Saving energy at The Wharf House
The Wharf House is a good example of where our sustainability applies. During the fit-out vast amounts of insulation was used to fill every possible cavity, eliminating heat loss during winter months and low energy under-floor heating was fitted throughout the building.
All the tungsten filament light bulbs were all replaced by lower energy ones making a considerable saving to the electricity requirements. There is a policy of not using unnecessary lighting throughout the building, with a number of automatic switch on/off lighting areas triggered by movement.
The kitchen is fitted with an induction hob. They work by creating an electromagnetic field, that doesn’t heat the hob itself, just the pan, so cooking is far quicker than it would be ordinarily, and temperature changes are instantaneous. On top of that an induction hob is an energy saver, making use of 90% of the energy produced compared with the 55% used by gas.
The roof of the building is fitted with 94 photovoltaic panels. At the time of installation this was the largest display of solar power panels in Gloucestershire and generates up to a peak of 17 kW per hour. A monitor within the Visitor Centre shows the current rate – it makes an interesting conversation piece for visitors.
