The Findon Hall committee in Culbokie are pleased to announce that planning permission and a building warrant to install a biomass heating system have now been granted and work on the project is due to start shortly.

Phase1 of the improvement work at the hall was carried out in August 2009 and included major insulation improvements, the installation of a solar water heating system and the replacement of the hall lighting with energy efficient tube units.

The result of this work has seen the first of the winters’ quarter electricity bill reduced to just under £650 from well over £1000 for the same period last year. The Committee are delighted with the reductions of these costs; savings that will allow funds to be pumped back into the maintenance of the hall and development of facilities.

Phase2 can now begin. This will include the building of a small extension on the east gable of the hall to house a wood pellet boiler and fuel store. The boiler will provide heat to a large water accumulator tank which in turn will transfer the heat to a wet radiator system in all of the side rooms, toilets and store rooms and a hot air recirculation system to the main hall.

The benefits of changing to this new system are that the Hall Committee will expect to see a reduction of 50% in the costs to heat the hall, again allowing the release of capital to develop facilities at the hall, and the switch to a renewable energy source that will allow a significant reduction in the carbon footprint generated by the hall.

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The technology on a commercial scale for this type of project does not come cheaply. Over the last two years the hall committee have been working with the Black Isle Energy Forum to secure funding. This Highland Council led forum, chaired by Councillor Isobel McCallum, and managed by the Black Isle Ward Manager, Diane Agnew has been well supported by the Community Energy Scotland (CES) and the Highland LEADER development officers as well as volunteer support from many of the community buildings and associations around the Black Isle.

The Findon Hall biomass heating project has been part financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community Highland LEADER 2007-2013 Programme, the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), and The Highland Council ‘s Black Isle Ward Discretionary funding totalling just over £63,000 to pay for the purchase and installation of the plant and equipment. A further equivalent contribution of £24,000 was agreed with Moray Developments in the respect of the building of the extension to house all of the equipment.

Work on the building of the extension by UBC is due to start in February with the installation of the equipment by CLH Solar of Muir of Ord. The plan is for the project to be completed by the start of the summer. As most of the work will be on the outside of the hall and in the loft space, there will be only the minimum of disruption to hall users.

The Hall Committee would like to thank all of those involved to date in making this project happen. Les Robinson said: “We are delighted to be able to contribute to the long term sustainability of this valuable community asset and are pleased to be part of a project that delivers the benefits of renewable energy with equipment supplied and installed from local companies with fuel supplied, and as far as possible, produced locally.”

For further information on progress anyone is welcome to come along to a hall committee meeting on the third Thursday of each month or pop in and have a look at the plans on the wall in the hall.

(GK)