Sustainable building services specialist, Greenways has designed a 25kW off-grid solar PV installation as part of an ultra-low carbon building services installation for niche vehicle manufacturer, Penso.
Penso’s 45,000 ft2 ‘P3’ facility, designed by Coventry based AJA Architects, follows the M&E design project completed by Greenways for Penso’s 39,000 ft2 ‘P2’ plant last year in a scheme worth £2.1M.
The ‘P3’ plant will be used to expand Penso’s Light Weight Structural Composite Capability and will be linked to their ‘P2’ facility where they convert the Mercedes Benz Vito for use as rear wheel steer London taxis.
Greenways designed the off-grid solar installation to work around local limitations on the grid infrastructure and the energy generated will provide the primary heat source for the heating and hot water across the new production facility’s admin area, with back up from an air to water heat pump installation. Any over capacity from the PV panels will be stored in the installation’s deep cycle lead acid batteries.
For the high bay environment of the production plant, Greenways has custom-designed a high velocity gas fired blown air central heating system, incorporating highly efficient jet flow diffusers with a two-stage output to circulate the warm air at production level where it is needed. This innovative heating system is combined with natural ventilation, with night time cooling and heat recovery.
Further energy efficiency measures have been incorporated into the electrical installation with high bay LED lighting throughout the production areas and energy efficient T5 task lighting in the office areas with individual PIR sensors for each fitting and dimming functionality linked to daylight sensors.
Comments Jevon Thurston-Thorpe, operations director from Penso: “Our aim with both of the new production facilities was to develop energy efficient buildings that would deliver our environmental commitment while managing our overheads and providing a comfortable workplace for our team.
“Greenways’ sustainability expertise and solutions driven approach has already helped us to achieve this for the P2 plant and the building services design the company has developed for P3 will ensure we continue to meet our eco goals.”
