As you may know, more than a couple of years ago, we installed at the Watermill a hidden array of photovoltaic panels on our south-facing roofs, to produce electricity from the sun. These panels make us more than self-sufficient in electricity: we make much more than we have to buy to use during sunless periods. We sell the excess we make back to the grid, and even though they pay us far less than they charge, we are still more than breaking even financially.
Yesterday, another glorious sunny November day with the bluest of blue Italian skies, we were out in the Tuscan countryside seeing the production of this year’s olive oil at our friend’s I Bonsi estate, complimenting them on the taste of the oil and nibbling a few freshly roasted chestnuts. As we did so the Watermill quietly passed another major milestone.
As the snapshot above from the smart little app we used to monitor progress shows, we have now produced 50,000 kilowatt hours of electricity from the sun. And, what’s more we have avoided more than 35 tonnes of carbon dioxide production. We are feeling quite proud, even though it is a drop in the ocean compared with, say, the polluting output of Chinese coal-powered stations.
Nonetheless, production from the sun enables us to run air-conditioning in all our rooms, both your bedrooms and public rooms, like the communal dining room, sitting room and the studio.
We have taken other steps to try to do our part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, for example in cutting back as much as we can on the use of plastic. We no longer buy our water plastic bottles, rather have a fun machine in the communal kitchen, which provides cold, filtered fizzy and still water (and water at ambient temperature). And we loan you vacuum flasks to carry your water during your stay with us.
We have also taken care in our building restiìoration and renovations, to ensure everything is well insulated to help keep the rooms cool in the summer months and warm in the winter. Add to that fact that we try to source all our food as locally as possible to cut down on food-miles, and you will see that you will be Cool and Green on your Watermillcreative course, as well as enjoying inspiring tuition, warm hospitality and the convivial company of fellow guests..
50,000 kilowatt hours, eh? And still going strong. It gives me an excuse to show you again that lovely picture at the top, of the morning sun peeping through the rose pergola in the Watermill walled garden…
We are planning other projects to make the Watermill even Cooler and Greener. So, watch this space! In the meantime, here’s another sunny Watermill picture: misty sun seen through the trees on a winter’s morning.
A new dawn: morning sun rises over the Watermill walled garden.