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Balfour Beatty, working with Populous, Buro Happold and the London Legacy Development Corporation, have repurposed the iconic London 2012 Olympic stadium, originally built to host London’s 2012 games. Their latest video (see below) talks us through the redesign, highlighting how they are championing sustainable practices throughout the project.

According to the video, the stadium, which is now home to West Ham United FC, will have a capacity of 54,000 people for football matches and 80,000 for athletics events and music concerts.

Sustainability and skills building

Sustainability has been at the very heart of the redesign. So far the work undertaken has included the reuse of 19,000 tonnes of recycled demolition materials, 6,000 m of cable, 3,800 lights and 1,000 mechanical and electrical components. This will undoubtedly help send a message out to the refurb and retrofit industry of what can be done to try and push the industry towards reducing the volume of waste to landfill. (According to a report by the Wates Group, the UK construction industry sends 36 million tons of waste to landfill sites each year.)

The regeneration project has also been doing its bit to tackle the skills shortage, with Balfour Beatty creating 50 local apprenticeships and over 300 training opportunities across the site.

Continuing a legacy

Stephen Tarr, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Major Projects business said, “From the very beginning we were focused on continuing the legacy of this historic venue, transforming it from its original use of a single-purpose venue to a multi-functional world class venue providing numerous opportunities and uses for generations to come.

“We have utilised some of the most complex engineering techniques on this project, capitalising on our in-house capabilities and expertise to ensure the project was delivered safely to a high specification whilst boosting the local economy through employment opportunities; it’s a project we are all immensely proud of.”

Watch the video below:

A remote water management tool operated via a smartphone app.

Groundbreaker Systems is delighted to announce that the company can now offer the NEW E-valve by French manufacturing giant Sainte Lizaigne.

This fully remote controllable system is ideal for water network management, opening possibilities for off peak water supply, and sale of water to remote locations by time or volume.

With scheduled maintenance and access to historical data the E- valve can add to BREEAM scores by water management.

Operated via smart phone app connected to the valve via Bluetooth low energy, the benefits for water operators and consumers are far reaching.

Remote billing facilities are invaluable to avoid waste of water resources such as after-hours management of water to “non domestic” properties such as office blocks, schools, supermarkets, Holiday Parks or remote locations, and where action can be taken remotely without incurring travel time and costs. Ideal for high value locations with poor access, examples of which are airports or shopping malls. The E-valve also enables the sale of water by volume via credit card or account payments.

The E –valve facilitates efficient use of resources with no fuss to the consumer, is easy to install on existing or new water services; in addition the E-valve is alarmed for unspecified use, leakage identification and damage limitation.

E-valve is available in the UK exclusively though Groundbreaker Systems.

Please call 01379 741993, email sales@groundbreaker.co.uk or visit www.groundbreaker.co.uk for more information.

An ambitious new project designed to dramatically cut the amount of clean rainwater becoming contaminated in London’s sewers is set to be launched this summer across the Nine Elms on the South Bank regeneration area.

Rainwater landing on an area the size of 20 football pitches will be channelled back into the Thames to stop it entering the capital’s overstretched sewers where it would mix with raw sewage.

This will reduce flood risks and save the huge amount of energy and cost involved in treating rainwater after it combines with waste from sinks, toilets and washing machines.

The £14m project will be the biggest sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) in the UK and has been developed through an innovative partnership between Thames Water and the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership, which includes Wandsworth Council, Lambeth Council, the GLA and local developers including Ballymore.

New developments in Nine Elms have pioneered design features in new buildings and landscaping that capture rainwater, and increase evaporation before directing flows to a surface water network.

The rainwater will then drain into large underground pipes buried beneath the new Nine Elms Park, which will be a new green channel through the area from Vauxhall to Battersea Power Station.

After heavy rainfall the water will be gradually pumped from this underground reservoir into the Thames via an upgraded pumping station in Ponton Road.

Thames Water sustainability director Richard Aylard said: “By keeping the rain out of our combined sewers we are reducing the risk of flooding, pollution and pressure on our sewers, this will become especially important in the long term as London’s population continues to grow rapidly and the climate changes. It is about putting surface water back where it belongs – in the river. Development and regeneration across London is a major opportunity to do something different with surface water – to take it out of sewers, create additional capacity for new homes and businesses and allow areas like Nine Elms on the South Bank to thrive. Initiatives like this will also help to prolong the life of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.”

Leader of Wandsworth Council and co-chair of the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership, Ravi Govindia, said: “This is the city’s most ambitious sustainable drainage network and a real step forward for London’s green infrastructure. The project is another major achievement for our regeneration partnership as it transforms this old industrial part of the South Bank into a modern city centre business hub and cultural quarter.

“In Nine Elms we are creating up to 4,000 affordable homes, two new Tube stations and 25,000 new jobs. In the months ahead we will see the opening of the new US Embassy, a new Riverbus pier and the launch of the new ‘village hall’, shops, restaurants, bars and public spaces on the Battersea Power Station site. There is much to look forward to.”

Tristan Stout, Senior Development Manager at Ballymore, which has been heavily involved in developing the project, said: “We have ensured that Embassy Gardens integrates effective water management throughout through green roofs and rainwater gardens in the new streets of Embassy Gardens and through the landscape design of Nine Elms Park. Collaboration with Thames Water has enabled these features to be integrated into a strategic surface water network, which does not just reduce the flow, but removes it entirely from the existing network. This collaborative approach is one we hope will be replicated throughout London to make the city more resilient to the future climate change challenges.”

The unique drainage network will interact with a variety of eco-friendly rainwater design features included in new developments across Nine Elms. These include green roofs, swales – ditches containing vegetation used to remove pollutants – and streets with rainwater gardens which allow water to evaporate into the atmosphere, irrigate plants and generally reduce the volume of rainwater flowing back into the river.

Other cabling for amenities to serve the area’s new businesses and homes will be laid above the new drainage system at the same time, reducing future disruption to the road network.

Rinnai’s range of condensing hot water heater units using LPG are more economic to run than other sources such as oil or electric counterparts and they deliver lower carbon emission figures, greater energy efficiencies – this makes them the first choice for off-grid installations.

For installers, helping an off-grid user select an energy efficient water heater is critical — and a condensing continuous flow water heater using LPG is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly options available. By choosing a continuous flow water heater, an end user can reduce energy costs by up to 50% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 61% (compared to electric equivalents). When compared with oil-fired systems this saving is even greater.

Tests show that a Rinnai Infinity condensing water heater has 107% efficiency and is low NOX compared with an oil boiler that emits approximately 364 mg/kwh NOX. That means a Rinnai condensing water heater emits approximately 10% of the NOX that an oil boiler emits, a 90% reduction. Therefore, combining a gas boiler and a Rinnai water heater will radically reduce NOX.

The EU is recommending that the maximum NOX level be reduced to just 56mg/kWh by 2018. Rinnai water heaters are already compliant with this proposed standard. This forms part of the new rules under the Eco-design of Energy-using Products Directive (ErP).

If we now compare the production of CO₂ between gas and electricity we find that for every GJ (277.78kW) of energy used gas will produce 44.44kg compared to 103kg with electric. We can see that for the same energy used electricity will produce twice the amount of one of the major greenhouse gases.

Then if we look at the emission per kW from thermal generation of electricity we find that electricity will produce 0.5kg of CO₂ compared to 0.16kg for the same kW generated with LPG, NOX production works out at 258kg per KW as compared to only 0.184kg.

The efficiency of this type of electrical generation is as low as 40%. So if we now compare the use of electricity to LPG to heat hot water we find that electricity is 40% efficient in comparison to a Rinnai water heater which returns 107% efficiency.

Electricity is not the ‘green’ fuel that its marketing portrays it to be. It has potential to produce more CO₂ and NOX and can be very costly.

A Rinnai LPG continuous flow water heater is an ‘on-demand’ system. When a hot-water tap is opened, the unit reads the demand and starts the heating process. The water flows through a heat exchanger, where it heats to the desired temperature using only as much gas as is needed. When the tap is turned off, the heater automatically shuts off.

For more details on RINNAI products visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

Evinox Energy recently worked with Higgins Construction & Circle Housing on a development in the creative heart of Walthamstow. Banbury Park is mixed-use scheme comprising of private and shared ownership homes, with landscaped community spaces, shops, offices, a community centre and public square that will help lead the regeneration of the area.

The site was a former warehouse, industrial works and electronics factory located in Waltham Forest. Evinox engineers completed a full design of the primary network for the district heating and hot water system for a complex of 6 different types of building.

The apartments are connected to the district heat network and each includes an Evinox ModuSat® FS storage HIU to provide heating and hot water. The integrated hot water storage within the ModuSat® enables the central plant to be reduced due to the increased thermal storage facility in each dwelling.

Residents at Banbury Park benefit from the Evinox PaySmart® pre-payment system, which is inbuilt in every ModuSat® Heat interface unit. The Evinox range of ModuSat® heat interface units, is the only solution available that features fully integrated pre-pay ready billing technology.

This system enables residents to be in control of their own energy bills by paying in advance and therefore removing any burden of building up unpaid bills or debt. Residents can purchase their energy online using our Residents Website 24hrs a day, at a local Payzone outlet, by monthly Direct Debit or Standing Order, using our Web App on a smart phone or tablet any time or over the telephone.

Energy Centre

Together with our CHP partners HELEC, a complete pre-fabricated skid plant room solution has been provided to supply the district heat network. This comprises of 1794kW ADI CD boilers, 109kWth CHP unit with 5000 L thermal storage and Matic-Pro combined pressurisation, expansion and deaeration unit.

Evinox Energy specialise in Communal and District heating solutions. Contact us today on 01372 722277 or visit www.evinoxenergy.co.uk for further information.

Sir David Attenborough officially opened the new conservation campus named for him… by abseiling down the living wall in the atrium.

Sir David Attenborough said “By bringing together leaders in research, practice, policy and teaching, we stand the greatest chance of developing the solutions required to save our planet. I am enormously proud that these collaborations are occurring in a building bearing my name.”

The building is the new home of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, a strategic collaboration between the University of Cambridge and nine biodiversity conservation organisations. The radical remodelling and refurbishment, designed by Nicholas Hare Architects, is a working exploration of how to promote biodiversity and create new habitats in the midst of a busy city.

Martin Weissburg, president of Volvo Construction Equipment, discusses the industry’s obligation to address environmental issues during Volvo’s Construction Climate Challenge seminar at bauma 2016.

Weissburg notes that the industry as a whole currently contributes 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions, requiring all participants to be part of the solution in reducing the carbon footprint created in meeting the needs of growing global economy.

Watch the video below:

The Blavatnik School of Government is one of the youngest and most vibrant departments of the University of Oxford. Founded in 2010, thanks to a £75 million donation by American philanthropist Leonard Blavatnik, the aim of the school is to improve the quality of government and public policy-making worldwide.

Their new multi million pound building designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron and built by Laing O’Rourke features two horseshoe-shaped lecture theatres providing seating for 120 and 80 students.

There are also large flexible teaching spaces that can be used for lectures and conferences. The stunning open forum, around which teaching spaces are located, ensures natural light reaches into lecture theatres.

The entire construction of the building has been designed to meet the highest standards of environmental sustainability.

For the washroom facilities, 30 Kemmlit Classic Cell floor to ceiling cubicles in black with stainless steel fittings and full height duct panels, were specified.

The Classic Cell cubicle system with its straight profiled lines is a timeless design classic and features 42mm thick smooth surfaced welted doors and sound reducing floor to ceiling dividing partitions.

The Classic Cell’s concealed edges and recessed leg supports produce an elegant yet functional design that creates the unique impression that the cubicles are ‘floating’ above the floor without support.

Its robust construction makes it the ideal choice for all types of washroom applications.

The Classic Cell is available in a range of colours and finishes and is part of an extensive range of high performance cubicle and locker systems from Kemmlit who also offer a design, project management and installation service.

For more information please click www.kemmlituk.com.

DONG Energy confirms a positive Final Investment Decision for Hornsea One offshore wind farm off the coast of Grimsby in Northern England.

This morning, Wednesday 3 February, the board of directors at DONG Energy confirmed a positive Final Investment Decision for Hornsea One offshore wind farm off the coast of Grimsby in Northern England, meaning that construction can now go ahead.

Located 75 miles off the Yorkshire coast and capable of powering over one million UK homes with a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts, Hornsea One will be – by a considerable margin – the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

The project has the potential to create around 2,000 jobs during its construction, with up to 300 additional jobs supported throughout its 20-25 year operational phase. A new Siemens blade factory in Hull, due to be built by the end of this year, will support the project, boosting a Northern and UK wide supply chain.

Hornsea One is expected to be fully operational in 2020.

Energy Secretary Amber Rudd said “Thanks to Government support the UK is the world leader in offshore wind energy and this success story is going from strength to strength. Dong Energy’s investment shows that we are open for business and is a vote of confidence in the UK and in our plan to tackle the legacy of under-investment and build an energy infrastructure fit for the 21st century.”

“This project means secure, clean energy for the country, jobs and financial security for working people and their families, and more skills and growth boosting the Northern Powerhouse.”

Evinox Energy will be exhibiting in the District Energy Pavilion at Ecobuild, taking place from the 8th to the 10th March at the ExCeL London. Ecobuild is the leading exhibition and conference for the UK construction and energy market, attracting over 40,000 industry professionals from across the entire supply chain. This year’s event is set to be bigger and better than ever, focusing on market priorities such as housing, infrastructure, technology and innovation.

The District Energy Pavilion will provide visitors with the opportunity to meet with a selection of suppliers and industry experts all in one area, and includes a comprehensive, informative seminar programme, featuring the latest information about efficient heat networks.

We specialise in communal & district heating systems, and manufacture our own range of modern heat interface units (HIU’s), designed with efficiency and end user comfort in mind. We will also be presenting a seminar in the District Energy Pavilion at the exhibition, where we will be discussing efficient heat network design and management.

Visit us on stand E4280 to find out more about our metering & billing solutions for communal & district systems, and smart control technology. Our systems combine effective HIU control with excellent after-sales end-user support and flexible metering and billing services, ensuring the building owner has a hassle-free, efficient development and residents enjoy a comfortable and relaxed place to live.

We look forward to welcoming you at the event. You can register now to attend the exhibition for free by visiting www.ecobuild.co.uk.