An innovative technology system that uses solar energy to heat buildings all year round is being installed for the first time in a commercial property.
The Zero Carbon Solution, which combines PV-T, heat pump and thermal energy storage, is being fitted into a 550m² office building in Faversham, Kent. Located at the Foundry business park, the property is a standard metal-framed construction and will boast no obvious visible signs of its carbon neutral credentials.
Built by developers Quinn Estates, the commercial unit will be home to renewable energy specialist Newform Energy, which is a joint venture partner in the Zero Carbon Solution with house builder Caplin Homes.
A survey of more than 100 real estate investors across Europe has shown that a huge majority are in favour of certification schemes that recognise building sustainability. Almost two-thirds say their preferred scheme is BREEAM, the standard which is rolled out through a network of European and scheme operators.
Solardome Industries, Southampton, UK, is celebrating moving in day with the Hjertefolger family. Their Nature House on a remote island near Bodo, in the Arctic Circle has now become their home and fulfils their lifetime dream of creating a sustainable, self-contained environment.
Construction of the UK’s first eco town, North West Bicester (NW Bicester), in Oxfordshire has begun. Lead developer A2Dominion has started preparing the site for building works to commence for the initial phase, which will form part of the long-term vision to provide up to 6,000 sustainable new homes for Bicester.
Specifiers looking to maximise the energy efficiency of their clients’ central heating system should choose a magnetic filter before considering anything else, according to Eclipse Magnetics.