Solar Heating - National Trust goes solar

06/02/2008

Dunster Castle in Somerset has become the first National Trust Grade 1 listed building to be fitted with solar panels.

The panels, which have been installed in the roof and cannot be seen from the ground, will generate about 15 per cent of the historic house's electricity, resulting in its energy bills being reduced by around £550 a year.

As the installation cost of the photo-voltaic panels is £55,000 they will not be self-financing, but a spokesman for the National Trust told the BBC the project was an important demonstration of how renewable energy measures could be made to work at conservation sites.

"We want all of our properties, wherever appropriate, to examine the option of using renewable energy sources and we hope to help other people and businesses to do the same," the spokesman added.

The National Trust is one of the organisations backing the inaugural Energy Saving Day which is scheduled to take place on February 27th.