A LAKE District hotel is spearheading a renewable energy project to generate its own power using a hydro-electric turbine.

Using natural water resources and gravity, English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues is installing the turbine at its flagship site on Windermere, Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa. Using water from the beck which runs down the fell behind the venue, the hydro-electric green energy initiative is predicted to generate 180 MWh annually, which equates to around 33 per cent of the spa resort’s current electricity usage.

The turbine will be housed in a small Lakeland style barn with dry stone walls and a slate roof within the hotel’s 45 acre fellside site.

Tim Berry from English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues explains: “Drawing on sustainable, local natural resources to generate electricity is something we’ve been keen to investigate and adopt.

"We’re also looking into ‘air source’ and ‘lake source’ heating and bore holes for water supply across our venues.”