CA Group Limited has announced that it has successfully installed its SolarWall transpired solar collector (TSC) technology at the new Royal Mail Parcelforce distribution center in Chorley, Lancashire.
The 495m2 SolarWall is the third consecutive TSC to be installed for Royal Mail as part of its corporate and social responsibility commitment, which requires that the business integrate sustainable design, where possible, to enable it to reduce its carbon footprint.
The technology, which uses solar radiation to deliver naturally warmed fresh air into buildings, has the highest known efficiency of any active solar technology in the world, generating up to 500 Watts of thermal energy per square metre of collector. It is estimated that the new installation will save the Royal Mail somewhere in the region of 145,508 kWh and 28.81 tonnes of CO2 per annum.
Project development engineer, Andrew Brewster, is responsible for the sustainable and environmental delivery of projects for CA Group. He explained: “SolarWall was selected by the Royal Mail as part of its in-depth sustainability review, back in 2010. Since then, the technology has delivered proven results at the company’s distribution centers in Swan Valley, Northampton and Strood in Kent.”
“SolarWall, in conjunction with CA Building products’ Twin-Therm roof and wall cladding system, helped the Swan Valley distribution hub to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ accreditation and an energy performance certificate (EPC) ‘A’ rating. Consequently SolarWall has been incorporated into the company’s base building specification which means that the technology is automatically considered as part of the sustainability requirement of each new project which the Royal Mail undertakes –an incredible endorsement of SolarWall’s reliability and something we are very proud of at CA Group.”
SolarWall has ben used for more than 30 years globally and since 2006 in the UK. During that time the technology has been installed on more than 10,000 buildings in over 35 countries. CA Group provides most of the SolarWall used throughout Europe.
CA Group worked together with main contractor Miller Construction on the project.