated on a first come first served basis.
Good luck with all your efforts
Best wishes