Lakest updates on our Battersea Park project

Nope, that's not a typo. This month, we've been out on the lake!

You may recall that last autumn we spoke about our work to power the Victorian cascades in Battersea Park. This month, we've spent a lot of time out on the lake for the latest phase of the project.

You might not have realised a lake even USES power. But, as a matter of fact, not only does this small body of water use energy... it uses a whopping 90,000 kWh of it every year! To put that into perspective, that's the equivalent of heating 8 homes for a year.

To try and reduce this, we're getting creative with when and how this aeration system is used, taking our learnings from building management systems.

We've been using building management systems in our community building projects for the last 5-6 years. Essentially, these work by targeting energy use to when and where it is needed. In the case of the lake, this means in summer, when the oxygen levels in the water reduce due to the temperature. So, rather than aerating the pond year round, we can keep it seasonal!

​The lake currently uses an incredible amount of energy across four pumps, which are around 2-2.5kw each, which could mean the lake aeration system uses a whopping 90,000 kWh per year.

To tackle this, we're firstly measuring oxygen levels (as this is what the aeration system is used to control). We've found that if we only used the pumps when oxygen levels drop, i.e. in the summer when water is warmer because it carries less oxygen, we could reduce consumption by as much as 50% or maybe even more.

In addition to this, we'll also be replacing the old pumps with more efficient versions. This will be followed by installing pressure gauges on the pumps, which will notify Enable's team when the aeration units are starting to become blocked with silt. When this happens, the pumps require more energy to push water out, as the flow is restricted. Keeping on top of this means less in-depth maintenance over time, further prolonging the life of the pumps.
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Aside from the pumps, we'll also be controlling the water levels using the boar hole in the lake to attach a float meter. This will automate the process of when the lake needs to be topped up.

All of this complements the feasibility work we have done so far to install solar panels across the park. These would power the Victorian cascades and decarbonise the Enable buildings, including the Staff Yard, the Millennium Building and Pump House.

This is a really exciting project that puts our existing skills and knowledge to the test in a new, outdoor environment. We're proud to be supporting this much-loved London park so that Londoners can continue to enjoy it for years to come!