AN AMBLESIDE holiday park, Skelwith Fold, has cut the green ribbon on a new office complex which can generate all of its own energy – and still have some to spare.
The 3,000 square foot building adjoins the park’s existing offices and has been designed for to espresso machines.
Its secret is a bank of high-efficiency solar panels on the roof which will deliver up to 14 kWh per day, even under the gloomiest winter skies.
Skelwith Fold’s Henry Wild says the two-sto its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2024:
“We wanted to generate electricity.
“Even in use seven days a week, the building will still produce surplus power to harness elsewhere on the park and further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
“With the help of other solar panels elsewhere on the park, we are nearing our goal of all our buildings being self-sufficient in energy.
“I also hope that within two years we will create a state of carbon neutrality, and guests will be able to account.
“The only unpalatable issue here is that the solar panels have to be sourced from China which has its own problems both with human rights and carbon neutrality.
“We would obviously prefer to buy from a British manufacturer, and I hope this will be possible in the future,” said Henry.
The new building’s sustainable credentials are further enhanced by the use in its construction of recycled timber from larch trees grown in the park’s 130-acre grounds.
Skelwith Fold was forced tophthoras.
Many of the areas left by the trees are now subject to an ambitious rewilding scheme.
The Wild family, which has owned the park for over 25 years, has won a number of awards for its care of the natural world and received praise for its sustainable development policies.
“This was a particularly important project for us, not least because our business draws people to one of the most beautiful but most fragile environments in Britain,” said Henry.
“Tourism spending is essential to be a priority.
There is more information about Skelwith Fold at www.skelwith.com