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York Eco Depot Has A Solar Roof

Posted: 04/08/2006

York Council's EcoDepot development has begun installing photovoltaic panels on the roof of the building off Hazel Court. The panels already in situ represent the biggest solar PV system in York but they are only a third of the total number that will be on the site when development is completed. Due to open in the autumn, the EcoDepot's roof will be covered with the panels and should produce some 52 kilowatts of electricity.

They are one element of a range of environmentally-friendly features of the EcoDepot. Located at James Street, off Hull Road the depot will be highly energy and water efficient, operating with renewable energy and recycled water. At the centre of it all will be an office building made up of a timber frame and straw bale cladding.

The 'eco office' will be the biggest building of its type in Europe. The whole depot aims to be a national exemplar of sustainable construction, and its performance will be constantly monitored. It will be a national resource for learning and education on sustainable construction.

The straw bale walls of the new building will provide super insulation - three times better than building regulations demand! This will mean that the energy used for heating and cooling will be reduced by 76%. Currently, council vehicles are washed at the depot using tap water (ie. drinking water). This costs a total of £25,000 a year. With the new system, vehicles will be washed with rainwater, reducing water consumption by 50%.

The energy efficiency of the Eco Depot office will give savings of 155 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Environmentally friendly materials will save 1746 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

At present, the office space at Foss Islands Waste Depot is made up of a group of temporary buildings, which are poorly insulated and ventilated, a situation which results in excess energy being used for heating and cooling.

Work has already begun to create the new ecoDepot, with foundations being dug before Christmas 2005, and actual building work commencing in the New Year. The building is partly financed by a £600 000 grant from regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward. York Council's neighbourhood services team will occupy the environmentally-friendly office block.

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