ANGUS YOUNG

PUPILS have teamed up with one of Hull’s greenest firms to design a rooftop science garden at their school. The science pupils from Winifred Holtby School are planning to incorporate energy-saving ideas into their Bransholme school to reduce their carbon footprint.

BRIGHT FUTURE: Pupils from Winifred Holtby school visited InterTech's eco-friendly office complex at Priory Park. Picture: Simon Renilson.

As part of the project, the pupils visited design firm InterTech’s commercial showroom in Priory Park. The recently opened showroom is one of Hull’s greenest buildings. It is powered by two wind turbine and solar panels and has a specially designed system to recycle rainwater for use around the building. The three-storey complex also features an array of low-energy lighting designed to show firms and organisations how to cut their energy bills.

The pupils are working with InterTech director Andrew Fenton on their own designs for a new science rooftop garden at the school in Midmere Avenue.

Science teacher Dan Howard said: “It’s important pupils learn from great practical examples like this.

“Hopefully, some of them will go on to be the engineers of the future and the technology here is the way forward in terms of sustainability.

“The great thing is that, by having something like this in Hull, they can really relate to it.

“Seeing practical examples of energy-efficient designs in action on their doorstep will hopefully inspire them to come up with their own design solution for the science garden.”

The garden, which sits above the school’s science block, will feature low-energy lighting and pupils are also hoping to install a small wind turbine as part of their scheme. The rooftop garden project has already attracted a £2,000 grant from the Specialist Schools And Academies Trust.

Mr Howard said: “The rooftop garden will become a valuable resource for the school.

“We are looking at running astronomy courses at the school and the garden will be the perfect place for that.

“The key for us is to make it as efficient as possible from an energy point of view.”

Mr Fenton said he was impressed with the pupils’ attitude and enthusiasm.

He said: “With the facility we have got here, we want to show as many people as possible what opportunities are out there for changing the way we go about designing and running buildings.

“I have been really impressed with the pupils and their ideas for their school. They appreciate what the thinking is behind sustainable energy use.

“As the next generation, they are going to be living in a very different world, from an energy point of view, and it’s good to see them grasping some of the ideas we have put into practice here.”

His company is already advising on a number of local building projects, including a proposed new community centre in Paull, which has attracted provisional funding from the National Lottery. The firm’s offices in Priory Park also feature low-energy lighting designs used in commercial showrooms for a number of international motorcycle manufacturers, including Triumph, Honda and Harley Davidson.

LED technology has now matured to the point that it is a far superior alternative to traditional filament and discharge lamps for showroom use. As well as using a fraction of the electrical power, LED lamps last more than twice as long, run at much cooler temperatures, respond instantly with no ‘warm-up’ period and are mechanically more robust and far smaller than the equivalent metal halide and tungsten filament equivalents.

If you are using metal halides and tungsten filament lamps then now is the time to change them!

Metal halide and tungesten filament lamps are no longer specified for projects

Check out our Video Gallery and take a look at our videofilm on LED lighting with Adam Hart-Davis.

Happy New Year!
Bonne année!
Feliz año nuevo!
Prost Neujahr!
Felice anno nuovo!
Gelukkig nieuwjaar!
Godt nytår!
Gott nytt år!
Godt nyttår!
Onnellista uutta vuotta!
Gleðilegt nýtt ár!

…wherever you are !

Happy New Year 2012

InterTech is a well-known specialist in architectural and commercial design. As an environmentally aware company, they already have two operational QR5 Turbines of their own. When approached by Quiet Revolution with a proposal for a totally new micro wind farm development, Intertech’s CEO Andrew Fenton was tremendously excited to be able host the new development at his Hull site.

Mr Fenton said “This new and innovative micro wind development is a great opportunity for Hull to demonstrate its continuing commitment to the green agenda, whilst also providing employment opportunities in the renewable sector.”

TV NEWS

ITV Yorkshire Regional News item in the ‘Calendar’ news slot, 22nd December 2011

Adam Hart-Davis visits InterTech's innovative Design Centre Building

On Monday 24th October, InterTech released a short promotional videofilm on Environmental Innovation in retail buildings. Presented by the well-known TV personality Adam Hart-Davis in his relaxed and inimitable style, the 7 minute film shows just how dramatically the costs of running a building can be reduced by taking a few simple measures.

Adam Hart-Davis compares LEDs with incandescent lamps

The film begins by comparing tungsten filament incandescent lighting with the much newer technology of LED (light emitting diode) lighting. Mr Hart-Davis goes on to explain how LED lights run so much cooler and MUCH more efficiently than incandescent lighting – with a reduction in power consumption by 90% in some cases. He explains how even more savings can be had by the intelligent use of sensors to automatically turn on lighting only when and where it is required – and then turn it off again afterwards.

Demonstrating how cool LED lighting is when operating

Mr Hart-Davis then moves on to show how much the working environment can be improved by using LED lighting instead of incandescent lighting. For example, the clean LED light makes a very good working light and the fact that there is none of the background ‘hum’ and ‘flicker’ associated with normal fluorescent tube lighting.

"So quiet that you can hear a pin drop" - says Adam Hart-Davis

The renewable energy sources of wind and solar power provides much of the electrical energy used by the InterTech Design Centre. Mr Hart-Davis examines how InterTech has managed to be able to generate enough electrical power from renewables to run the building and still have a surplus amount that can be sold back to the National Grid. So in theory, you could have, for example, a new motorcycle dealership that hardly ever needs to use any mains electrical power.

Solar panel arrays on the roof can generate up to 10KW of power

Talking about quiet Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs)

Importantly, he shows that the type of wind turbines installed here – Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) – are almost completely silent in use. Propeller-type (horizontal axis) wind turbines are seen all over the countryside – and wind noise coming from these is recognised as a major annoyance to those who live close by. Intertech’s decision to use the silent, vertical-axis type keeps them on good terms with their neighbours in Hull!

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) are virtually silent in operation

In the final part of the film, Mr Hart-Davis takes a look at some of the less-obvious innovations which are incorporated into the InterTech Design Centre building. These include the way that the new Design Centre Building has been heated and insulated and why it does not require air conditioning in summer. Also, the way that InterTech harvests rainwater from the roof and stores it at the top of the building as a gravity-fed source of water for flushing toilets.

Different types of wall insulation help control temperature

Examining clean water from the Rainwater Harvesting System

The film concludes by saying that there is so much innovation crammed into this one building that it will be worth your while to make a visit and see it for yourself.

Watch

Adam Hart-Davis visits InterTech.
See what he had to say about our new Commercial Design Centre.

Check out the other videos in our Video Gallery

Design development
Budget costs
Planning applications
Ground investigations
Energy saving options
Fixed costs
Detailed design and 3D Visualisation
Project management
Construction

Adam Hart Davis (left) meets Andrew Fenton, Director of InterTech

Mr Hart-Davis had been invited to take part in a new video film which will promote the use of sustainable power sources in commercial building developments.

Adam Hart-Davis in the wind power control room at InterTech

Film crew at InterTech with Adam Hart-Davis (right)

Gold hits record on US debt fears

The price of gold rises to a fresh all-time high and the dollar falls on fears the US may default on its debt obligations.

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