Highlights
- From March 2015, Glenuig Inn has been a 100% renewable energy business with zero food waste.
- Highly energy efficient building.
- Passive venting to maximise heat transfer throughout the building.
- 100% green electricity sourced from local hydro schemes.
- Biomass boiler provides all heat and hot water.
- Standard wood pellet biomass is co-mingled with dried and sterilised food waste.
- Reducing food waste, through menu design and supply chain management.
- No food waste or food contaminated waste has to be stored or leaves the site.
- Green Tourism Business Scheme - Gold Status.
Glenuig Inn on the West Coast of Scotland is open all day, every day, all year and prides itself on enabling its visitors to enjoy the great outdoors whilst enjoying good food, real ale and comfortable accommodation in the knowledge that there is zero impact to the environment. The Inn runs on 100% renewable energy and generates minimal waste, which cannot be recycled, or repurposed. It holds a Gold status from the Green Tourism Business Scheme and is described as Scotland’s exemplar green Inn due to its holistic approach to sustainability.
The Micro Business Award is an additional award for the best entry to any category for businesses with fewer than 10 employees. The judges commented “Glenuig Inn should be commended on the drive and commitment to achieve this level of sustainability, to integrate it into business operations, to engage staff and customers and to share this innovative approach with other businesses”.
Glenuig Inn has a history of successfully developing and implementing environmental sustainability initiatives that have helped to both improve business performance and reduce environmental impact. Whilst energy is important within environmental sustainability, Glenuig Inn has implemented initiatives in all aspects of the business from sourcing the most sustainable products, reducing packaging waste where possible, managing the supply chain, developing sustainability initiatives in the kitchen, and engaging employees and customers.
Glenuig Inn is committed to a holistic approach to sustainability, which includes improved energy efficiency. The owner set out to develop an energy efficient building from existing building stock and during renovation wide ranging energy efficient measures were implemented:
- Conserving heat – The building was wrapped in breathable, wood fibre insulation, which is also a carbon sink.
- Generating heat and hot water from the biomass boiler.
- Circulating excess heat – heat from cooling equipment is moved around the building to maintain a constant ambient temperature in all areas.
- Reducing energy consumption - Induction hobs are installed with automatic power shut off and the use of low energy, dimmable LED lighting throughout.
A Carbon Trust Management plan was adopted in November 2012, which informed the final transition to 100% renewable energy and the use of food waste as a fuel source co-mingled with the biomass to provide heat and hot water; both were commissioned in 2015.
From a 2008 baseline, Glenuig Inn reduced carbon emissions by 84% to November 2011 and by February 2015 it was a 100% renewable energy business with zero carbon emissions. Energy costs have reduced from 11% of turnover to 2.25%. The judges were impressed with the energy efficiency of the building and how the savings have given the business the competitive edge even in the colder months.
Steve Macfarlane, Director, Glenuig Inn: "It ’s always a challenge to do the right thing for the environment and even more so when we have to provide excellence in all we do for all our guests. We are delighted to have won a VIBES award again this year, as it is true recognition of our strong environmental commitment in everything we do.”