Nairn Community and Arts Centre leads the way with climate programme making it one of the first near net-zero buildings in the Highland town
Nairn Community and Arts Centre is leading the way with its own climate programme which has transformed the complex into one of the first near net-zero buildings in the town.
In 2019, directors decided that the centre should reduce its reliance on fossil fuels by developing a programme that would embrace renewable energy.
It was created with support and advice from Zero Waste Scotland and was spearheaded by centre director Bob Ferenth.
“We have now completed the five-year programme in just over two years and are reaping its benefits,” he said.
“The considerable savings will be used to help maintain our fantastic facility and help fund new community activities and programmes. We would not have been able to realise our vision without the financial support that we received from our funders.
“We are now playing our small part in helping address the climate emergency and would encourage all community facilities and local businesses to follow our lead.
“It is imperative that we take the climate emergency seriously.”
He added: “I think it’s important to point out that Nairn Community Centre is not run, operated or funded by Highland Council and relies entirely on self-generated income to function.”
The centre is home to more than 50 community groups, clubs and charities and has an annual footfall of more than 70,000.
“It is the heart of most community, social, cultural and arts activities in the town,” Mr Ferenth said.
“It is a Scottish charity that is totally reliant on income from its various activities and the generosity of the local community and managed by a volunteer board of directors that provide direction and vision for the centre’s manager and staff.”
He added there were currently vacancies for a number of new directors.
“We are looking for local people that have an interest in helping to develop the future of the centre and ensuring it is relevant to the Nairn community.”
The climate programme for the building comprised of four defined projects to help achieve this goal.
This included the installation of a 120 solar panels, replacing all the lighting (internal, external and theatre) with energy efficient LED technologies, replacing the heating with a 98 per cent energy efficient system and finally, installing public electric vehicle charging points.
The centre now generates 90 per cent of its annual electricity requirements and contributes another 13 per cent of green electricity to the National Grid. This equates to an annual reduction in electricity bills of 83 per cent and a reduction of 13.1 tonnes of carbon emissions. It also provides public electric vehicle charging points that utilise green electricity to support the future of local transportation.
All these projects received grant funded support from various organisations plus Highland Council’s ward discretionary fund. Where possible, the projects were delivered using local contractors to help support the Nairnshire economy.
The centre has been significantly impacted by the pandemic and was forced to close through most of 2020. It did however receive some grant funding from Creative Scotland to support a programme of online cultural events.
Mike Mitchell, the centre’s financial director, said: “We are so appreciative of the funding support that we received from the various organisations and agencies.
“This has helped us weather the Covid storm, however we still need the support of the Nairn community and businesses to help us make a full recovery. To help support our recovery we will soon be launching our own fundraising local lottery. We hope the Nairn community will get behind us and support this venture while having the opportunity to win a monthly cash prize.
“Our climate programme now makes us one of the greenest facilities in the town.”
Since the completion of the climate programme, the centre has been working with the various funding agencies and Nairn BID to develop a case study that will help organisations and businesses embark on a similar journey.
