A new guide from Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) outlines what can be done to improve the energy efficiency of village halls, featuring several pioneering communities that have sought to decarbonise their building and reduce bills by improving insulation, replacing heating systems and generating their own energy.
The guide is an ideal resource is for anyone managing a village hall or community building who is wondering how to improve the quality and performance of their building by making it more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
It is intended as a simple, practical and helpful resource outlining the things management committees should consider when planning how to ‘go green’, as well as introducing the different technologies that can be used to this end.
The experiences of halls that have already done this are referenced throughout. It is hoped that armed with this information, readers will be inspired and feel more confident to take the first steps on this important journey.
The resource has been authored by Ben Stagg, Director of Stagg Architects who approached ACRE last summer with an offer of help, conscious that many community venues were struggling with increasing energy bills.
Ben said, “It has been a privilege to work with ACRE over the past few months and meet many forward-thinking, determined volunteers who have demonstrated the possibilities for retrofitting these important but often outdated rural community buildings – identifying the most appropriate improvements, securing funding, and managing works. I hope that the guidance published today will inspire and give confidence to many more village hall groups that it’s possible to make their building a warm and welcoming space, reduce energy bills and contribute to Net Zero.”
The ACRE Network is thankful to Ben Stagg for authoring the guidance and to industry leading suppliers including Baxi, Fakro, Heatable, Herschel Infrared Ltd, Knauf Insulation, Selectaglaze, Utility Aid, and Zolb EV for sponsoring the design guidance. These companies were chosen as partners as they offer specialist solutions that may be suitable for village hall retrofit projects. Their products and services are featured in the publication.
The guide can be downloaded at: https://acre.org.uk/village-halls-net-zero-guide/