59% CUTS IN ENERGY USE NOT ENOUGH FOR QUAKERS

The news, last spring, that improvements to the insulation of Cotteridge Quaker Meeting House, together with more energy efficient heating and lighting, had cut the building's energy use by 59% over the past five years was welcomed by Cotteridge Quakers. I'm a member of Cotteridge Meeting and have learned a lot from those who have worked so hard to achieve this.

I confess that, at first, when the new heating system was installed I was not entirely happy. Our old electric storage heaters were replaced by air-source heat-pumps, and I found their intermittent noise a distraction during our Quaker silence. The noise was significantly reduced by skilful handy work and it didn't take long for my negative feelings to be replaced by joyful ones. I now like to be reminded, by the distant hum, of the energy savings that have resulted from the new heating system.

Work to reduce energy use still further was approved and on Tuesday we will celebrate the addition of a new "warm roof" which, together with further wall insulation, should cut heat loss by another 21%.

Cotteridge Meeting's next plan is to install solar PV panels on the roof and it is hoped that these will produce enough electricity to render the building "carbon neutral".

I have not put a link in this blog to the Cotteridge Quaker Meeting website page "greening our meeting house" as it needs updating. When the update is completed I will add the link.