RSPB's nature reserves will soon receive 80 per cent of their energy requirements through solar panels after a recent installation.
The nature conservation charity has installed 700 solar panels at seven nature reserves which will account for 80 per cent of their energy and 10 per cent of the total energy RSPB uses each year.
Installing the panels cost £710,000 and was financed by a loan from Triodos Bank.
A spokesperson from the charity said that for the first 15 years, the money that the charity would spend on paying its energy bills will instead go towards paying off the cost of the solar panels. They said that from year 15 onwards, the charity will save at least £55,000 a year, or more if the cost of energy increases.
The charity has also installed a new biomass boiler at one of its reserves and has bought LED lighting for 10 of its offices to save energy.
From Charity Finance magazine issue on environmental sustainability
Ruth Davis, deputy director - global conservation at the RSPB, said: “We are all becoming more aware of the growing threat climate disruption poses for people and nature.
“As an environmental body, we have adopted targets to drive reductions in our carbon footprint, including through energy efficiency and generating energy at our nature reserves. I am delighted that we have been able to achieve this through our developing Conservation Investment Programme, with the support of Triodos and Environmental Finance.”
The new measures come as part of RSPB’s sustainability programme in which it aims to generate 50 per cent of the energy it uses from sources on its own estate by 2020.
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