Charity: Centre for Alternative Technology

CAT is an education and visitor centre demonstrating practical solutions for sustainability. We cover all aspects of green living: environmental building, eco-sanitation, woodland management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and organic growing. Our site is a unique and valuable practical demonstration centre, a living laboratory with an enormous range of live examples of sustainable solutions. CAT has the largest range of installed renewable systems anywhere. These include: Photovoltaics Solar thermal A micro-grid Off-grid and grid-connected systems Biomass combined heat and power (CHP) Hydro Air source heat pumps A community heat main A range of small to medium wind turbines We also have two reed bed systems, our own off-mains water supply, and extensive organic gardens. In our day-to-day activities we: Run a visitor centre which is open 7 days a week, with 7 acres of interactive displays. Offer a free information service answering enquiries on all aspects of sustainable living. Run a graduate school with a range of postgraduate degrees in sustainability, environmental architecture and renewable energy. Run residential and one-day courses for the general public, as well as more specialised courses for builders, engineers, electricians and plumbers. Provide curriculum-based education to visiting schools, colleges and universities. Host residential education trips for schools and colleges in our unique eco-cabins. Carry out educational outreach work, including teacher training and school visits. Run a successful volunteer programme for those that want to gain hands-on experience. Have a growing network of supporter members who receive our quarterly magazine and an invite to our annual conference. Provide an eco-shop and vegetarian restaurant on site. For those further afield, we also have a mail order service. We also run or are involved with the following projects: ZeroCarbonBritain – a series of research reports addressing scenarios for reducing the UK’s emissions to zero in 20 years. Coed Gwern – 15 acres of sustainably managed woodland, which is home to a range of courses, as well as being monitored and managed for biodiversity. Dyfi Biosphere – the only UNESCO Biosphere in Wales.