Lakes by Yoo uses renewable energy with help of Rehau
Rehau’s Awadukt Thermo ground-to-air heat-exchanger system is an integral part of the renewable-energy solution developed by Greentec Systems for The Lakes by Yoo second-homes development near Lechlade in the Cotswolds. This development of 160 contemporary lakeside homes and hotel and leisure facilities was designed by The Raven Group in collaboration with Yoo Design Studio, founded by Phillippe Starck.
The first home to be equipped with the Greentec system harvests heat from the Sun and heat and coolth from the ground and lake water to achieve a low carbon footprint.
Air for the heat-recovery ventilation system is drawn in via a system of Thermo pipes laid 1.5 m below the foundation of the building, where the temperature is in the range 8 to 12°C. Four 18 m-long runs of 200 mm pipework have been installed in a Tichelmann layout with a 315 mm header pipe.
The inner surface of the pipe incorporates anti-microbial particles of silver. The polypropylene material used optimises energy transfer between the ground and air flowing through the pipe.
The Greentec system installed has a Danfoss heat pump at its heart to produce hot water, heating and cooling by circulating fluid through 800 m loops of Raugeo PE100 polymer pipework on the bed of the lake at a depth of 7 m.
Rehau pipework was also specified for the underfloor heating and plumbing systems.
Other design features include solar-thermal and photo-voltaic panels. Greentec estimates that each house will use 60 to 70% less energy than a conventional property with gas boiler and air conditioning. Under normal running conditions, there will be no local CO2 emissions.
