Wood replaces oil heating at Devon mansion

Mary
Authored by Mary
Posted: Tuesday, March 1, 2016 - 14:24

A Grade one listed mansion, overlooking the River Plym and owned by National Trust, has made the switch from oil to a renewable energy heating system.

Saltram, a Georgian mansion on the outskirts of Plymouth, was using over 30,000 litres of oil each year to heat the property. It has replaced the expensive, carbon intensive heating system with a biomass boiler, powered by wood pellets.

The new boiler provides enough energy to heat 33 average UK houses and will save £26,000 a year on heating bills and 98 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The successful completion of the project at Saltram is one of the first milestones in the Trust’s £30 million investment programme in renewable energy, supported by our green energy partner Good Energy, to heat and power at some of its historic places.

Peter Bee, project manager for the installation, said: “It has been a privilege to work on this project which is contributing to the ongoing improvement in National Trust environmental performance and also reducing the running costs at Saltram.”

Specialist contractors removed the oil boiler, fuel tank and the associated risks of leaks.

To accommodate the new system, which took three months to install, the old laundry room was converted into a new boiler room and fuel store. The wood pellets, that now provide the heat, come from the UK and are supplied by a local wood fuel company.

Mike Hudson, the Trust’s Renewable Energy Investment Programme Director, said: “What’s been achieved at Saltram is a great example of what support from the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme is enabling the Trust to do.

“Schemes like these cut carbon, promote local sustainable wood management and work in harmony with the natural and built environment. They work for the local environment and economy and support national energy and climate change ambitions.”

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