WWF-UK has connected its new HQ building (‘The Living Plant Centre’) to ThamesWey’s low carbon energy supply in Woking town centre. Continue reading
Category: Sustainability
Action Surrey Takes Action in Climate Week 3- 9 March 2014
With the recent flooding effecting hundreds of homes across Surrey, even more so than ever, the issue of climate change is at the forefront of our minds. And with Climate Week just around the corner, there hasn’t been a more appropriate time for us to look at what we as individuals, and as an organisation can do to reduce the effects that climate change is having on our planet. Continue reading
Green Deal cash-back boost. Claim yours now!
The government has announced more cash-back for residents who install energy efficiency improvements under the Green Deal scheme, with up to £4,000 being available for solid wall insulation. Continue reading
Surrey Green Homes Needs You!
Surrey Green Homes weekend 17th – 18th May 2014
Action Surrey is looking for homeowners to take part in the Surrey Green Homes weekend 17 – 18 May. We are looking for inspiring homeowners across Surrey who are willing to open their doors to the public, to share their knowledge and experience about making their own homes more energy efficient. Continue reading
Local Woking Resident Saves cash thanks to Action Surrey during Big Energy Saving Week – 27 to 31 January 2014
Action Surrey has helped a local Woking resident to save hundreds of pounds on his future energy bills, by assisting him to insulate his solid wall property in time for Energy Saving Week. Continue reading
Landmark sustainable building supplied by ThamesWey
WWF-UK ‘The Living Plant Centre’
The world’s leading conservation organisation, WWF-UK has connected its new UK HQ building (‘The Living Plant Centre’) to ThamesWey’s low carbon energy supply in Woking town centre.
Designed by internationally renowned architects Hopkins, The Living Planet Centre aims to be an exemplar of sustainable design and construction. It includes features to reduce energy and water use and is powered via its connection to ThamesWey’s Woking town centre energy station. The building was opened by Sir David Attenborough in November 2013 and accommodates over 300 staff as well as a visitor and education centre.
Using CHP alongside PV
ThamesWey’s 1.4 MWe Combined Heating and Power plant (CHP) supplies ‘The Living Plant Centre’ and the public car park over which it has been constructed with low-carbon electricity via our private wire 11 kV electricity network. The power supplied is also used to generate heating and cooling from the on-site Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP).
The building also receives some of its power from the 410 solar panels on the roof, with any surplus electricity generated that is not used on-site being fed back to ThamesWey’s private wire network for distribution to ThamesWey’s other customers.
Achieving BREEAM ‘Outstanding’
In addition to its work on wildlife conservation, WWF champions all aspects of sustainable development and so set the very highest standards for its headquarters. The building was designed and constructed to be one of the ’greenest’ in the UK, and by connecting to ThamesWey’s low carbon energy network it has helped the building achieve the highest BREEAM rating of ‘Outstanding’. Only 24 buildings worldwide have reached this standard in the six years prior to 2013.
Eco-friendly Homes – Brookwood Farm
Brookwood Farm was the development of 12 eco-friendly family homes in Knaphill, Woking. Comprising of 10 semi-detached houses and 2 detached houses, they incorporate the very latest methods of construction but offer a traditional appearance with natural slate roofs, rustic brick dentil course and arches to blend with the existing street scene.
The development was commissioned by ThamesWey Housing Ltd, a subsidiary of ThamesWey Ltd. Local construction company, William Lacey Sustainable Homes, was awarded the design and build contract to achieve a high quality, low carbon development of family homes.
The development was one of the first in the country to achieve at least a Level 5 rating from the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), which measures the sustainability of a home against specific design categories, and provides a mark of quality and assurance for homebuyers.
The 10 semi-detached homes on the development were made available on shared ownership basis, whilst the 2 detached five-bedroom homes were placed on the open market for sale.
The new homes are conventional in appearance and layout, whilst featuring innovative energy efficient measures and renewable energy technologies, including:
- Extremely high levels of insulation built into the whole building fabric
- Photovoltaic (PV) solar slates positioned on the roof, which seamlessly integrate into the roof finish, generating electrical energy from the sun
- A high performance gas condensing boiler provides under floor heating and hot water
- Triple-glazed windows and doors
- Built-in rainwater harvesting feeding the toilets and washing machines
- Heat recovery ventilation system
The Brookwood Farm development has played a lead role as a case study of new low carbon development.
The government’s industry task force, Zero Carbon Hub, has show-cased the scheme and the University of Surrey has carried out research on post-occupying performance at Brookwood Farm.