Oaklee Wins Environmental Regeneration Award (8th December 2009)

The Annual West Belfast Partnership Board Environmental Awards recognizes a number of exceptional community or environmental regeneration projects in the West Belfast area. Oaklee are very pleased to have received an award for the upcoming work at Benraw Green where Solar Thermal panels are due to be installed in 2010. This project follows a number of significant improvements at Benraw Green over the last eighteen months including:-

- Conversion from economy seven heating to natural gas
- Improved heating controls
- Upgraded insulation
- Provision of low energy lighting.

This proactive environmental project by Oaklee will build on these initial changes to provide each of the bungalows in this scheme with solar thermal panels, which will use free energy from the sun to heat domestic hot water.

The improvements will bring an expected saving of around 9 tonnes of CO² each year to the scheme and is also expected to benefit the tenants with an estimated collective financial saving of over £1,500 per year.

Oaklee's Energy Officer, Brian Rankin commented, "This is the first of a number of potential projects involving renewable technologies on existing schemes and highlights the commitment of Oaklee to our tenants. This project in particular will both reduce our tenants' impact upon the environment and also save our tenants money on their energy costs. We are very grateful to The West Belfast Partnership for this recognition and also would like to thank NIE who have agreed to contribute some funding towards this project".