Solar powered cabin reduces emissions by 86 per cent

One example of sustainable changes across the Hinkley Connection Project

A new security cabin being used on the Hinkley Connection project is playing its part in our collective journey to a clean energy future by helping to tackle climate change.

The state-of-the-art security cabin has been installed at one of our sites by contractor Babcock. Using solar power and composite materials to retain the heat, the EcoSecure hut, developed and provided by Remote Surveillance, is entirely self-sufficient in terms of energy. It reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 86% a day when compared with security cabins that use a generator.

“The cabin needs no additional external sources of power,” Babcock’s Project Manager Wale Ilori confirmed. “Yet despite this, it can supply sufficient power for everything we need – including lighting, heating, a kettle, a microwave and USB points – as well as the necessary security equipment.”

The cabin has an insulated base and double glazing, and its composite walls retain the heat so efficiently that, even in winter, only the lowest heat setting is required to maintain a comfortable working environment.

Wale added: “The EcoSecure cabin is only one of the developments we’re introducing to keep emissions low and help the environment, with electric vehicle chargers and a rainwater harvesting system also now in place.

“As National Grid’s Chief Executive John Pettigrew has said, climate change is the biggest crisis humanity faces. In these small ways, we’re delighted that we’re helping to reduce our emissions and keep the environmental impact of construction for the Hinkley Connection Project as low as possible.”