News

Swindon to set the standard on Sustainable Energy

With the ever increasing concerns about the effects of climate change and the insecurity and rising costs of energy supply, it has never been more important to use energy efficiently and minimise carbon emissions. Now the development of new technologies has made the use of sustainable energy and sustainable construction methods increasingly commercially viable for developers to adopt.

The New Swindon Company (TNSC) has commissioned Energy for Sustainable Development (ESD), sustainable energy consultants, to produce a set of guidelines and recommendations for the use of renewable energy and options for improved energy efficiency on The Exchange.

Whilst much media attention has been given over to the use of renewable energy such as biomass heating and combined heat and power, the report highlights that improving energy efficiency is the most productive way achieving greater levels of sustainability.

Energy Efficiency

The Exchange, and the other regeneration projects, provides Swindon with the opportunity to become a national exemplar in developing high performance buildings that exceed the current Building Regulations. The energy efficiency target that TNSC are looking for is 21%, more than double the requirement for the Building Regulations. Some of the factors that contribute to the reduction are:

Positioning of the building, its design and the types of materials used
Efficient domestic hot water and heating such as underfloor heating, and passive cooling
Natural lighting and low energy lighting
Energy efficient appliances, household through to office equipment
Energy saving controls and building services such as 'smart' metering

To deliver a low CO2 development in Swindon is extremely appealing. There is a growing acceptance that inactivity is not acceptable in the face of climate change. A major development such as The Exchange offers a rare opportunity to deliver significant improvements in sustainability on a large scale and in a commercial arena. Peter James, Chief Executive of TNSC is keen to drive through these challenging but essential for the environment requirements, 'There is an awful lot talked about energy efficiency but not much action happening. By working closely with the preferred developers, we will strive to set Swindon up as an exemplar town for sustainable energy.'

Friday 20th October 2006