UK’s first energy-positive office opens in Swansea

UK’s first energy-positive office opens in Swansea

The UK’s first energy-positive office, which generates more solar energy than it consumes, was officially opened at Swansea University on 21st June 2018. Buildings currently account for around 40% of UK energy consumption. This new building, known as the ‘Active Office’, points the way to a new generation of low-carbon offices which produce their own supply of clean energy.

 

The office will be opened by Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns. It was designed by SPECIFIC, a UK Innovation and Knowledge Centre led by Swansea University.

 

The Active Office combines a range of innovative technologies that will enable it to generate, store and release solar energy in one integrated system, including:

 

A curved roof with integrated solar cells – showing the flexible nature of the laminated photovoltaic panel;

  • A Photovoltaic Thermal system on the south facing wall – which is capable of generating both heat and electricity from the sun in one system
  • Lithium ion batteries to store the electricity generated and a 2,000 litre water tank to store solar heat.

The ‘buildings as power stations’ concept has already been shown to work. Right next to the Active Office is the Active Classroom, the UK’s first energy-positive classroom. Also built by SPECIFIC, this was recently named Project of the Year by the RICS Wales. In its first year of operation, the Active Classroom generated more than one and half times the energy it consumed.

 

The Active Office and Classroom will be linked together and able to share energy with each other and electric vehicles, demonstrating how the concept could be applied in an energy-resilient solar-powered community. They will provide functional teaching and office spaces, as well as building-scale development facilities for SPECIFIC and its industry partners.

 

Energy positive buildings could benefit the UK significantly. A 2017 analysis showed that it would mean:

  • Lower energy costs for the consumer
  • Less need for peak central power generating capacity and associated reduction in stress on the National Grid, leading to improved energy security
  • Reduced carbon emissions.

The Active Office has been designed to be easy to reproduce. It is quick to build, taking only one week to assemble, with much of the construction taking place off site. It also uses only technologies that are commercially available now, which means there is no reason why they could not be used on any new building.

 

 

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