Decommissioned in 2013, Shrewsbury Prison is now run as an events venue which we supported through the Marches Energy Grant, an initiative of the UKSPF. The site’s reliance on electric heaters was contributing to its high running costs of around £43,000 per year and while the prison’s old warm-air gas heating could be reconnected, our specialist advised it was oversized for their current needs.
Instead, they recommended measures that would improve their energy efficiency to the tune of £31,000 annual savings and cut carbon emissions by 65%, including by upgrading the roof insulation in the main building and installing air source heat pumps.
A new hotel planned for the site could increase overall energy use but is an ideal opportunity to install solar PV; the roof will have room for a 80kWp array which would save 73,000kWh a year – and if the prison follows our recommendations they can benefit from £20,000 towards these measures under the grant scheme
