View source for Centre for Alternative Technology

{{Short description|Eco-centre in Powys, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                = Centre for Alternative Technology
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| abbreviation        = CAT
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| formation           = {{start date|1973|11|df=y}}
| founder             = Gerard Morgan-Grenville
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| status              = [[Registered charity]]
| purpose             = To inspire, inform and enable humanity to respond to the climate and biodiversity emergency.
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| location            = Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales
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The '''Centre for Alternative Technology''' (CAT) ({{langx|cy|Canolfan y Dechnoleg Amgen}}) is an [[ecology|eco]]-centre in [[Montgomeryshire]], [[Powys]], [[Wales]] dedicated to demonstrating and teaching [[sustainable development]]. CAT, despite its name, no longer concentrates its efforts exclusively on [[alternative technology]], but provides information on all aspects of [[sustainable living]]. It is open to visitors, offers postgraduate degrees as well as shorter residential and one day courses, and publishes information on [[renewable energy]], [[sustainable architecture]], [[organic farming]], gardening, and sustainable living. CAT also runs education programmes for schools and sells environmentally friendly items through its on-site shop, restaurant and mail order department.

==History==

CAT was founded by businessman-turned-environmentalist Gerard Morgan-Grenville, and opened in 1973 in the disused [[Llwyngwern quarry|Llwyngwern]] [[slate]] [[quarry]] near [[Machynlleth]] (once served by the narrow-gauge [[Corris Railway]]), where it occupies a seven-acre (28,000 m<sup>2</sup>) site.<ref>{{cite web |last1=MacGregor |first1=Sue |title=BBC Radio 4 - The Reunion, The Centre for Alternative Technology |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s393k |website=BBC |access-date=11 July 2019 |date=28 April 2014 |archive-date=11 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711054751/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s393k |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Reunion broadcast">{{cite web |title=The Reunion - The Centre for Alternative Technology - BBC Sounds |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b01s393k |website=www.bbc.co.uk |access-date=11 July 2019 |date=28 April 2014 |archive-date=2 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502124949/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b01s393k |url-status=live }}</ref> The organisation was originally known as the "National Centre for Alternative Technology".<ref name="Reunion broadcast" />{{rp|14.39}} Inspiration for the early CAT pioneers included the then-recent books ''[[Small Is Beautiful]]'', ''[[A Blueprint for Survival]]'', and ''[[The Limits to Growth]]''<ref name="Reunion broadcast" />{{rp|08.11}} as well as an aim to explore alternative ways of living.<ref name="Reunion broadcast" />{{rp|06.12}}

CAT was previously aligned to the Urban Centre for Appropriate Technology (UCAT), which was based in [[Bristol]] and has since evolved into the Centre for Sustainable Energy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cse.org.uk/|title=Home|date=17 April 2025|website=Centre for Sustainable Energy}}</ref>

David Lea and Pat Borer won the [[Gold Medal (National Eisteddfod of Wales)|Gold Medal for Architecture]] at the [[National Eisteddfod of Wales]] of 2001 for their work on the AtEIC building at the CAT,<ref>{{cite web|title=Gold Medal for Architecture|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/gold-medal-architecture-winners|publisher=National Eisteddfod of Wales|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124111413/https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/gold-medal-architecture-winners|archivedate=24 January 2021|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and an RIBA Regional Award for the WISE building in 2011.

== Visitor centre ==
In 1975 a permanent exhibition opened in order to generate wider interest. The {{convert|40|acre|m2|adj=on}} site with {{convert|7|acre|m2}} of interactive displays is the largest tourist attraction in the area. It is a [[Charitable organization|registered charity]].<ref>{{EW charity|265239|CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY CHARITY LIMITED}}</ref>
[[File:Centre for Alternative Technology (28723902941).jpg|thumb|The inclined railway from the car park to the ticket office]]

The facilities and exhibits include: 
*the water-balanced CAT [[funicular]], the [[Centre for Alternative Technology Railway]]
*[[solar power|solar]], [[hydropower]] and [[wind power]]
*a [[low-energy house]]
*a site-wide electricity grid powered by [[renewable energy]]
*displays of [[organic gardening]] methods
*a [[hydraulic ram]] pump
*[[strawbale]] and [[rammed earth]] buildings
* Britain's largest green bookshop
* Vegetarian/vegan restaurant
* Events, activities and courses that take place throughout the year

In 2023, the CAT announced that financial pressures had forced it to stop admitting walk-up day visitors, although it would continue to hold group visits and other events and courses.<ref name="Parry 2023">{{cite news |last1=Parry |first1=Anwen |title=Centre for Alternative Technology shuts doors to visitors and jobs under threat |url=https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/23911343.powys-centre-alternative-technology-closes-visitors/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=County Times |date=8 November 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

== Education ==

The centre offers a range of short courses which are between a day and a week in length. Some of these courses are offered to the general public while others are accredited courses for professionals.<ref name=SHORTCOURSES>{{cite web |url=http://www.cat.org.uk/shortcourses/ |title=CAT Short Courses |access-date=2011-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303111513/http://www2.cat.org.uk/shortcourses/ |archive-date=2011-03-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> CAT is involved with school education through training teachers, producing materials and offering special tours and materials on site.<ref name=EDUCATION>{{cite web |url=http://www.cat.org.uk/education/ |title=CAT Education Department |access-date=2011-02-15 |archive-date=23 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723203113/http://www.cat.org.uk/education/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Centre includes a Graduate School of the Environment. It offers postgraduate courses in renewable energy, architecture and environmental studies.<ref name=GSE>{{cite web |url=http://gse.cat.org.uk/gse-about-us |title=Graduate School of the Environment |access-date=2013-11-08}}</ref>

Since 2008, the centre has run a Professional Diploma in Architecture course in ''Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies'', which allows students to obtain an accredited Part II architectural qualification.<ref>[http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/sustainability-masters/centre-for-alternative-technology-cat-machynlleth-wales-professional-diploma-in-architecture-part-ii-advanced-environmental-and-energy-studies/8620594.article ''Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), Machynlleth, Wales; Professional Diploma in Architecture Part II: Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415001438/http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/sustainability-masters/centre-for-alternative-technology-cat-machynlleth-wales-professional-diploma-in-architecture-part-ii-advanced-environmental-and-energy-studies/8620594.article |date=15 April 2015 }}, The Architects' Journal, December 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-13.</ref>

===Wales Institute for Sustainable Education===
{{Main|Wales Institute for Sustainable Education}}
In summer 2010, CAT inaugurated the [[Wales Institute for Sustainable Education|Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE)]], a large educational building designed as a case study of [[sustainable architecture]]. The building contains a lecture theatre and accommodation<ref name=VENUEHIRE>{{cite web |url=http://venuehire.cat.org.uk/ |title=Venue Hire at CAT |access-date=2011-02-15}}</ref> and demonstrates ecological building principles such as [[passive solar building design]] and [[heat recovery ventilation]] as well as low-impact building materials such as [[wood]], [[hemp]], [[Lime (material)|lime]] and [[rammed earth]]. The external walls of the building are made from 500mm thick [[hempcrete]], whereas the lecture theatre has 7.2m high walls made from 320t of [[rammed earth]].<ref name=WISE_INFO>{{cite web|url=http://info.cat.org.uk/wise|title=CAT Information Service: The Wales Institute for Sustainable Education|access-date=2011-02-15|archive-date=9 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309042846/http://info.cat.org.uk/wise|url-status=live}}</ref>

A [[Building automation|building management system]] is used to monitor a wide variety of parameters inside the building, providing data for research projects by CAT's sustainable architecture students. The building is used for teaching postgraduate degrees and short courses and is also available as a conference venue and exhibition space.

In 2010 the WISE building was awarded the first place in ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'''s list of ''Top 10 Buildings 2010''<ref name=TELEGRAPH>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/8195316/Top-10-buildings-of-2010.html |title=The Daily Telegraph: Top 10 Buildings of 2010|access-date=2011-02-15 | location=London |first=Ellis |last=Woodman |date=2010-12-14}}</ref> and came fourth in ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'s}} ''Top 10'' list of buildings for 2010.<ref name=GUARDIAN>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/dec/12/rowan-moore-architecture-review-2010 |title=The Guardian: The best architecture of 2010, by Rowan Moore|access-date=2011-02-15 | location=London |date=2010-12-12}}</ref> It received a [[Royal Institute of British Architects|Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)]] Award in 2011.<ref>Jonathan Glancey [https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/may/19/riba-architecture-awards-british-birds ''RIBA awards offer a bird's eye view of British architecture''], The Guardian, 19 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-13.</ref>

== Energy ==
[[File:Community turbine - geograph.org.uk - 1234697.jpg|thumb|The site's wind turbine]]
CAT originally relied on a collection of water, wind and solar power, but following power shortages it began to receive power from the [[National Grid (UK)|National Grid]]. Shortly afterwards, in 2004, a large new [[wind turbine]] was built using funds generated by selling shares in the project to the community, Bro Dyfi Community renewables. From 2009 September onwards CAT has operated a [[microgrid]] system, which includes elements of on- and off-grid operation.<ref name=ISLAND_GRID>{{cite web |url=http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/316730/first_island_power_grid_being_used_in_wales.html |title=The Ecologist: First island power grid being used in Wales |date=9 September 2009 |access-date=2011-02-15}}</ref><ref name=MICRO_GRID>{{cite journal |url=http://www.mendeley.com/research/microgrid-system-centre-alternative-technology/ |title=Microgrid research at Centre for Alternative Technology |doi=10.1109/ISGTEurope.2011.6162725 |publisher=Mendeley.com |s2cid=41022025 |access-date=2012-06-13 |archive-date=5 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405104310/https://www.mendeley.com/research/microgrid-system-centre-alternative-technology/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

CAT gets its water from an existing man-made reservoir in the slate quarry in which it is based and processes its own sewage in its [[constructed wetland|reedbeds]].

== Regional impact ==
The presence of the Centre in the Dyfi Valley has brought an increased environmental emphasis to the area, which is now designated as a UNESCO [[Biosphere Reserve]].<ref name=DYFI_BIOSPHERE>{{cite web |url=http://www.unesco.org.uk/dyfi_valley_awarded_unique_un_status |title=UK National Commission for UNESCO: Dyfi Valley awarded unique UN status |access-date=2014-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424011140/http://www.unesco.org.uk/dyfi_valley_awarded_unique_un_status |archive-date=2015-04-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the nearest town, [[Machynlleth]], CAT plc formerly operated a wholefood vegetarian café and a separate shop.  Following the closure of CAT plc the CAT charity retained ownership of the vegetarian cafe but subsequently sold it to its workers.  The cafe is now run as a private enterprise but continues to operate as a vegetarian cafe. The wholefood shop was closed, since the building was not owned by CAT.  However a new wholefood shop, Dyfi Wholefoods, was opened by the staff who were made redundant. An industrial estate (the Dyfi Eco Park) near Machynlleth railway station houses the offices of Dulas Ltd, a renewable-energy company founded by ex-CAT employees.

==See also==
*[[Centre for Appropriate Rural Technology]]
*[[Diggers and Dreamers]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|33em}}

== External links ==
*{{Official website|www.cat.org.uk}}
* [https://www.cat.org.uk/can-we-reach-zero-carbon-by-2025/ CAT's Zero Carbon Britain project]

{{Energy in the United Kingdom|nongovorg}}
{{Permaculture}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|52|37|20.86|N|3|50|29.55|W|region:GB|display=title}}

[[Category:1973 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Appropriate technology organizations]]
[[Category:Architecture schools in Wales]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Powys]]
[[Category:Charities based in Wales]]
[[Category:Conservation in Wales]]
[[Category:Energy conservation in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Environmental technology]]
[[Category:Low-energy building]]
[[Category:Organic gardening]]
[[Category:Permaculture organizations]]
[[Category:Education in Powys]]
[[Category:Renewable energy organizations]]
[[Category:Sustainable design]]
[[Category:Sustainable technologies]]
[[Category:Sustainability in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Horticultural organisations based in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Machynlleth]]
[[Category:Welsh Eisteddfod Gold Medal winners]]