Terra Nostra
The Terrra Nostra (Our Earth) project at the Meadow Well community centre combines three renewable technologies into one substantial energy saving measure. The main component is a geothermal energy system that uses a heat pump to drive liquid glycol round 3 km of underground piping where it is warmed by the natural warmth of the soil even in winter.
The system can receive an addition boost 10 solar thermal heating tubes situated on the south facing roof of the community building and the electricity needed to drive the pump is partly supplied by solar photovoltaic panels also situated on the building roof.
The total cost of installing these measures was £ 105886.96 and despite a 25% increase in electricity prices, projected savings of £7000 in their energy bill this year could mean that the whole system will have paid for itself within 15 years.
If these measures were incorporated in new build properties the additional costs of installation would be paid off in fuel savings well within the usual term of a mortgage.
Reduce your Carbon Footprint : Find out how
We had to learn a lot of new skills to develop Terra Nostra.
We had to go to new funders who specialize in environmental projects to raise the money. They demanded accurate and precise technical details
We also had planning and environmental issues to deal with. And the caretakers have taken on extra work having to learn how the devices work, monitoring the usage and maintaining the equipment.
We are happy to share our knowledge with other organizations thinking of undertaking a similar project. Please contact us.
The Terra Nostra Project was the brainchild of volunteer David Bell who spent four years investigating and researching all aspects of renewable energies and setting up and coordinating the project. Our thanks go to him and Eddie King (one of our Board Members) and all of the volunteers, staff and funders who made Terra Nostra possible.
To find out more about climate change and other environmental issues follow the links below:
Act on CO2 - United Kingdom Government advice website.
ACT ON CO2 aims to help people save money, save energy and reduce their CO2 emissions. The campaign highlights how individuals can act to make a difference.
IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change.
The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change is the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences.
The Royal Society, the national academy of science of the UK and the Commonwealth, is at the cutting edge of scientific progress.
International scientific consensus agrees that increasing levels of man-made greenhouse gases are leading to global climate change. Possible consequences of climate change include rising temperatures, changing sea levels, and impacts on global weather. These changes could have serious impacts on the world's organisms and on the lives of millions of people, especially those living in areas vulnerable to extreme natural conditions such as flooding and drought.
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We use a ground source heat pump and geothermal pipes to take heat from the ground. The pump works like a refrigerator but it is the heat that is harnessed rather than the cooling effect. Some heat pumps can also be used in the summer for comfort cooling in a building. The heat pump then uses this energy to heat up water in the radiators and domestic hot water in the cylinder.
We investigated the technology both here and abroad and realized that the only effective way of using the sun in UK is through solar thermal panels. We have attached panels to the south-facing roof of the centre to take maximum advantage of the sun during its travel from east to west. The panels are highly efficient even on cloudy days. They are also cheap to run and maintain. The panels will complement our geo-thermal system. We might even be able to rely on them entirely during the summer.
We store water collected from the roof guttering in a 1950 litre underground tank. The water is pumped through three filters into a 1000 litre tank in the Terra Nostra Project room. We use the water for sanitation in the centre and for the greenhouse and two poly tunnels in the garden centre.
We've also brought the well back to The Meadow Well. We researched the original well and found out about the source of the water. We then drilled a test borehole and found water at 4.2 metres below the ground level.