CA GROUP TO INSTALL WORLD’S LARGEST SOLARWALL®

Leading metal roofing and cladding system manufacturer and installer, CA Group, has been awarded the contract to supply and install the latest 80,000m² distribution centre for a high street retail giant, in Castle Donnington. The development will incorporate the world’s largest Transpired Solar Collector, or SolarWall^®, installation on a single building. SolarWall^® is widely recognised as one of the most efficient and cost effective renewable systems available. 

The Transpired Solar Collector technology uses solar radiation to deliver naturally warmed fresh air into buildings and 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.

Andrew Brewster leads the Renewables Design Team at CA Group, he explained: “We have seen a significant uptake in solar air heating mainly because of the very tangible results which the technology delivers. For example, CA Group’s successful installation of SolarWall^® at the Jaguar Land Rover technical training academy, in Leamington Spa, will result in savings of more than 80,000kWh in energy per year, which equates to 19 tons of CO₂. The figures speak for themselves.”

As a direct result of the work undertaken by CA Group, SolarWall^® is now recognised on the iSBEM calculator.

The 4,500m² installation at the Castle Donnington distribution centre, being delivered for First Industrial development, will result in a 30% saving in heating requirement for the warehouse. The main contractor for the development is Winvic Construction.

Brewster concluded: “We are excited to be embarking on this very significant project. SolarWall^® truly is an excellent example of the very latest in renewable solutions which really deliver. This installation, for such a trusted and respected brand which is committed to reducing its emissions, represents a real milestone - not just for the technology but also for CA Group.” 

Alongside the SolarWall^® installation, the East Midlands project will feature CA Group’s Twin-Therm built up roof and wall system which is CarbonNeutral^® with the Confidex Sustain^® Guarantee available from Tata Steel.

CA Group will work solely with Tata Steel on the project to provide a number of elements including Colorcoat^® high reflective liner, a unique liner coating which works by reflecting more light into the building than standard liner, thereby increasing interior brightness levels during daylight hours and reducing the electric lighting load. In addition, the warehouse will feature Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra^® and Colorcoat Prisma^® pre-finished steel  on the exterior of the building. Exclusively manufactured by Tata Steel, both products have the unique Galvalloy^® metallic coating optimised to provide maximum corrosion resistance and cut edge protection,  and are guaranteed for up to 40 years.

One of the many solutions provided by CA Group is the ability to deliver a net financial benefit on scrap values when the building is decommissioned. The insulation used by CA Group does not have or retain any CFCs, HCFCs or VOCs, a factor which eliminates costly decommissioning of the building envelope at the end of its useful life.

As a result, clients and building owners, such as pension funds, not only gain from the knowledge that they are not contributing from an emissions perspective, but they also stand to make a small return when the building reaches end-of-life status and the considerable disposal costs are avoided.