Buildings are one of the biggest sources of emissions, but they are also part of the solution. From making homes and businesses more energy-efficient to ensuring new buildings are built to the highest standards, reducing energy use is key to tackling climate change. By improving insulation, switching to low-carbon heating, and designing for sustainability, we can cut emissions, lower bills and create healthier spaces to live and work.
Discover practical knowledge, case studies, training and sign posting to help you understand more about what we need to do to reduce carbon emissions in Cumbria.
Dive into each priority area below.
1. Use less energy in homes and other buildings
Creating energy efficient spaces is essential for a sustainable future. Our spotlight takes a look at some of the measures people are taking to reduce their carbon footprint, and their home / organisation’s energy bills. Retrofitting or renovating a building for energy efficiency plays a big part in this.
Learn more about what you can do and be inspired by what others have done:
Understanding retrofit
Renovating for home energy efficiency
- Learn the basics of retrofitting with this webinar from CAfS. Find videos on insulation, airtightness and ventilation on their YouTube channel.
- Archetyping is a well-used and powerful tool to understand, profile or segment a building stock, to enable retrofit project planning and engagement. Read more on the National Retrofit Hub website
- Once you know more about the building you are retrofitting, have a look at some case studies for inspiration
- See what the journey could look like for your building with this quick start guide
Successful retrofit stories
Case studies: Switching to low carbon lighting
Case studies: Installing insulation and draught-proofing
- Farfield Mill, a heritage property installed draught-proofing and LED bulbs Read more
- As part of a huge project, Hawkshead Relish installed insulation into staff accomodation: Read more
- A Kendal family improved their 1930s semi-detached house’s insulation and airtightness, resulting in a significant reduction in gas usage and increased comfort during winter. Read more
Case studies: Upgrading their buildings
- The Farmers Arms, a Grade 2 listed inn, was revitalized into a community arts venue by Grizedale Arts, incorporating sustainable practices to minimize carbon emissions and control costs. Read more
- St Anne’s Church, Ings, undertook a massive restoration project that is still on-going. As part of this they installed an air source heat pump. Read more
Case studies: Installing more efficient equipment
Wasted energy from old, dilapidated fridges was a big issue for the owners of Leven’s Village shop. They replaced the fridges with low carbon, modern chillers. Read more
2. Switch from fossil fuels to greener ways of heating and powering buildings
Switching from fossil fuels to greener sources of energy is essential to reducing Cumbria’s emissions. But there are other benefits, such as reducing your energy bills.
Read about a few of the things people are doing:
Understanding Solar PV
Thinking about installing solar panels
Case study: Memorial hall installs solar PV
The Management Committee of Bolton Village Hall wanted to generate additional income and reduce their energy usage. Read more
Case study: Integrating solar into an existing roof
Rather than replacing the roof and install solar panels on top of new roof tiles, a Kendal resident decided to integrate 6kw of solar panels into his west facing roof. Read more
Case study: Community energy project
Reducing carbon emissions in Burneside through the installation of solar PV. Read more
Green energy - Heat pumps
Installing heat pumps
Case study: Traditional stone church
This case study looks at the highly successful refurbishment of St Anne’s Church, Ings.
Other green heating options
Case study: Large fossil fuel reliant business installed biomass
- Reducing carbon emissions at energy intensive Holmen Iggesund’s Workington paperboard mill using local biomass read more
Case study: Installing a shared electric boiler
The Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) aims to become as carbon neutral as possible; this was an important consideration in deciding on the new heating system. Read more
Case study: Using biogas as a form of heating
First Milk AD in Aspatria use biogas produced during anaerobic digestion which is used as a source of renewable energy for the farm. Read more
Skills and training
Training: Lakes College Green Energy and Skills Centre
- Lakes College are aiming to lead the way in skilling up a workforce that can deliver on decarbonising the county. The Centre is designed to develop the skills needed for heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage, solar thermal, retrofit, electric vehicle charging and low carbon heating.
Training: Skills Bootcamp in Air Source Heat Pump Upskill
Fully funded for learners. The Gas Rooms, Burton-in-Kendal.
The Bootcamp will give you knowledge and qualifications in the design, installation and maintenance of air source heat pumps, therefore allowing you access to the renewable industry, ensuring you stay competitive. Find out more here.
3. New buildings to be eco-friendly and energy-efficient
The buildings we construct today need to be fit for the future. This priority focuses on ensuring all new builds are designed to be low-carbon, energy-efficient, and climate-resilient. This means using sustainable materials, prioritising high insulation standard, integrating green sources of heating. This will result in healthier, warmer homes with lower energy bills and reduced carbon emissions.
Read about a few of the things people are doing:
The future of new builds in Cumbria
New build design code in the Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park Authority adopted a new design code as part of its supplementary planning guidance back in 2023. This was ahead of the game in terms of sustainable planning conditions and goes into detail about how developments can incorporate energy efficiency measures, reuse building materials and improve biodiversity, to reduce carbon emissions and resource use. Read more
4. Ensure we have the money and information to make these changes
To achieve a net zero Cumbria, we need the right resources in the place. This priority focuses on making sure there is enough funding, support, and information available to help individuals businesses and communities make energy-saving changes.
We are in the process of gathering data for this strategic priority.