Unit A Kingshill Business Park, Darlaston Road, Wednesbury.

• Location: Unit A, Kingshill Business Park, Wednesbury, WS10 7SH
• Client: Hines
• Building Type: Industrial warehouse with office accommodation
• Scope: Refurbishment, subdivision into two units, and energy upgrade
• Energy Statement, Overheating Report and MEP Specification

Eteria was appointed to deliver the Energy Statement for the refurbishment of this industrial unit. The Project involved reconfiguring an existing five-bay industrial building into two modern units with associated offices while upgrading the building services to reduce energy use and carbon emissions.

The brief included the decarbonisation of heat and improving lighting efficiency as well as integrating renewables (such as PVs) in line with Part L Regulations and the local planning policy.

The Project required delivering major carbon reductions within the constraints of an existing industrial building rather than a new-build. The retained portal-frame structure limited the extent of fabric upgrades and required careful coordination of new services within the existing envelope.

Replacing the gas boiler with air-source heat pumps triggered the relevant Regulations, meaning the team had to identify and justify proportionate consequential improvements that were technically and economically feasible.

The building also needed to be subdivided into two independent units with different servicing strategies, including naturally ventilated offices in Unit 1 and mechanically cooled offices in Unit 2. The energy strategy had to satisfy both Building Regulations and Sandwell Council’s planning policies on decarbonisation in existing buildings.

Two Omega Drive, Irlam, Manchester.

• Project Value £400k
• Existing 60,000 sq. ft industrial warehouse + commercial office space
• New 620kWp Photovoltaic Array
• 500,000kWh Annual energy production
• 103,000 kg/year C02 emissions saved
• 4 Year payback
• Client: Columbia Threadneedle

Eteria were appointed to explore the feasibility of maximising the rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) potential of the site. The photovoltaic array was modelled using PV Sol Premium, an approved software for calculating photovoltaic installation generation based upon accurate solar irradiance data.

As part of the study, we evaluated different energy use scenarios including the current energy use, an increase to 125% and 150% of energy use.

The existing roof comprises a curved metal roof structure with mechanical ventilation plant and rooflights incorporated. The photovoltaic array layout had to be coordinated with the existing roof and plant and factored into the overall generation calculations. The proposed photovoltaic panel dimensions were considered when coordinating the array layout to suit the existing roof plant.

Additionally, we provided the client with feedback on the implementation of a power purchase agreement (PPA) across the different scenarios and how this affected the financial results.

Calculation of the PPA revenues must be considered carefully due to the many variable factors involved including costs for maintenance, insurance, management and inflation.

234 Bath Road, Slough.

• Project Value: c. £100k
• Existing external car park
• 17No. new EV chargers
• Scheme developed to avoid disruption to existing car park deck
• Client: SEGRO

Eteria were appointed to provide consultancy and design for the provision of electric vehicle chargers to the existing external car park at 234 Bath Road, Slough.

The primary objective of the Project was to install an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure within the existing car park, while ensuring minimal disturbance to the car park deck in order to mitigate the risk of water ingress into the basement below.

Given the existing car park deck could not be disturbed, Eteria’s design had to be carefully coordinated with the existing car park structure to ensure cable routes were viable and associated equipment were accessible.

Eteria undertook a detailed site inspection in order to ensure the design incorporated the requirements of the site whilst offering a fully compliant installation. The design also featured the incorporation of an integrated payment system which needed to be coordinated with the design to ensure essential system features were available to facilitate its operation.

Additionally, PEN fault protection was incorporated into the design in order to comply with regulation requirements.

33 Molesworth Street, Dublin.

• Site: 33 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, D02 CP04
• Client: GIA Surveyors
• Building Type: Commercial office (Georgian frontage with 1970s and rear extensions)
• Total Floor Area: 25,678 sq ft
• Assessment Type: BER Improvement Plan (IES Virtual Environment – NEAP compliant)

Eteria was appointed to deliver a BER Improvement Plan for the commercial office building at 33 Molesworth Street, Dublin.

The brief was to assess the existing energy performance and identify cost-effective retrofit measures to reduce carbon emissions and improve the building’s BER, while balancing performance uplift, heritage constraints and operational disruption for a live office environment.

The building comprises a protected Georgian frontage combined with later extensions, creating a complex mix of fabric and MEP servicing strategies. Limited construction records meant baseline performance had to be established through a number of site surveys and modelling assumptions.

The building relied on gas-driven VRF systems, wet radiators and a large central hot-water plant, all of which are carbon and energy intensive. Many of the most effective fabric upgrades, such as wall and roof insulation, would be intrusive and disruptive to tenants, while the building’s listed status restricted the replacement of original single-glazed windows.

The challenge was therefore to define a package of measures that could deliver meaningful BER improvement. These measures had to within budget, minimum tenant disruption and ultimately offer a pathway to decarbonisation and performance improvement of the asset.

8-9 Spring Place, London.

• Site: 8–9 Spring Place, Kentish Town, London NW5 3ER
• Client: Stamos Yeoh Architects
• Building Type: Residential – houses and apartments
• Development Size: 13 dwellings (9 flats, 4 houses)
• Gross Internal Area: 1,410 m²
• Assessment Type: Energy Statement & Whole Life Carbon Assessment (Planning Stage)

Eteria was appointed to deliver the Energy Statement and Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the proposed residential redevelopment at 8–9 Spring Place, Camden. The scheme replaces the existing building with 13 new homes, including houses and apartments.

The brief was to demonstrate compliance with the London Plan energy hierarchy and GLA whole-life carbon policy while identifying practical measures to reduce operational and embodied carbon at planning stage.

Overheating risk had to be assessed against future climate scenarios using CIBSE TM59, with limited scope for mechanical cooling due to roof space and acoustic constraints. At the same time, the Whole Life Carbon Assessment showed that a conventional demolition and new-build approach would exceed GLA benchmarks, driven mainly by concrete and steel.

The design team therefore had to identify realistic low-carbon material options that could significantly reduce upfront and embodied carbon without compromising structural performance, buildability or planning risk.