The team developed this project from RIBA stage 1 with an outline brief in place but with no tenants secured at that point. This posed challenges for the project team as there was no definitive way of predicting the actual energy usage of the building. Furthermore, this brief was for a ‘commercially viable’ office building to achieve energy positive status (defining number of occupants per m² of office space aligned to a commercially lettable offer). Whilst other ‘energy positive’ prototypes had been developed elsewhere, the likely energy usage and therefore generation requirements of this building were far higher and posed several challenges in identifying appropriate and efficient means of generating sufficient energy. Further challenges included:
Developing an inviting architectural design to attract new tenants whilst fitting with the surrounding landscape
The need to provide a link from the excess energy generated back to the nearby ‘hydrogen centre’ – producing hydrogen to power local authority vehicles
Compliance with building insurer requirements including enhanced sprinkler provision and acceptability of building fabric
The project team held multiple workshops to discuss potential solutions to the challenge and included renewable energy experts across a range of specialties to offer advice.
Nothing was discounted and all options were explored. The team spent time analysing a recent pilot project undertaken by Swansea University which claimed to be the first energy positive office building in the UK incorporating a range of ‘new’ renewable technologies (BIPVCo photovoltaic wrap (thin film solar cells) and photovoltaic thermal tubes for electricity and heat generation).
Whilst all of these were considered, the team concluded that the scale and occupancy of the proposed technology centre deemed these unviable as the new technologies did not have the efficiency required to offset the building energy load. This led the team to investigate the highest performing market-leading renewable technologies and challenging ways that they could be adapted to meet the challenge.
Having developed an options appraisal, photovoltaic panels proved the most suitable technology, but the roof area was not sufficient to house the total requirement. However, following consultation with a specialist PV supply chain partner, we developed a feasible solution where the PV panels were integrated into the building façade design on both the South and West facades. This innovation required meticulous detailing to ensure that the panels fitted aesthetically with the building architecture and practically with the backing cladding sheets and services.
The innovation from our supply chain partners resulted in a building with 2 highly efficient ‘solar walls’ which visually blend into the building design and exports net electricity.
