Lancashire’s groundbreaking green housing company taking on the climate crisis

When it comes to averting the climate crisis, there is simply no sector, industry, or realm of society which we can afford to overlook. Across the board, extreme efforts have to be made to cut carbon footprints, which is where Extreme Low Energy Ltd comes in.
An ELe glamping hutAn ELe glamping hut
An ELe glamping hut

An award-winning low-energy product specialist at the forefront of the green and renewable movement in Lancashire, ELe designs and manufactures efficient ultra-low energy building and housing solutions for commercial, industrial, leisure, housing, and horticultural markets.

Founded in 2014, the company also works with Electricity Northwest as their ‘behind-the-metre’ energy efficiency partner helping customers reduce their energy usage and carbon footprints in an effort to propel the UK towards a net-zero future.

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What’s more, the Skelmersdale-based ELe recently partnered with Lancaster University to develop a plan to help small businesses in the North West reduce their server operating costs and carbon output by over 70% as part of the groundbreaking Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory (LCEI).

Extreme Low Energy's Matthew McHugh (l) and John NuttallExtreme Low Energy's Matthew McHugh (l) and John Nuttall
Extreme Low Energy's Matthew McHugh (l) and John Nuttall

Giving the North West’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) free access to world-leading academic expertise and cutting-edge resources, the LCEI has helped some 350 businesses on projects which have saved 10,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases since it was launched in 2015.

“ELe is like a lot of SMEs in that we have limited time, capacity, resources, and funds to grow our business and remain competitive,” says Mark Frost, ELe’s chairman. “However, we do recognise the value that partnerships with universities bring.

“Co-creating alongside academics and leveraging their resources in a non competitive environment has been vital to the success of our company and accelerated our innovations from idea to the marketplace,” he adds of the project, which is backed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

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“The project at Lancaster has helped to clearly identify and define the opportunity for ELe going forward in what is a very challenging and fast-growing sector.”

ELe Commerical LED lightingELe Commerical LED lighting
ELe Commerical LED lighting

With ELe having last year been shortlisted for the ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ award at the BIBAs 2021 as well as winning the ‘Business Continuity & Resilience Award for Innovation’ at the BCI European Awards the year before, they are just the kid of business LCEI is targeting.

“SMEs play a major role in economies worldwide,” says Carolyn Hayes, LCEI Project Manager at Lancaster University. “It’s therefore crucial that SMEs are equipped with the tools and resources needed to make their impact on creating a low-carbon future.

“But the most common barrier to SME from taking action is a lack of resources, such as personnel, knowledge and time, and knowing where to start,” Carolyn adds. “That’s how the LCEI programme can help: our support is designed for companies at all stages of their low-carbon journey.

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“We’ll identify a bespoke course of action harnessing the skills and expertise of undergraduates, postgraduates, and world-renowned academics, and leverage our plethora of world-class facilities,” adds Carolyn.

“I’d encourage SMEs to start a conversation with us about how LECI could help to reduce costs and their carbon footprint, improve performance, and future-proof their business in a low-carbon future.”

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