Zero-energy-cost business park opens for business
Described as the UK’s first zero-energy cost business park, the £2.7 million Armstrong Point in Wigan features a range of renewable-energy technologies from Kingspan. Opening the development, Baroness Hanham, Undersecretary of State for Communities and Minister responsible for the European Regional Development Fund, described it as ‘exciting and innovative’.
All nine business units have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A+ and a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating.
Renewable-energy technologies installed by Eco Environments include 90 kW of solarPV, a 6 kW wind turbine, nine solar-thermal hot-water systems and nine heat pumps.
Tenants of the high-specification business units will not have to pay any energy costs, an estimated average saving of over £20/m2 on rents.
David Hunt, a director with Eco Environments, said, ‘We worked closely with Armstrong Properties and Kingspan to ensure not only that the scheme was able to make use of the very best renewable-energy technologies but also that it was delivered on time and to budget. We are confident that this will be the first of many similar projects across the UK as organisations increasingly put renewable energy and energy-efficiency initiatives at the centre of their business strategy.’
