A Lake District hotel has been given the go-ahead to install an energy storage building to help it tackle economic strain.
The Gilpin at Windermere, asked the Lake District National Park Authority for permission for the building so it can become more sustainable.
The authority has also granted planning permission for a battery slab which was installed by the hotel as a ‘matter of urgency’ in January.
A planning statement submitted on behalf of the applicant states: “The battery had been in consideration and development for two years.
“The current economic situation and its associated cost of energy had put a substantial economic strain on the business. The Battery Slab Phase I was implemented as a matter of urgency in response to this crisis.
“It is a substantial battery which stores night time electricity, and is geared to receive solar power, and a backup diesel generator. The system is part of a current strategy to upgrade the hotel fabric to utilise as much renewable energy as possible.”
The proposed building will have 45 solar panels on the roof, which will produce 54 KWH per day based on a three-hour average.
According to planning documents, the building will serve a range of other functions such as housing the hotel’s water treatment centre as well as providing storage for furniture.
