The Queen of England opened the world’s most eco-friendly building in Manchester today.
One Angel Square, home to the Co-operative Group’s new offices, is claimed to be the world’s most environmentally friendly building. It houses a CHP (combined heat and power) system that has an efficiency of over 95.16% tested by BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method). This puts the building on the top spot of the podium for eco-rating for a building, by the industry environmental assessment experts. The oil fired CHP unit is fueled from a plant oil that is grown on Co-operatives own land and the unit generates both heat and electricity for the whole building. The eco-friendly components by 3DReid (architects) and construction firm BAM include a rainwater harvesting and recycling system and 300,000 square feet of exposed concrete that acts as a thermal sponge. Passive solar heating has been maximised through the use of vast areas of glazing. Fresh air is supplied to the building through a network of underground pipes which act as earth-to-air heat exchangers, before passively ventilating the building.
The building delivers an 80% carbon reduction and a 50% reduction in energy consumption compared to the Co-operative’s current building complex.
3D Reads designs were tested against 2050 climate data, which meant that the building’s design will be even more efficient as temperatures rise due to global warming.
For more information on CHP and mCHP visit our information pages here.
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