Vital Energi overcame challenging space restrictions to successfully install a Biomass and CHP Energy Centre at Grosvenor Waterside in the heart of Central London.
Grosvenor Waterside, a St James Homes mixed use development in the heart of central London has created a new quarter for Chelsea, comprising 620 contemporary residential units, with a gym, spa, juice bar and business centre, concierge and security services and underground parking.
With 25% of the apartments providing affordable housing, the development plays a key role in the regeneration of this important area of London. Built around a historic dock the development includes six individual, yet harmonious buildings; the result of collaboration between leading architects, artists and designers.
The original concept for the energy provision to the residents on this prestigious development was standard electric heating; however as the scope of the development grew to include additional homes, so did the requirement for more stringent energy efficiency targets and Vital Energi was brought in to revise the plans from scratch. Presented with the client’s own design, Vital Energi worked in conjunction with the clients architectural and structural design team, proposing amends where necessary to produce an energy efficient design and construction solution as part of this £3 million project to serve the apartments of the Grosvenor Waterside with heating and hot water on demand. A significant and unique feature of Vital Energi’s innovative design on this project is that it incorporates an unusual combination of energy efficient technologies involving biomass, CHP as well as gas.
Responsible for all elements relating to the design, supply, installation and commissioning of a new energy centre including the above and below ground heat distribution network, Vital Energi’s solution incorporates CHP plant providing on-site generation and distribution of electricity for sales back to the grid, a wood chip fuelled biomass system to provide renewable energy to a level of 10% of the energy demand across the project, together with fuels storage and fuel handling system. The installation also includes gas boilers, thermal store and associated equipment, as well as all pipework distribution and heat interface units, providing increased control over when and how much hot water can be used.
