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Greenwatt Way had an ambition to set the standards for Zero Carbon homes and needed an innovative combination of biomass engine, district heating and smart metering solution to help them achieve their goal.
Greenwatt Way in Chalvey, Slough, is setting the benchmark for zero carbon homes in the future by showing how four different renewable technologies – biomass, solar thermal panels, an air source heat pump and a ground source heat pump, can be implemented in an urban community. Vital Energi was chosen by SSE to play a pivotal role in the revolutionary project by designing, supplying and installing the community’s innovative energy centre, a biomass engine, a district heating scheme, heat interface units and a smart metering system.
The renewable technologies are significantly reducing the development’s CO2 levels, allowing it to achieve Level 6 in the Code for Sustainable Homes and helping SSE to meet its vision of being a ‘leading sustainable global utility’ by 2016. The pioneering eco community has already been recognised by the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) with the prestigious Innovation Award.
At the heart of the development’s success is the unique Vital Energi energy centre which features a zero carbon 350kW wood pellet biomass boiler, with the three remaining forms of micro-generation situated externally to the energy centre. Vital Energi also installed a building management system (BMS) which all the micro-generation technologies on the development feed into. This is the first time these four different renewable technologies have been included on the same urban community, meaning that their effectiveness can be compared against each other. Studies have already shown that Vital Energi’s biomass boiler well exceeds the Dwelling Emission Rates (DER) required for a zero carbon community. In fact, when the biomass boiler is used independently to heat Greenwatt Way the DER emissions on a one bedroom flat are more than three times lower than the minimum requirement of Level 6 in the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The low carbon heating and hot water that is generated by the micro-generators is supplied to the community through Vital Energi’s innovative district heating system which uses pre-insulated pipes. The system also features the ‘Band Muff’ fusion welded joint system which is exclusive to Vital Energi in the UK. The ‘Band Muff’ increases the pipes’ design life from 30 to 50 years and significantly reduces the pipes’ heat loss. Hot water and heating is available on demand to residents via the Vital Aqua Varm HIU’s which are installed in each property. To ensure that there is enough heat and water for peak times and that excess heat is not created during off peak periods Vital Energi installed a Building Management System (BMS) into the energy centre. The BMS controls all of the renewable technologies within the plant room to ensure energy efficiency.
Carbon emissions are also lowered by the enhanced insulation, triple glazed windows, grey water recycling and latest energy efficient appliances that are installed on each property in Greenwatt Way, helping them to achieve Level 6 in the Code for Sustainable Homes. The properties range from two and three bedroom family houses to one bedroom flats, with some properties built from masonry block and others from timber frame to reflect the different construction methods that are used in the UK’s urban developments, giving a vision of tomorrow’s green communities.
Project now complies with Level 6 of the Code For Sustainable Homes
Biomass Boiler meets Zero Carbon Dwelling standards
Winner of the Combined Heat and Power Association Innovation Award