Eden Project aims to increase energy efficiency The Eden Project in Cornwall has ...

Eden Project aims to increase energy efficiency The Eden Project in Cornwall has unveiled a raft of new efficiency measures designed to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter during the next two years. These reductions will be made through a series of upgrades to Eden’s technical systems and will continue work that has seen Eden reduce its consumption of electricity by 6.5% and gas intensity by 20% since 2008. A new building management system will integrate the temperature controls in the ‘biomes’ with related systems on the rest of the Eden site. The new system is like a giant TV remote control allowing for very tight control of heat and electricity consumption. These changes are estimated to greatly increase efficiency and reduce Eden’s footprint by 690 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. A new gas-fired, high efficiency boiler system has been installed at Eden’s Watering Lane Nursery near Pentewan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 230 tonnes per year. This will replace the previous oil-fired system. Smaller, highly efficient boilers will be installed in Eden’s energy centre - the hub for electricity and gas at Eden - and the visitor centre. Approximately 750 LED lamps have also been installed across the Eden Project, saving in the region of 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. This is one of the biggest installations of its kind in the country. Complementing the palette of measures is a new programme in partnership with the Energy Savings Trust called Big Green Hand. This programme will be focused on helping the Eden team, as well as their friends and families to make their own efficiency savings at home. In total, Eden is investing £580,000 in technical energy efficiency initiatives over two years. Financial savings once the new systems are installed are estimated at £160,000 per year (including the reduction in the carbon offset bill), meaning the initiatives should pay for themselves in less than three and a half years. The investment will be paid for by a combination of Eden’s capital planning programme and an interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust that will be paid back from the savings made.