"Probably the world's most carbon efficient fire station"
This ambitious project is probably the world's most carbon efficient fire station. With 24kW of thermally biased PV-T (Photovoltaic-Thermal) panels, deployed and tied into 16 x 90 metre boreholes and 2 x 25kW heat pumps, this project takes the concept of the solar ground charging to a whole new level.
The array of boreholes has been designed to dump up to 100kW of thermal energy from the PV-T panels, meaning that when the building is up to temperature the PV-T can be sufficiently cooled to maximise on the electrical generation. All of the thermal energy being fed into the ground ensures that winter time operation of the heat pumps is at the highest possible COP.
The fire station also boasts a green roof, which provides an element of insulation but also helps with water attenuation in the urban environment that the building is located.
The build is cooled using a chilled beam cooling system, excess heat extracted from the building is then dumped into the ground array, meaning there is no air-conditioning requirement through the building.
Successful design and delivery of the project was achieved through various members of the Carbon Free Group in partnership with URL (Formally Scott Wilson).
