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‘K’ glass and on the southerly facing windows,
solar film was applied. This has a solar
reflectance of 52%, but an interior visible light
reflectance of 58%.
High efficiency light fittings have been
installed where possible, with movement
sensors in toilets and certain other rooms
ensuring that lights automatically switch off
when not needed. Three daylight reflecting
tubes were also specified to bounce maximum
natural day light through the roof to the first floor
training area, and to reduce the demand for
electrical lighting still further.
trenches under the car park. The installation of a wind turbine on the roof
Water circulating in the underground pipes of the building to offset mains electricity usage
becomes the same 11°C to 12°C as the ground has been considered but temporarily shelved.
before it enters one of two heat pumps. The preferred technology in this respect is still
These ground source heat pumps are up to not commercially / economically available.
400% efficient in heating or cooling water which In the foreseeable future, Mike feels that
is then used in the building’s three heating / photo-voltaic solar systems will become a
cooling systems. feasible option, with significant benefits over
Firstly, warm or cool water from the heat wind power. So for the time being, Mike is
pump is circulated in 20mm polybutylene adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ policy.
heating and cooling pipes encased in concrete The Warmafloor building, totalling 2,500 m
2
of
floor slabs. This construction provides a stable floor area on a site of 3,350 m
2
was completed
thermal mass at the heart of the building and at the end of 2006. The initial conclusions from
the base load for the heating or cooling. the first year of operation indicate that,
The second system provides top-up heating or compared with conventional energy services,
cooling when demanded by changes in the the installed sustainable technologies reduce
building’s occupancy loads or variance in energy consumption by at least 60%.
weather conditions. A 15mm diameter Mike claims that this will show a saving of 6kg of
polybutylene piping system clipped to the back CO2 per m
3
per year – some 375,000 kg over a
of aluminium ceiling panels would – like the floor 25 year building life, or the equivalent of driving
construction – provide an ‘as required’ additional a medium sized family car for 3 million miles.
heating or cooling source, with energy supplied Warmafloor is working with the Building
by the ground source heat pump. Services Research and Information Association
To add to the controllability of the system, (BSRIA) to monitor energy and environmental
it was decided to install a third heating / cooling efficiency of the building over a period of time.
system for meeting rooms which have Mike Lamb believed in, and invested in, an
challenge. Mike has been in the business more south-facing windows, and hence have a high integrated sustainable building energy solution
than 20 years and his company’s growth led to solar gain. Into the corners of these rooms, to reduce energy demand and save money in
the requirement to build a larger head office, linear fan-powered fresh air convector units were his own building. In the first few months Mike
factory and training centre. In Mike’s words, installed where the air is heated or cooled by an realised that visiting building services specifiers
“This presented us with an opportunity to air handling unit which draws its energy from the and architects were excited that such a common
demonstrate what could be achieved with ground water circuit. sense approach actually works!
existing know-how and technologies, not only to The three ground water-fed piping systems By popular demand he has converted a part
meet government targets for 20% reduction in (floor circuits, ceiling circuits, and air handling of the warehouse area into the Sustainable
carbon emissions, but to exceed them by a unit) were integrated to work independently or in Energy Centre to showcase how a number of
significant margin.” He believed a reduction of unison to provide the optimum comfort in any proven, affordable, energy-efficient solutions can
at least 60% was not out of the question. part of the building. The heat pump system is be integrated to provide an attractive, modern,
By considering the requirements for energy sized to meet 100% of the heating demand for sustainable work place. It should be possible
efficiency at the earliest planning and design most of the year, with a small high efficiency gas for all buildings to be this sustainable,
stage, Warmafloor was able to create a relatively powered condensing boiler installed to kick in Warmafloor is simply showing the way.
ordinary steel-framed 2,500m
2
new building with for thermal top-up on the very coldest days. As more specifiers adopt the solutions
extraordinary energy performance. Experience As a contribution to carbon offsetting, more showcased in the Sustainable Energy Centre,
indicates that commercial and public buildings than 200 shrubs and trees were planted around Mike may end up having a significant impact on
in the UK call for cooling rather than heating for the site with an irrigation system installed to be many of the country's future buildings.
80% of the time. fed from harvested rainwater. Warmafloor is one of the UK’s leaders in
Mike recognized that his perfect starting point Silver birch trees have been selected for underfloor heating and cooling solutions with over
for building temperature control was planting outside south-facing offices so as to 20 years experience in projects from the Scottish
underground heat, which maintains a constant provide optimum solar shading in the summer, Parliament and Welsh Assembly to the British
11°C to 12°C. The heart of the solution yet allow maximum natural daylight in the Museum, and from residential homes to the
therefore is four kilometres of 50mm diameter winter months. largest industrial buildings and schools.
polyethylene pipes buried as slinky coils in Glazing on the site was specified as Pilkington 158
www.devi.co.uk www.warmafloor.co.uk www.knaufdrywall.co.uk
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