This document summarizes two self-catering holiday home businesses in County Down that contribute £5.5 million to the local economy annually. It discusses the businesses' efforts to operate more sustainably through renewable energy sources, including a biomass heating system, photovoltaic panels, and solar hot water. The document notes that nearly 97% of the energy at one location is from renewable sources as part of addressing climate change impacts like rising sea levels that threaten coastal areas.

1. We operate two Self-catering
Businesses in County Down
Dundrum Bay Holiday Homes Tory Bush Cottages

2. £5.5 million contribution to the local
Economy
Based on NITB visitor spend figure of £39 per person per night.
• Open 16 Years
• 9 Properties
• 48 Bed-spaces
• 33% Annual Occupancy
• £3,644,160.00
• Open 11 Years
• 8 Properties
• 42 Bed-spaces
• 30% Annual Occupancy
• £1,972,971.00

3. Tory Bush achieved Green Tourism Award in June, just 5
points of a Gold award, - our next target.

4. The reasons why we are going Green;
• It is the right thing to be doing from a societal point of view.
• There is a definite benefit to our profitability.
• In a localised over-supplied self-catering market there is ‘stand-out’.
• Paradoxically, the aspiration to have the Mournes recognised as a green destination.

5. Why go Green?
The common perception of Global Warming

6. Another Common Perception, but the
problem is also closer to home!

7. Rising Sea-level, Tidal Surges; the East
Coast at great risk.

8. A business venture we are considering,
Widows Row Dundrum

9. Beautiful Authentic Cottages with a
Provenance, the great Storm of 1843.

10. Part of our Concept for the Widows
Row Cottages

11. Sea Defence Wall around a new School
75 metres from the Holiday Homes

12. The wall all around the Building

13. The new Sea Defence only 75 metres
from the 15 year old Holiday Homes.

14. Tidal Damage in front of the Holiday
Homes

16. Something Has to be done.
Without getting in to the science we all have to do something to
alleviate this climatic change.
What have we done at Tory Bush?
Almost 97% of our energy is from renewable sources
The missing 3% is the gas powered Tumble driers installed as
part of an earlier greening effort

17. Some of the other Green Activities we
carry out at Tory Bush

18. Self-Catering Cottages at Tory Bush, this photo was taken after the installation of the District Heating Network,
and re-instatement of the groundworks. The entry point for the heating pipes to this house is the small covered
box to the left of the porch, slated and painted to match the house.

19. Installation of District Heating Network in November 2013. This was a major
upheaval, carried out during low season when few bookings, the work was
completed for arrival of the Christmas and New Year Bookings.
Tory Bush Cottages District Heat Network

20. Biomass Cabin, supplied by Alternative Heat, the building is plaster rendered
with a ‘slap dash’ finish and painted in keeping with other buildings on site.

21. Schematic of the inside of the Biomass Cabin, at one end there is a 10 tonne wood pellet store
with a firewall between it and the Herz Boiler, at the other end of the cabin the 5000 Litre Buffer
tank

22. Herz Boiler in situ, note the window (right edge of photo) to the wood pellet
store to monitor the pellet usage.

23. Thermomax evacuated tubes on roof of Reception Building supplying hot water to the Laundry. This is a very
synergistic combination;- as the demand for laundry increases across the summer with more bookings, more
sunshine gives more hot water. It is calculated that 85% of the hot water required by the laundry , across the
whole year, is provided by the evacuated tubes; the remainder is heated by the Photovoltaic powered
immersion heater or by heat exchange via a secondary coil from the Wood Pellet District System.

24. Photovoltaic Panels on the roof of adjacent Stable Block, these have surpassed
expectations supplying 90% of our Electricity. Our annual bills have decreased from
£1800 to £160.00. We took the trouble to source the market leading Hybrid panels
best suited to the N.I. solar radiation pattern.

25. The most recent Quarterly Electricity Bill for the 9 Holiday Cottages and
Conference Facility at Tory Bush Cottages. This bill, for an Autumn/Winter
quarter, used to be in excess of £400.00

26. The first years Wood Pellet Usage at Tory Bush Cottages, the 2nd column on
the left shows the weight in Tonnes, a total of 27 Tonne replacing about
12,000 litres of LPG used per year previously. A carbon saving of 18 tonne.