Carbon-Neutral All Electric

We're very proud to say we don't allow any engines on our lake - it's all paddle or solar powered and our electricity supply, if not from our solar or ground/water-heat source, is carbon-neutral

Constructing an Environmentally-friendly Venue at Trevassack Lake

Background

The remote location of Trevassack Lake presented several challenges where thinking outside of the box was required to make the scheme deliverable. A local construction team was chosen so limiting the distances travelled which impact sustainability.

With no mains water, a treatment plant and pumping station makes use of the lake water for the properties. Minimisation of tree and scrub loss and mitigating the unavoidable – planting of trees, shrubs and wildflowers, with spaces for natural regeneration of existing scrub has been essential to maintenance of local species – site stone provided reptile refuge and habitat spaces whilst a wildflower and grass plateau was introduced to boost invertebrate and bird habitats. The landscape had to be simple, responsive and cost-effective to provide a strategy for the future use of the site whilst promoting natural and ecological values.

Photovoltaics were vital, reducing the energy consumption from the national grid and helping reduce operating costs. These and the thermally efficient building fabric help reduce energy consumption, along with the implementation of ground source heat pump pond-mats.

 

  • It was imperative that a local team were chosen to deliver the project. This enabled the use of the excellent professional services in Cornwall, but also limited the distances travelled which impact sustainability.
  • The design considered the minimisation of tree and scrub loss whilst also mitigating what was unavoidable. Through the planting of trees, shrubs and wildflowers, spaces for natural regeneration of existing scrub essential to local species were created.
  • The local site stone used provided reptile refuge and habitat spaces whilst a wildflower and grass plateau was introduced to boost invertebrate and bird habitats. The landscape had to be simple, responsive and cost-effective to provide a strategy for the future use of the site whilst promoting natural and ecological values.
  • Photovoltaics were vital for the scheme in both reducing the energy consumption from the national grid and helping reduce operating costs.
  • The combination of the Photovoltaic and the thermally efficient building fabric helps to reduce energy consumption
  • Energy consumption was reduced even further with the implementation of ground source heat pump pond-mats.

Underwater Heat Source

It’s a little bit technical, all this heat source conversion equipment, so let us hand you over to e-tech learning who put together this animated short video to explain how we use our pondmats to heat the Learning Centre at Trevassack Lake: