Solarsense, a renewable energy company based near Bristol, has received a prestigious award in recognition of its role as a global 'green beacon' of environmental sustainability.
Richard Simon, technical director of the 18-year-old company, was presented with the International Green Hero Award by Trevor Baylis, inventor of the wind-up radio which has revolutionised communication in much of the developing world, at a special ceremony at London’s Canary Wharf yesterday.
Simon said: "We hope that other companies will gain from our experience and look at how they can reduce their own carbon footprint”.
Roger Wolens, managing director of The Green Organisation, which makes the awards, said: “The International Green Hero Award is given to organisations and companies such as Solarsense that are global beacons of environmental good practice.”
Solarsense’s headquarters at Helios House, Brockley Lane, Backwell, was officially confirmed as ‘carbon negative’ last month when it received an Energy Performance Certificate showing that it generated negative carbon emissions.
It does this by generating much of its own electricity with the help of a large array of solar PV panels and exporting surplus power to the national grid. A solar thermal system, combined with a ground source heat pump, are used to heat water, and a solar carport is being built to charge the company’s expanding fleet of electric cars. A new bike store for employees who cycle to work also sports a charging point for electric bikes.
Staff may conduct meetings or take lunch breaks in a wooden ‘outdoor office’ powered by solar PV panels on the roof, and even make themselves smoothies using a pedal-powered smoothie maker!
All of the company’s green features as well as its renewable energy products will be on show to the public at the company’s open day on Saturday 7 July from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
Since its inception 18 years ago Solarsense has grown to become the South West’s leading renewable energy specialist and is no stranger to awards. In 2011 it won the Renewable Energy Association’s Company of the Year Award and in 2012 the Solar UK Installation of the Year award.
Recent successful installations have been made at the UK’s first zero carbon school in Exeter; Bristol Zoo, the At-Bristol science discovery centre; and a range of properties owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.
Source:http://www.eaem.co.uk/news/international-green-hero-award-solar-pioneer
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