Environmental Strategy
The College has put considerable effort into investigating the most effective and cutting-edge architectural and technological solutions. We hope that Kendrew Quadrangle will be an exemplar for building design and wise energy stewardship. Here are some of the measures we have taken to reduce energy needs and to be considerate to the environment.
- The insulation in Kendrew is twice as effective as standard requirements. This will prevent wasteful heat loss.
- The building has a high thermal mass thanks to its dense concrete structure, which means it shouldn’t get too hot in the summer. This reduces the need to use the cooling systems.
- We have installed two geothermal heat pumps 100 metres below ground level to harness natural energy. One will provide hot water for the underfloor heating, the other will provide chilled water for the air conditioning systems.
- Most of the electricity needed to run the geothermal pumps is supplied by photovoltaic cells on the roof, which receive photons from the Sun and convert them into electricity. These generate around 10% of the annual energy required, and around 80% of the power needed to operate the geothermal pumps.
- Our remaining heating needs will be met by burning, in a 150 kW biomass boiler, wood chips sourced from a sustainable wood. This is carbon neutral, because wise forest management means the trees we use will be replanted immediately.
- Sixty square metres of solar thermal panels on the roof will annually generate an estimated 30kW of heat for hot water. This is around 25% of the total need, and more than 50% of the demand in summer.
- The building is south-facing, to help reduce heating and lighting demands.
- The student bedrooms contain separable recycling bins, instilling good practices in our scholars.
