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Energy Stories Library item 19 Aug 2017

Literary treasures protected by green technology

Blickling Hall, home to more than 12,500 precious books including rare first editions of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is also the birthplace of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife.

Alongside such an illustrious past, the estate, which dates from the fifteenth century, has also embraced twenty-first century renewable energy technology. The hall will now be heated entirely by clean, green energy from a heat pump connected to the estate’s picturesque lake.

The 200 kW water-source heat pump, which sees three miles of pipes connected in a loop system under the surface of Blickling's lake, extracts enough heat to warm the entire property and help safeguard its priceless literary heritage.

Thanks to the programme, the system will save the trust more than £30,000 a year on the 25,572 litres of oil formerly needed to heat the hall. It will also reduce carbon emissions by 69 tonnes a year and help contribute to the trust's target of transferring 50% of its usage over to renewables by 2020.

“The delicate nature of our books means a constant ambient temperature is essential for prolonging their life and slowing down the rate of deterioration,” Kenny Grey, Blickling's house steward, said.

“The oil fired boilers that we were using, tended to result in temperatures fluctuating; encouraging mould, pests and cracking along the spines of the books.”

The lake, which measures 2km at its widest point, supports a diverse ecosystem including carp, pike, reed warblers and great crested grebes.

This environmentally-friendly scheme is part of the trusts Renewable Energy Investment (REI) Programme, which was set up in 2013 in partnership with green energy provider Good Energy.

Spike Malin, Blickling's premises manager, said: “It was an easy decision to make – not only will it reduce our carbon footprint and save money that we can be put towards conservation projects here at Blickling, it's safer for our wildlife too.”

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