NEWS: SITE REPORT
Sustainable design features in the new US Embassy development in London
London’s new US$1 billion US Embassy will use a 1.131MW CHP unit & othe renewable energy sources, such as PV
The US Embassy development in London is centred
around 'The Chancery' - a new 11-storey cube-shaped building. The north facing elevation is largely glazed, while the other three sides of the building have a distinctive outer shell made from ethylene tetraffluoroethylene (ETFE) - a transparent lightweight polymer which is self-cleaning. The US Government has set out its ambition for the completed building to attain the 'outstanding' grade from its BREEAM environmental assessment. Only around 30 buildings in the world have achieved this maximum rating so far. Sustainable design features for the Embassy include a
ground source heat pump (GSHPs) to provide renewable energy. GSHPs use pipes buried deep in the earth to extract heat from the ground. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems and hot water in the Embassy’s interior. A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water
and antifreeze around a buried loop of pipe. Heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid and then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. The ground stays at a fairly constant temperature under the surface (even in London), so the heat pump can be used throughout the year. The length of the ground loop deployed depends on the
size of the Embassy perimeter - and the amount of heat the facility will require. Longer loops can draw more heat from the ground, but need more space to be buried in. If space is limited, a vertical borehole may be drilled instead. The Embassy site will also deploy photovoltaic panels for harvesting solar power. A new security moat enables grey- water to be recycled on site. Wandsworth Council's planning chairman Nick Cuff told
UKPN: "This remarkable new building will certainly be a fitting centrepiece for the new Nine Elms and could be among the highest performing buildings in the world in terms of energy use and sustainability.” The area immediately south of the site is set to become
a new public plaza. This open space will form a key link in a linear park which runs through Nine Elms to Battersea Power Station.
The new US embassy, being built in the Nine Elms area of London, is already the world’s costliest embassy - costs have spiraled to a figure upwards of US$1 billion. According to US authorities the structure will be mainly powered by a gas-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) system. This will be linked into a
district heating scheme which will provide heat to much of the surrounding community. The building will be connected to the National Grid, and will both feed from and back-feed electricity to the grid. This CHP plant is planned to provide around 1.131MW of electricity and 1.199MW of hot water at high efficiency. This helps to reduce carbon emissions and contributes to the low-carbon footprint of the building. The CHP element should
provide many significant cost savings and the equipment will be located in one of the sub-basements of the new building. It will be housed in acoustic
be characterised by very low levels of emissions - an important factor in meeting the strict air quality require- ments in the capital. Four roof-mounted diesel gensets will provide backup power in case of any power outages. One of the primary goals of Kieran Timberlake’s design is to demonstrate exceptional ‘environmental leadership at
the edge of practice’ when the building is completed. The design team for the US Embassy established the following goals above and beyond the already stringent requirements established by the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations for the New London Embassy: • The site is carbon negative • The site has its own self- sufficient water system •Telemetry means there is always a clear optimisation of daylighting and occupant control of systems •The entire site aims to achieve a LEED Platinum (above the required Gold) •The site aims to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding (above the required Excellent) rating A spokesman told UKPN:
“Energy and environmental design issues have been balanced with the overall project goals of openness, diplomacy, key functionality, security and value. “Employing technologies
enclosures in order to negate the emission of sound from the engines. The engines are also said to
requirements; * Meeting the UK govern- ment’s plans that new non- domestic buildings should be zero-carbon by 2019. * The use of key energy reduction strategies and technologies to minimise power consumption. * Renewable energy technol- ogy must be employed to minimise the Embassy’s carbon footprint. The electric lighting strategy
for office spaces seeks to reduce expected lighting power densities by 45% below the ASHRAE 90.1 Guidelines, while maintaining OBO requirements for lighting levels at task and viewing areas. The integration of indirect
which use alternative energy sources and reduce peak energy demand and overall energy consumption clearly represents a commitment to sustainable design. “These strategies also
provide enhanced occupant comfort which has been shown to contribute to better functionality and productivity by improving employee satis- faction. The Embassy strategies
and task lighting and lighting of vertical surfaces opposite the Embassy’s windows is hoped to deliver a balanced lighting environment. Dual-technology occupancy sensors will be used in conjunction with photorespon- sive controls. The new Embassy building
will use energy-efficient lighting such as LEDs to maximise energy perfor- mance, while maintaining a high level of architectural integration and light glare reduction. Exterior and site lighting will minimise light pollution. ‘London daylight’ is said to
include: * Matching the Mayor of London‘s energy hierarchy, as outlined in The London Plan (via
.gov.uk); • Exceeding London Borough of Wandsworth key planning
be a key driver in the building design and will be used to minimize the need for electric lighting. The new Embassy façade
has been specially designed to maximise natural daylight, with a high percentage of transparency.
Embassy
10
SEPTEMBER‐OCTOBER 2017 UK POWER NEWS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
