People of faith want to get started on the journey to a low carbon future. There are obstacles to be overcome, but now help is at hand. Through Project 4F, we are working with partner organisations to give advice and help.
Green Lane Masjid took up the offer of a whole building energy assessment through Project 4F.
Green Lane Masjid occupies a group of buildings that was originally a swimming baths and library, built in the early 20th century. It is a very busy community centre as well as a mosque, with a vaccination centre, funeral home, madrassa, and home to many community initiatives both locally and internationally.
This is a complex building with at least 12 different heating zones. Some energy saving improvements have been made recently, including some wall insulation, and LED lighting. There have also been measures to manage water consumption due to activities such as Wudu and catering. The building still has substantial energy waste and greenhouse gas emissions due to the following factors:
- Decorative terracotta solid brick walls – parts of which are insulated internally but much of which are still uninsulated;
- Various areas of flat and pitched roof with only partial insulation;
- Heat loss through some of the glazing in the building
- Reliance on gas for space and water heating
- Limited heating controls in some areas of the building
The Project 4F faith building energy assessment made a number of recommendations for action, including:
- Improved insulation to walls and flat roof areas
- Reviewing the boiler temperatures
- Upgrading to smart heating controls
- Using both solar thermal and solar electricity
- Improving ventilation
- Reducing overheating through shading, window control, and ventilation, in order to reduce the need for air conditioning
- Recommending which areas of glazing are a priority for upgrading.
In the meantime, a small grant from Footsteps Project 4F helped achieve some immediate energy savings.