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[ Project focus: The Green House ] The Green House’s managing director, Christopher


Airey, explains: ‘Our ethos is to bring environmental issues to the mainstream hotel market. It is for that reason we don’t have a “green team” – our entire team must think about the environmental impact of everything we do, and how to minimise this. For the same reason, we did not want to be a “showcase” of environmental technologies, but rather to install a system that minimises our use of energy.’ To further rubberstamp its environmental credentials,


The Green House has been shortlisted for the Environmental Data Interactive Exchange (EDIE) Awards for Environmental Excellence 2010. The EDIE’s have been recognised as one of the top awards in Europe after being awarded RSA accreditation in 2009, and they seek to celebrate the year’s most successful green innovators and environmental breakthroughs.


Expert help ECA member, Wessex Renewable Energy, is part of the Dorset-based Wessex Group and it has quickly emerged as one of the country’s premier installers of microgeneration-based products and systems. The company is a registered Microgeneration


Certifi cation Scheme (MCS) installer. The MCS certifi es microgeneration products and installers in accordance with consistent standards and assesses them against a set of robust criteria. Being an MCS accredited installer means that Wessex


can provide relevant certifi cation, allowing its customers to claim the Feed-in Tariff (FIT), which pays them for the electricity they generate via microgeneration. It will also allow them do so the same for the forthcoming Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a similar scheme in principle to the FITs, but with a focus on heat generation. Thomas Mortimer is Wessex Renewable Energy’s


renewable energy manager and a fi rm believer in the benefi ts of microgeneration. He says: ‘Wessex is dedicated to the installation and maintenance of renewable energy systems, and all of our directly employed qualified engineers are fully trained to offer the highest quality service in this fast growing and exciting sector.’


Tender After being approached by the main contractor on the project, Spetisbury Construction, to tender for The Green House project, Wessex’s proposal was accepted and it was awarded the contract. The tender required the installation of full mechanical and electrical services, including a combined heat and power (CHP) system, solar thermal hot water solutions and intelligent lighting. Wessex has a long-standing relationship with


Spetisbury and its ability to offer a range of services under one roof was a great plus point. For Spetisbury this enables a one-stop-shop approach, minimising time spent organising various contracting fi rms. Adrian Arnett, Spetisbury Construction’s project manager, comments: ‘Wessex was a good choice as they incorporate both mechanical and electrical disciplines and coordinate works extremely well – we are always pleased to use them.’


About the author


Rob Shepherd Rob Shepherd is a freelance journalist who has worked in the electrical contracting industry for more than 10 years, most recently as editor of Electrical Contracting News.


High standards: Five Stokvis Riomay Ecotube panels on a purpose-built frame were installed in the hotel’s roof valley


The way forward


Microgeneration is the production of zero or low carbon heat and power and involves creating energy to power a building by means of a renewable energy source. Growing in popularity, here are just of few of the most widely used microgeneration technologies.


CHP CHP stands for combined heat and power, and describes a unit that simultaneously generates heat and electricity. CHP is a highly effi cient way to use fuels and can therefore make a signifi cant contribution to the UK’s sustainable energy goals. CHP systems make extensive use of the heat produced during the electricity generation process, and can achieve overall effi ciencies of 80-90 per cent at the point of use.


Solar photovoltaic (PV)


A technology used in solar panels, which are usually installed on roofs to convert sunlight into electricity. Solar PV technology is improving at an impressive rate, allowing it to become a highly cost effective way of generating electricity.


Solar thermal Solar thermal systems are situated on roofs to provide a property with hot water by using the sun’s rays to heat water fl owing through pipes on the panel. This is then passed through a coil in a hot water cylinder or heat store, where it heats the building’s hot water supply.


Wind turbines Wind turbines produce power by using the wind to turn blades linked to an internal generator, which produces electricity. These are free-standing machines, which are usually erected in suitably exposed positions where there is plenty of wind.


Heat pumps Heat pumps are available in three types. Ground source, air source and water source heat pumps, which all extract ambient temperature and feed it into a building’s hot water heating system. Heat pumps use electricity to extract the heat, but can deliver 2.5-4kW of heat for every kW of electricity used.


Winter 2010 ECA Today 27


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