The Stewarts team were first introduced to Low Carbon Dorset in early 2019 with a clear objective to reduce their company’s carbon footprint.  They had already begun planning for a new 8,000sq m glass house at their site in Broomhill and were keen to minimise its environmental impact and reduce that of their existing sites.

The new glass house will have a large heating demand and Stewarts were eager to find an alternative fuel source to oil.  But they soon discovered that a low-carbon alternative would cost them over £250k more. A grant from Low Carbon Dorset made this option more affordable, and they were able to change their plans to incorporate a 500-kW ground-source heat pump (GSHP) in place of an oil boiler.  The funding also supported the installation of thermal screens in the glass house to reduce heat loss. These panels will reduce the heating demand in the building by 30%.

Stewarts’ carbon reduction efforts stretched beyond just their Broomhill site, and with the technical and financial help of Low Carbon Dorset they were also able to install 279kWp of solar PV, a fast action roller door, and LED lights across two garden centres.  Combined these measures alone will save Stewarts around £50k a year in electricity costs and should pay for themselves in just over five years.