Museum finalist ‘a winner’ in the green stakes
It is already in the running for the title of Museum of the Year, now the National Heritage Centre for Sporting Art has another reason to be a favourite.
The Newmarket museum, one of just five finalists in the Art Fund title, has boosted it green credentials with a new biomass boiler, installed by Forest Heath District Council, set to see its carbon dioxide emissions from heating tumble by 90 per cent.
Forest Heath, which owns Palace House, has invested just over £100,000 to buy in and install the new 200kW wood chip burner. The savings mean that the heritage centre will save around 10 per cent on its heating costs, while the council will recoup its investment.
It is also calculated that it will save 66 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions per year. That is equivalent to the amount of Carbon Dioxide produced by eight average households in the UK every year once their cars, waste and flights have all been factored in.
Councillor Lance Stanbury, Forest Heath District Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Growth said: “Everyone is a winner from this. The Heritage Centre becomes cheaper to run, the council sees a return on its investment which will go towards funding services, and this is better for the environment which is beneficial to our communities as well. This isn’t just for those that love horseracing and sport. Businesses and community groups could also make savings from our energy efficiency and renewable energy schemes and I would urge them to get in touch.
“In the meantime I’m backing the Heritage Centre as my favourite for Art Find Museum of the Year.”
Chris Garibaldi, director at the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art said: “The biomass boiler is a great addition to the National Heritage Centre, and we are thankful to Forest Heath for making this investment. We are very grateful to The Jockey Club Estates, and other local estates who supply us with the woodchips for the biomass boiler, it is a good example of collaboration to support new types of sustainable energy use.”
Any businesses or community groups interested in finding out how the council can help them save on energy should contact the council’s Energy and Environment Team on 01284 757400 or via environment@westsuffolk.gov.uk
Further information can also be found via the links below:
http://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/Business/Start_and_Grow_Your_Business/businessenergy.cfm
http://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/environment/Energy/communityenergyplanning.cfm
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