Guildford’s policy requires that new developments achieve a 20% reduction in carbon emissions compared to standards set out in government building regulations. It also requires that at least 10% of this reduction be achieved through the use of on-site low or zero-carbon technologies.
Tiger’s proposals for Guildford Plaza will exceed both of these standards and requirements through a holistic sustainable design approach, adopting measures like using energy-efficient fabric and construction materials to minimise initial energy requirements.
The buildings’ heating and hot water energy will also be provided efficiently via Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), which are a low-carbon heating system that uses free ambient heat within the air and complements the buildings’ operations and control requirements. ASHPs use electrical energy to capture heat from the outside air, creating heat for buildings’ systems at a co-efficient of performance and then distributing it through the building.
The scheme has also been designed to maximise natural daylight and will use automatic controls to ensure artificial lighting is not used when it is not needed.