National Trust partners with Panasonic to cut energy use

The National Trust has announced the establishment of a long-term partnership with electronics firm Panasonic which will help the organisation reduce its energy consumption by 20% and halve its fossil fuel use.


Currently in its initial phase, the collaboration with Panasonic aims to enhance the experience of NT visitors with the latest technology provided by the electronics company, with the aim of ‘moving towards a greener, more sustainable mode of operation’.

“We’re currently working with Panasonic to scope out future energy projects, and teams have been visiting some of the places we look after,” explained the Trust’s head of corporate partnerships Rod Hebden.

“As well as LED lights, they also supply solar panels, air source heat pumps and other technologies that could help us to achieve our 2020 energy targets, to reduce our consumption by 20% and halve our fossil fuel use.”

The new partnership will see Panasonic host events at selected National Trust sites throughout the year. Meanwhile, National Trust rangers will have access to Panasonic’s specially adapted Toughbook PCs for outdoor conservation work.

Hebden added: “Many of our Rangers, who work in some of the remotest parts of the country, will be equipped with the latest notebooks to help them keep on top of their conservation work, looking after our beautiful landscapes. And we’ll work with Panasonic to see how we could cut energy usage at some of our properties.”

Renewable Energy 

This new partnership complements the green objectives of both companies and is the latest in a long line of energy schemes undertaken by the National Trust, including the launch of a new green energy trading company – National Trust Renewable Energy Ltd – in April this year.

In May this year, edie reported that the National Trust was to switch on the UK’s largest marine-source heat pump at Plas Newydd in North Wales – a project completed as part of NT’s Renewable Energy Investment Programme, which was launched in 2013 in partnership with Good Energy.

And in July, the conservation charity also announced that it was planning to harness hydropower to generate enough electricity to power the lights at Cragside in Northumberland throughout the year.

Lois Vallely

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