Weardale Ski Club has installed a renewable energy supply.

The club, which is at Swinhopeburn, two miles south of Westgate, County Durham, is remote, which creates problems connecting to an energy supply.

Before the installation, its lighting and heating was provided by a diesel generator that was not cost-effective, required regular maintenance and added to air pollution.

The club, working with Wear Valley District Council environment officer Ian Bloomfield and wind and solar specialist Mike Seeley, of WindSund, in Muggleswick, near Edmundbyers, Wear Valley, has tapped into funding, including Government grants, to introduce a solar power energy supply.

Solar panels catch the sun's rays and convert the energy into electricity, making use of what is known as the photoelectric effect.

Published: 16/11/2004