Friday 21 June 2013

Renewable Energy


The Tea Shop at the Old Quarry in Weston-super-Mare uses a lot of hot water for washing up cups and dishes. Until now this was powered by expensive peak-time electricity.

A solar thermal installation was selected as the best solution for saving energy and running costs. The more the sun shines the busier the Tea Room is and the more hot water is produced by the vacuum tubes! An array of 10 of these are mounted on a steel frame on the roof of one of the quarry buildings, facing south. Hot water is stored in a tank in the void above the Tea Room kitchen and a single pipe feeds a dedicated mixer tap (to prevent scalding) at the sink.

Weston-super-Mare Civic Society runs the Old Town Quarry and promotes the development and use of renewable energy. The new installation is clearly visible to visitors when they enter the Quarry, demonstrating a practical solution to an everyday problem.