Exemplar green project
April 1st 2010 G.Park Blue Planet shows just how far developers can go to grab green credentials, with outstanding results achieved in energy efficiency and considerate design
The first warehouse in the world to be rated BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘Outstanding’ is the £50 million G.Park Blue Planet scheme at Chatterley Valley, Staffordshire.
Built by Gazeley, it includes a host of innovations that contribute to the property being potentially carbon positive. That means that not only will all the energy needed onsite be generated there, the facility is also set up to export electricity to the grid. The developer estimates these green credentials will save at least £300,000 per year for the warehouse owner or occupier. The building still lies empty after being completed at the end of 2008 but there is no denying the technical excellence of the development.
This was achieved through a number of means including maximising efficiency with an air tight build and thermal insulation. In addition, kinetic plates capture energy every time a vehicle enters or leaves the site while use of natural light is maximised and underfloor heating deployed. The building also has incorporated solar cell technology implanted into rooflights which eliminate night time light pollution. The majority of materials used in the building are either A or A+ rated in BRE Globals’ Green Guide to Specification and the development targets zero waste sent to landfill.
G.Park Blue Planet regional development manager Nigel Dolan says: “The rooflights are designed to cut down on light pollution. There is a big residential estate looking down into Chatterley valley and we recognise as a responsible developer that we have to live with our neighbours. They don’t want to see a big lightbox every night.
“There will also be an onsite biomass plant used to generate electricity, which will deliver energy straight to the building at a cheaper rate than you would get from the grid,” adds Dolan. A third party will implement this for Gazelely with planning permission pending, and locally sourced waste wood used to power the plant.
“At first we were going to go down the rapeseed biofuel route, but the climate turned on that. The plant will be able to generate excess electricity. The development as a whole is carbon positive with heat a byproduct of the plant. This is used to power a boiler that feeds underfloor heating throughout the facility.
“We are proud of the development’s environmental credentials but these were not achieved at the expense of the building’s functionality. It has the right yard depth, right height to haunch, and right floor loading, for example, to be used properly,” says Dolan.
Gazeley concedes the downturn has affected the development but sees a bright future for warehouse facilities with advanced environmental credentials.
Dolan concludes: “I will be amazed if it is not let out or sold this year. Ideally we will let it to a single tenant but we could consider splitting the facility.We are quoting £4.95 per sq ft, which is comparable with similarly-sized buildings in the area.
“There has been a lack of speculative development in the market due to the recession but we believe there will be plenty of demand for sustainable space. The issue will then become supply as there will be a lag of 12-18 months from construction starting and facilities becoming available.” More articles from Handling & Storage Solutions: | 
