Halton Mill is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, using power from our solar panels & from Halton Lune Hydro.
In 2021 we declared a Climate & Ecological Emergency declaration & we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions to net zero by 2030.
Green Elephant Co-operative has spent the past decade running a Low-Carbon workspace in order to contribute towards minimising human caused climate change and ecological degradation. However, despite our efforts and those of others, nowhere near enough progress has been made. In consequence we formally acknowledge that we now all face a Climate and Ecological Emergency, and declare our commitment to work towards a just and fair transition to a net-zero emissions future.
By declaring we are committing to:
- Developing a ‘Climate and Ecological Emergency Plan
- Reducing our collective emissions to net-zero by 2030
- Disclose our progress on a yearly basis
- Continuing to share our ideas and achievements with others
In doing so, we are proud to be recognised by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, and join governments, businesses, cities, regions, and universities around the world that share the same mission.
Halton Mill & the cohousing community next door are powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, using power from our solar panels & from Halton Lune Hydro – a community owned micro hydro electric plant situated on the weir down the river from the Mill.
The Mill/Lancaster Cohousing complex has its own ‘private wire’ network. There is a 28kWp array of solar photovoltaic panels on our roof, owned by Morecambe Bay Community Renewables. We are now a net exporter of renewable energy.
A new super insulated roof, new doors and double glazed windows have been installed on the Mill to increase the building’s airtightness and heat retention.
The refurbishment & renewables together have improved the energy efficiency of the Mill so much that it has now been awarded a top “A” Rating Energy Performance Certificate, almost unheard of for an industrial building of this age.
Halton Mill won a 2013 Less Energy Award for the most effective installation.
We have won two awards jointly with Lancaster Cohousing:
- The 2014 Observer Ethical Award for the most inspiring Community Energy project
- The 2014 Community Energy UK Award for Energy Generation Project of the Year
Our heating is provided by a combination of solar thermal & a large biomass boiler fueled by local wood chip.
There is a district heating system which services the Mill & Lancaster Cohousing’s 41 passivhaus homes which was supported by a grant from the Rural Carbon Challenge Fund (RCCF).
This was set up to support community-level renewable energy projects across the north west of England. The RCCF is funded by Defra – the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
The low carbon space to work, create, perform and learn.
