Holy Cow! Hartcliffe City Farm gets fully funded carbon reductions with Greener Energy Futures
Three smart solutions to save the equivalent CO2 emissions of 12 cows
A charitable community project at an under-used city farm in the heart of Bristol was looking for new ways to move closer to its net zero goal. With limited funds and no internal resources to find additional ways to reduce their carbon footprint, they teamed up with Greener Energy Futures to identify and develop opportunities and explore funding options.
After pinpointing and sourcing three improvement projects and securing grant funding, this collaboration will result in an annual reduction of 0.35 tonnes of carbon emissions, the equivalent produced by a cow in just 1 month! And the yearly energy savings will give the charity £500 a year to contribute to their valuable work in the community.
A Sustainability-Focused Charity
Hartcliffe City Farm is a sustainably focused charity and working farm providing access to green space, educational facilities, and volunteering opportunities. It’s a vibrant local hub where people feel connected and have a growing sense of community power.
In March 2020, Windmill Hill City Farm, in partnership with local community organisation Heart of BS13, was selected by Bristol City Council to re-develop the under-used Hartcliffe farm site in a deprived area of Bristol. Thanks to its hard-working volunteers, and funding from the Bristol Impact Fund and the government department for levelling up, the 6.5-acre site opened to the public in June 2022.
Now a thriving community asset, Hartcliffe Farm is a city farm for the 21st century, focused on creating opportunities through volunteering, vocational training and jobs in the green economy and low-carbon sectors, as well as offering a wide range of new and fresh visitor attractions.
A Carbon Reduction Strategy
The objectives of Hartcliffe City Farm are to provide a flourishing community hub offering open space, volunteering and job opportunities and training in the green economy and low-carbon sectors. In line with a charitable and sustainability ethos, their carbon reduction strategy includes:
Creating a farm for the 21st century focused on sustainability, energy efficiency and innovative farming solutions
Reinvigorating the farm with a commitment to climate action, saving natural resources and low-carbon regeneration
Beating Bristol City Council’s 2030 New Zero target
Sourcing funds to manage and develop the site
Looking for New Way to Reach Net Zero
The site already had a solar array on one of the barns generating clean electricity, but they wanted to find other ways to improve the site’s sustainability and move closer to its net zero goal. With a busy team of staff and volunteers, there was no internal resource available to assess and prioritise projects to reduce their carbon footprint.
On top of this, Hartcliffe Farm is a charity with limited funds, so any developments would need to be cost-effective, and the team would need funding sources to implement change.
Bringing Greener Energy Futures on Board
To help with their gaps in resources and expertise, the farm asked Greener Energy Futures to identify and develop projects which continue improving the site’s sustainability. We were familiar with local grants, were able to act quickly to assess their site to meet the timescales and could introduce them to reputable installers.
After an initial on-site energy usage audit, we established some straightforward improvements, brought in contractors to quote for the work and identified a grant to fund the improvements. Following this, we supported the team successfully applying for the Bristol Energy Cooperative Megawatt Fund.
As Hartcliffe Farm is a local and charitable venture, we provided our services for free throughout the process.
“We were delighted to provide input into this project and pull together all the necessary parts to make a real difference to the City Farm. Not everyone can readily access environmental expertise, so we’re glad to give some of our time to great initiatives like this and look forward to seeing the new site thrive.”
Simon Pyne | Director at Greener Energy Futures
Three Simple Cost-Effective Solutions
We identified three cost-effective projects to match the funding criteria and result in long-term financial savings and sustainability improvements.
Energy Efficient Lighting
By switching from fluorescent tubes to LEDs, the site will save a third of the energy it was using for lighting. Allowing for 1000 hours of necessary illumination across the year, the change will save:
970kWh or 0.2 tonnes of carbon emissions
£300 of electricity (based on spring 2022 prices)
Low-Flow Taps
The farm will save energy and resources by switching to low-flow aerating taps with push-button timers that use less water and require less heat. With an estimated 7,500 uses across the year, this change will save:
638kWh or 0.14 tonnes of carbon emissions
Upwards of £200 of electricity.
New Generation Hand Dryers
Changing to new generation hand-dryers that use high-pressure air rather than heat will improve energy efficiency. As a result, with 7,500 uses across the year, making the switch will save:
59kWh or 0.01 tonnes of carbon
£15 of electricity.
TOTAL PROJECT COST (grant funded): £5464
TOTAL FINANCIAL SAVINGS (based on spring 2022 prices): £515 per year
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT SAVINGS: 0.35 tonnes of carbon emissions
Ongoing Savings and Carbon Reductions
The £515 annual savings will positively impact the work at Hartcliffe Farm for years to come. The money saved will contribute to developments and projects in-line with Bristol City Council’s top community principles for the area: access to all, engaging with animals and nature, education and employment.
But for Hartcliffe Farm, the impact of these projects will go beyond saving money. By annually reducing their carbon emissions by 0.35 tonnes, the improvement brings them closer to their net zero target, saving the equivalent CO2 emissions of 12 cows.
Further Collaboration
Over the coming months, Hartcliffe Farm will implement our recommendations as part of its ongoing transformation programme. And with the success of our work together, we are now working with the team at Windmill Hill Farm to find more financial and energy savings solutions.
“Our City Farms at Hartcliffe and Windmill Hill are a popular resource that gives so much joy to the community and helps people develop a better understanding of the environment. As part of that, it’s essential that we demonstrate that we’re doing our bit to preserve the planet, and so getting expert advice for free from a respected local Carbon expert, who then also helped us secure the funding to reduce our carbon emissions. was incredibly appreciated by our team.”
Ned Ledson | Operations Manager at Hartcliffe City Farm
Working to Reduce Your Carbon Emissions and Energy Spend
If, like Hartcliffe Farm, you have a strong commitment to climate action and goals to reduce your energy bills, a Greener Energy Futures audit will identify both carbon and financial saving opportunities. The cost for the audit will always be less than the savings we identify, and we’ll introduce you to highly regarded solutions partners and help you to identify grant-funded projects.
Call Simon on 07796 412769 for more information or to have a quick brainstorm on making your business a positive player in our greener energy future.
BIO: Hartcliffe City Farm
Hartcliffe City Farm in Bristol is open 6 days a week and provides a place for local people to visit, learn, work and volunteer. It offers a beautiful open-access green space with animals, a café, vegetable and flower gardens, and a programme of exciting and inclusive workshops.
Find Out More https://hartcliffecityfarm.org.uk/