Kilmaronock Community Trust – A Greener Gartocharn
Kilmaronock Community Trust used their 2024 Seed Grant to fund thermal imaging cameras. These will help show where energy and heat loss can be decreased in their village’s housing stock.
“Our community has just completed the Local Place Plan for 2024-2034. A key theme from this consultation was the desire by the community to become a climate friendly place with a sustainable environment. Feedback was that people wanted to respond to the climate emergency but didn’t know what more to do beyond recycling, cutting down waste and reusing materials. As a rural community (off the gas grid) with old housing stock, reducing energy demand is important, but there are mixed messages on suitable sustainable heating. We have several local examples of adapting housing and farming to meet the climate challenge.”
“We held a two-day drop-in event in Spring for the community with talks and demonstrations from local people/traders who can myth-bust the heat pump issues, improve insulation in homes, explain how a Passivhaus works, discuss organic farming and/or becoming a net-zero farm as well as Energy Saving Trust.”
“We know that heat loss of homes is one of the major issues, and as part of identifying where this is happening, we brought 2 thermal imaging cameras that attach to smart phones so that our volunteers can work with householders to show where they are losing heat and suggest what improvements can be made.”
“We showcased 6 local homes/farms who had made changes in reducing their carbon footprint to try and improve the energy efficiency of the village’s housing stock.”
“We now have a variety of cases studies that we will load onto the website. We will have a regular stall at the village coffee morning to highlight what needs to be done to become a greener village, and loan out the thermal imaging cameras – which raised lots of interest. The input from energy saving trust on availability of non-means tested funding for warmer homes for over 75’s will be highlighted in the village. We will look at helping people complete applications.”
“One highlight of the project was watching the Osprey riding the thermals out of the windows in Kilmaronock Millennium Hall, Gartocharn. Successful partnerships were also made through FEL linking us with the local Energy Saving Trust representatives.”
“Previously we’ve had success with advertising events on social media – but this seems to have changed in the last 6 months. We will need to find new ways to engage with the community – thinking we might take the thermal cameras round and ask people if they know how leaky their building is and what can be done to improve.”
“One lady was concerned that over 10 years ago she’d been refused permission to install solar panels on the roof of a C listed building. We were able to check on HES website what the special interest was and suggested that she re-apply now since the technological improvements in solar panels, and HES had eased requirements. She was made aware of the Warmer Homes Scotland Initiative.”
Visit Gartocharn website to read their local place plan, and see how the finding are being implemented.
