Originally built in the 1930s to house tropical plants as a tourist attraction the Blackpool the Solaris Centre has been rescued from dereliction, and is now a sub-regional centre for environmental action with funding assistance from various bodies including the EU and the Energy Savings Trust. The building uses photovoltaic cells, wind turbines, a mini combined heat and power plant, solar water heating, high levels of insulation and energy conservation technologies and generates all the power needed for its own use.