Swalec Smart Energy Centre
Energy case study, Colorcoat Prisma®, Colorcoat Renew SC®
Client: SSE
Architect: Glanville Consultants Ltd
Principal Contractor: Interserve
Mechanical and Electrical Contractor: Southern Electric Contracting
Mechanical and Electrical Design Consultants: Vector Design Ltd
Installation Contractor: Massey Cladding
Year: 2013
Tata Steel Products: Colorcoat Renew SC® active solar air heating system manufactured from Colorcoat Prisma® pre-finished steel in Anthracite supplied in a micro-perforated C32 profile.
Major energy provider SSE was looking to refurbish an existing two-storey building into an education and training centre for its specialist SSE installation and advisory teams with focus on the fast-changing energy market.
The Swalec Smart Energy Centre in Treforest, South Wales provides a state-of-the-art training centre. It was designed to incorporate and showcase innovative, energy-saving systems.
The challenge
The new centre involved complete refurbishment of an existing two-storey steel-framed building. Energy-saving systems which would fit within the existing building footprint were considered particularly advantageous. The refurbishment needed to include as many energy-saving methodologies and devices as possible and it was important that the energy-saving systems used were innovative and showcased the latest technology, including renewable energy systems that would fit within the existing footprint.
SSE was introduced to Tata Steel’s Colorcoat Renew SC® active solar air heating system. The construction team, including SSE, mechanical and electrical design consultants Vector Design, architects Glanville Consultants quickly recognised the potential benefits of incorporating the solar collector system into the Swalec Smart Energy Centre and the valuable contributions its energy-saving potential would make to the installation.
The solution
Colorcoat Renew SC® is an active solar air heating system that uses the sun to generate fresh, heated air. A highly efficient renewable energy system, it is predicted to deliver 71MWh per year through solar radiation. The solar collector was manufactured from 140m2 of Colorcoat Prisma® pre-finished steel in Anthracite and supplied in a micro-perforated C32 profile from Tata Steel. The panels were installed vertically as an additional skin onto the centre’s south west facing elevation.
The Colorcoat Renew SC® system at Swalec Smart Energy Centre is operating as a pre-heat installation in conjunction with a conventional gas burned and ventilation system to improve the performance and efficiency of the established equipment and technology.