St Mary’s, Dalmahoy was faced with rising energy use and costs as we approached the 2020s, on account of an ageing and underperforming heating system (electric radiators). After much research, and several energy audits, we took the decision to install far infra-red heaters, to replace our old electric radiators. The installation came to fruition in 2021 and was followed in 2022/3 by a secondary double-glazing project. This further improved the energy efficiency of our building.
Originally the heaters were sited too high to be effective but the benefits have been much better since they were lowered to the recommended height of 2.7 metres from the floor.
As is commonly the case in churches, one member of our congregation was very much the driving force and workhorse behind this. So, we would like to thank Carole Macbride for being our driving force. Carole has also been key in our paying greater attention to our heating controls. A Tado operating system allows for both manual and remote control of the far infra-red heaters via a panel on an interior wall, or via the Tado app. This means that we are now adjusting when the heating comes on and off, according to requirement.
Initially we felt unsure (or perhaps we just lacked faith) as to how much our energy use and carbon footprint would be improved. After recently filling in the Energy Footprint Tool, we were delighted to be contacted by Neil Rawlins (from the Net Zero team) with a graph demonstrating a huge reduction in our carbon emissions. We felt vindicated and just a little bit pleased with ourselves, especially since the huge rise in energy costs has made price comparisons difficult to judge.
To be honest, we were probably more driven by trying to save money on bills than by our green credentials, but we are delighted to achieve both.
Earlier in 2024, we ran HeatHack workshops, focussing on our church hall (the Douglas Hall). The group included Angela Morgan, one of the Ratho Scout group leaders, a qualified engineer and a housing association manager, who was hugely well informed and was most definitely the group leader.
HeatHack provided lots of guidance for each of the workshops, which were very interactive, with a focus on a card game in which each card highlighted different ecological issues designed to stimulate ideas for our own building. There was no gambling involved, but it was very rewarding – and, apparently, it was good fun! By the end of the third workshop, we had created a comprehensive draft action plan for the future development of the Douglas Hall as both a church and community asset.
You can find more information on the HeatHack workshops here.
Steve Haigh, Eco-congregation rep; St Mary’s Dalmahoy
