Centre for Alternative Technology
Encyclopedia
The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is an eco
-centre in Powys
, mid-Wales
, dedicated to demonstrating and teaching sustainable development
. CAT, despite its name, no longer concentrates its efforts exclusively on alternative technology
, but provides information on all aspects of sustainable living
. It is open to visitors, offers postgraduate degrees as well as shorter residential courses; and publishes information on renewable energy
, sustainable architecture
, organic farming
, gardening, and ecologically-friendly living. CAT also runs education programmes for schools and sells sustainable products through shops, restaurants and a mail order department.
slate
quarry
near Machynlleth
(once served by the narrow-gauge Corris Railway
), where it occupies a seven-acre (28,000 m²) site. The organisation was originally known as the "National Centre for Alternative Technology".
CAT was previously aligned to the Urban Centre for Appropriate Technology (UCAT), which was based in Bristol
and has since evolved into the Centre for Sustainable Energy.
.
The facilities and exhibits include:
In 2000, the Centre became home to a post graduate degree course, based at CAT and covers many areas of environmental science
and its business applications. In 2007, the Graduate School for the Environment was founded by the team behind the existing MSc, who have since left. The new organisation is affiliated with CAT and although it continues to be validated by the University of East London it is no longer a part of the university.
The Centre has run a Professional Diploma in Architecture course in Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies, since 2008, which allows students to obtain an accredited Part II architectural qualification.
, a large educational building designed as a case study of sustainable architecture
. The building contains a lecture theatre and accommodation and demonstrates ecological building principles such as passive solar building design
and heat recovery ventilation
as well as low-impact building materials such as wood
, hemp
, lime and rammed earth
. The external walls of the building are made from 500mm thick hempcrete
, whereas the lecture theatre has 7.2m high walls made from 320t of rammed earth
.
A building management system
is used to monitor a wide variety of parameters inside the building, providing data for research projects by CAT's sustainable architecture students.
The building is used for teaching postgraduate degrees and short courses and is also available as a conference venue. In 2010, the WISE building was awarded the first place in the Daily Telegraph's list of Top 10 Buildings 2010 and came 4th in The Guardian
's Top 10 list of buildings for 2010. In received a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Award in 2011.
was built using funds generated by selling shares in the project to the community. Currently CAT operates an "island grid" system which includes elements of on- and off-grid operation.
CAT gets its water from an existing man-made reservoir in the slate quarry on which it is based and processes its own sewage in its reedbeds
.
, there is a wholefood vegetarian café and a separate shop also owned and run by CAT, and an industrial estate (the Dyfi Eco Park) near Machynlleth Railway Station houses the offices of Dulas Ltd, a renewable energy company started by ex-CAT employees.
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
-centre in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, mid-Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, dedicated to demonstrating and teaching sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. CAT, despite its name, no longer concentrates its efforts exclusively on alternative technology
Alternative technology
Alternative technology is a term used to refer to technologies that are more environmentally friendly than the functionally equivalent technologies dominant in current practice....
, but provides information on all aspects of sustainable living
Sustainable living
Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and his/her own resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet...
. It is open to visitors, offers postgraduate degrees as well as shorter residential courses; and publishes information on renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture is a general term that describes environmentally conscious design techniques in the field of architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability and the pressing economic and political issues of our world...
, organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
, gardening, and ecologically-friendly living. CAT also runs education programmes for schools and sells sustainable products through shops, restaurants and a mail order department.
History
CAT was founded by businessman-turned-environmentalist Gerard Morgan-Grenville, and opened in 1973 in the disused LlwyngwernLlwyngwern
Llwyngwern was a station on the Corris Railway in Wales, built to serve the hamlet of Pantperthog and the residents of Plas Llwyngwern, where a daughter of the 5th Marquess of Londonderry lived with her husband. Although the Plas was in Montgomeryshire, the station was across the Afon Dulas in...
slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
near Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
(once served by the narrow-gauge Corris Railway
Corris Railway
The Corris Railway is a narrow gauge preserved railway based in Corris on the border between Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire in Mid-Wales....
), where it occupies a seven-acre (28,000 m²) site. The organisation was originally known as the "National Centre for Alternative Technology".
CAT was previously aligned to the Urban Centre for Appropriate Technology (UCAT), which was based in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and has since evolved into the Centre for Sustainable Energy.
Visitor centre
In 1975 a permanent exhibition opened in order to generate wider interest. The 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) site with 7 acres (28,328 m²) of interactive displays is the largest tourist attraction in the area. It is open all-year except Christmas, seven days a week. It is a registered charityCharitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
.
The facilities and exhibits include:
- the water-balanced CAT Funicular, a funicular railwayFunicularA funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
- solarSolar powerSolar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
, hydropowerHydropowerHydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
and wind powerWind powerWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships.... - a low-energy houseLow-energy houseA low-energy house is any type of house that from design, technologies and building products uses less energy, from any source, than a traditional or average contemporary house...
- a site-wide electricity grid powered by renewable energyRenewable energyRenewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
- displays of organic gardening methods
- a hydraulic ramHydraulic ramA hydraulic ram, or hydram, is a cyclic water pump powered by hydropower. It functions as a hydraulic transformer that takes in water at one "hydraulic head" and flow-rate, and outputs water at a higher hydraulic-head and lower flow-rate...
pump - strawbale and rammed earthRammed earthRammed earth, also known as taipa , tapial , and pisé , is a technique for building walls using the raw materials of earth, chalk, lime and gravel. It is an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods...
buildings - Britain's largest green bookshop
- Vegetarian restaurant
- Events, activities and courses take place throughout the year and are advertised on the website
Education
The Centre offers a range of courses which are between a day and a week in length. Some of these courses are offered to the general public while others are accredited courses for professional installers. CAT is involved with school education through training teachers, producing materials and offering special tours and materials on site.In 2000, the Centre became home to a post graduate degree course, based at CAT and covers many areas of environmental science
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
and its business applications. In 2007, the Graduate School for the Environment was founded by the team behind the existing MSc, who have since left. The new organisation is affiliated with CAT and although it continues to be validated by the University of East London it is no longer a part of the university.
The Centre has run a Professional Diploma in Architecture course in Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies, since 2008, which allows students to obtain an accredited Part II architectural qualification.
Wales Institute for Sustainable Education
In summer 2010, CAT inaugurated the Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE)Wales Institute for Sustainable Education
The Wales Institute for Sustainable Education is an educational building located at the Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth, Powys, Wales....
, a large educational building designed as a case study of sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture is a general term that describes environmentally conscious design techniques in the field of architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability and the pressing economic and political issues of our world...
. The building contains a lecture theatre and accommodation and demonstrates ecological building principles such as passive solar building design
Passive solar building design
In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer...
and heat recovery ventilation
Heat recovery ventilation
Heat recovery ventilation, also known as HRV, mechanical ventilation heat recovery, or MVHR, is an energy recovery ventilation system using equipment known as a heat recovery ventilator, heat exchanger, air exchanger, or air-to-air heat exchanger which employs a counter-flow heat exchanger between...
as well as low-impact building materials such as wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
, lime and rammed earth
Rammed earth
Rammed earth, also known as taipa , tapial , and pisé , is a technique for building walls using the raw materials of earth, chalk, lime and gravel. It is an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods...
. The external walls of the building are made from 500mm thick hempcrete
Hempcrete
Hempcrete is a mixture of hemp hurds and lime used as a material for construction and insulation.It is marketed under names like Hemcrete, Canobiote, Canosmose, and Isochanvre....
, whereas the lecture theatre has 7.2m high walls made from 320t of rammed earth
Rammed earth
Rammed earth, also known as taipa , tapial , and pisé , is a technique for building walls using the raw materials of earth, chalk, lime and gravel. It is an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods...
.
A building management system
Building Management System
A Building Management System is a computer-based control system installed in buildings that controls and monitors the building’s mechanical and electrical equipment such as ventilation, lighting, power systems, fire systems, and security systems...
is used to monitor a wide variety of parameters inside the building, providing data for research projects by CAT's sustainable architecture students.
The building is used for teaching postgraduate degrees and short courses and is also available as a conference venue. In 2010, the WISE building was awarded the first place in the Daily Telegraph's list of Top 10 Buildings 2010 and came 4th in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
's Top 10 list of buildings for 2010. In received a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
Award in 2011.
Energy
CAT originally relied on a collection of water, wind and solar power, but following power shortages it began to receive power from the National Grid. Shortly afterwards, in 2004, a large new wind turbineWind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
was built using funds generated by selling shares in the project to the community. Currently CAT operates an "island grid" system which includes elements of on- and off-grid operation.
CAT gets its water from an existing man-made reservoir in the slate quarry on which it is based and processes its own sewage in its reedbeds
Constructed wetland
A constructed wetland or wetpark is an artificial wetland, marsh or swamp created as a new or restored habitat for native and migratory wildlife, for anthropogenic discharge such as wastewater, stormwater runoff, or sewage treatment, for land reclamation after mining, refineries, or other...
.
Regional impact
The presence of the Centre in the Dyfi Valley has brought an increased environmental emphasis to the area, which is now designated as a United Nations "Biosphere". In the nearest town, MachynllethMachynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
, there is a wholefood vegetarian café and a separate shop also owned and run by CAT, and an industrial estate (the Dyfi Eco Park) near Machynlleth Railway Station houses the offices of Dulas Ltd, a renewable energy company started by ex-CAT employees.