The triangular site comprises 7.5ha of farmland located in the metropolitan green belt. The boundary of the site is formed, to the south, by the M25 orbital motorway; to the west, by the mainline London to Glasgow railway; and, to the north-east, by a private road. The egg farm is set out on an axis, which, if extended northwards, aligns with the Ovaltine factory — the destination of all the eggs laid on the old farm. The layout of the various elements comprising the development is shown on the site plan. Its location adjacent to one of Europe’s busiest motorways brings sustainability in action closer to the millions of people using the road

The Energy Strategy

It is intended that all energy used at the Renewable Energy Centre be provided by renewable sources located on the site. The project demonstrates the integration of passive solar techniques with a range of inter-related renewable energy systems. The energy provision derives from:

• Optimising the use of natural ventilation, daylight, high insulation, low air infiltration, solar control, materials that derive from the minimum use of energy in their manufacture and transport (low embodied energy materials), recycled materials, the minimisation of resource depletion, low use of water, car sharing and the encouragement of the use of public transport.

• A hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) array providing both electricity and hot water installed as the roof to a biomass crop store, the heat of which is passed to:

• A seasonal heat store, comprising a 1100m2 body of water concealed beneath the ground, used to assist heating of the buildings in winter.

• A biomass crop (miscanthus or ‘elephant grass’) cultivated on the surrounding land, harvested annually, dried and stored in the earth-sheltered space beneath the PVT array.

• Future biomass plant which shreds the miscanthus and burns it to provide heating for the building (and, possibly, in a forthcoming adaptation, combined heat and power (CHP)).

• Ground water cooling pumped from an 80m deep bore hole to cool the buildings in summer (and then passed out of the building to irrigate the biomass crop).

• A 225kW wind turbine supplying, with the PVT installation, all the electrical power required by the building and a significant surplus fed into the National Grid.

Energy Strategy

225kW Wind urbine

Hybrid PVT Array

c. Crop Store

3V Invertors

‘Writ — I’t-d’ Srk

Biomass Crop (Miscanthus)

Renewable Energy Centre

Crop Shredder

Biomass Boilers &

Gas Fired Backup Boilers

Electocal Import’Export Meters

k. 80m Deep Borehole in Chalk Aquifer

2No. Air Handling Installations

m. Fresh Air

Exhaust Air

r on: on

SHAPE * MERGEFORMAT

DRAIN BACK

TANK

HEAT STORE

FRESH

BUILDING

EXHAUST AIR

COMBINED PV ♦ SOLAR

THERMAL ARRAY

AIR

PVT/ Heat Store / Space Heating