A few months ago we had solar panels installed at our visitor centre by Prescient Power, a renewables company based in Leicestershire.
Before this, for electrical power to the centre we had to rely on a noisy deisel generator. Not exactly very green! Frampton Marsh is off the national grid, so we really had no choice. But now, with the solar panels, we have another way. Sunlight is converted into electrical energy and stored in a bank of batteries, and from there can be released when and as required. And this has worked really well. So well in fact that we had power to spare, and so were able to bring in a freezer to sell ice-creams during the warm summer months. And all the while reducing our carbon footprint by 4.5 tonnes of CO2 per year. That is quite the improvement! After all, it is very important to be as green as possible, whilst maintaining this fabulous reserve.
Well, the whole thing has worked so well that Prescient Power are now up for an award for the installation. The Solar Power Portal awards recognise the best in solr powered installations, and the Frampton project is in the 'Best integration of solar generation as part of a total energy solution' category. Fingers crossed! The awards are due to be announced on 8 October, so watch this space...
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.