St Beuno's Ignatian Spirituality Centre North Wales

The Environment and our Carbon Footprint

St Beuno's is a large 19th Century college building with high ceilings, large corridors and many ornate single glazed and stained glass windows. Interestingly in Victorian days there was a heat exchange system in the ground floor so that heat from greenhouses was brought into the main house. From 1848 when the house was first built, until the 1940's the main form of heating in the winter was open fires. Oil fired central heating was then installed. The building has been listed as grade 2* which means that changes to the outside and structural changes indoors cannot take place without local government approval. As you can imagine to keep such a building heated uses much energy. There is a continuous process of trying to reduce the amount of energy used. A few of the items are listed below:

April 2010	On the food side we have begun to order eggs from a local farmer in Tremeirchion - so free-range you have to be careful not to run over the hens on the road. They can be spotted in little groups fluttering up and down the local fields up to their fowl business.
May 2009	Two ponds have now been dug and filled with water and have been planted with local aquatic plants from a pond that is being filled in. We have already noticed dragon flys and a somewhat unwelcome heron as new visitors to the grounds.
January 2009	A rewiring of sections of the house has enabled us to replace more of the older lamps with energy saving lamps.
August 2008	St Beuno's is now recycling plastics, paper, cardboard and glass. We have been surprised how much of our 'rubbish' is now being recyled as these items form much more than half of all we throw out.
April 2008	Plans are afoot to restore the ponds in the lower garden and enlarge them to provide a more diverse habitat in the grounds and to provide water features to enhance the variety of areas in the grounds. It is hoped that work can start on this in the autumn of 2008. We have already had a donation to help us in this work, and we are hoping for certain grants.
2008	A report from "Business Sense" on Sustainability of Economy, Society and Environment said of St Beuno's: *"The Centre shows a remarkably well-balanced approach to sustainable development."*
2008	Biodiversity audit: Plans to be made to encourage bidodiversity in St Beuno's grounds and to maintain ancient orchard.
2007	After an energy audit by The Carbon Trust, we have a programme of energy saving measures which we hope to complete between December and January 2008.
2007	All accessible roof space in the main house insulated with 20cm fibre.
2006	Energy saving light bulbs installed in Dining Room
2005	Winter heating turned down by 1 degree
2004	Energy audit commissioned
2004	St Beuno's house cars reduced by two (the oldest and most polluting).
2003	Thermostat attached to heating system
2000	Energy saving light bulbs placed in main corridors
1990	Most of the main corridors carpeted
1984	Doubled glazed windows put into most bedrooms
Some things have been done, there is much to be done.