Tackling energy consumption is at the heart of our work to become a more sustainable charity
Wrest Park is our pilot property for sustainability
We want to start with Wrest Park, because if we can get it right here, we can get it right everywhere
Britain's energy needs are set to double by 2050, so we at English Heritage
like so many other conservation charities, need to use tools such as smart meters to reduce energy waste
and bring the country's outdated energy system into the 21st century
Understanding the data, understanding all the energy use helps us then decide where we're going to target our activities
Sometimes it's the small changes that make a significant difference
For example, replacing our old light bulbs with LED lighting which use up to 90% less power than incandescent bulbs
In our plant room we're currently installing pipe cladding to improve insulation in the property
This involves the application of mineral fibre insulation sections to the currently exposed
steel pipe work and large cast iron valves
This will reduce energy loss in the building by approximately £1500 per year
We're looking to install solar panels in the modern, low-lying areas of the property, such as our cafe roof
so we have no impact on the wider historic setting
This would enable us to capture 150,000 kilowatt hours of electrical energy from UV light each year
reducing our annual power usage by approximately 25 percent
Wrest Park, like many of our historic properties, relies on an oil burner for heating
Our aim is to replace this with either a biomass boiler or potentially electrical heat pumps
which will make our heating systems 15% more energy efficient
Our goal at Wrest Park is to reduce our energy consumption by 30% a year
saving us £60,000 on energy bills which can be reinvested into caring for our properties and collections
We need to act now because we know that while England's past has been shaped by its climate, so will its future
We have to put plans into place to ensure that our properties are well cared for and start to adapt to a changing climate