CLIENT
EIC Ltd
YEAR COMPLETED
2012
BUILD TYPE
New Build
SERVICES PROVIDED
Carbon Management
Mechanical Engineering
Sustainability Consulting
Sustainable Buildings Design
Thermal Modelling
Utilities
Facilities Management
BWB's SBS Team were contracted by EIC Ltd, to provide mechanical design for a new 17,000m2 production facilities and office development on the new technology park, i54 in Wolverhampton. The project involves transferring production for an aircraft flight control systems facility to the purpose built site at the new i54 business park site, the move also provided an additional 5,000m2 of available space for future expansion.
The new facility will house the design, research, development and manufacturing activities for the aircraft controls systems & aerospace producer MOOG together with the associated 2 storey office/meeting suites required for the support staff and a substantial warehouse facility.
The office areas are to house 80 engineering staff together with management and support administration. If required, MOOG have also gained planning permission for an additional 4,600m2 should expansion be necessary.
BWB's SBS team carried out full simulation and energy modelling for an energy assessment and report on the expected performance of the building. Subsequent additional M&E design and checking was then undertaken with further reporting on the initial proposals and possible design alternatives.
As there are various large industrial lathes, CNC, hoists etc the thermal modelling of the proposed facility was particularly challenging but initial assessment projections reinforce confident of achieving the BREEAM & EPC target ratings. The scheme, targeted to achieve a BREEAM 'Very Good' rating, will form a benchmark for future buildings on the technology park which is the proposed future site of the new Land Rover production facility.
Sustainable Options
The 'Treatment Area' has a number of furnaces which generate waste heat as part of the production process. The waste heat has been harnessed to heat the adjacent areas using the ventilation system. A heat exchanger is used to transfer the heat, reducing the output required from the gas fired heater battery.
The Assembly and Test areas use spot cooling rather than conditioning the whole space to reduce the energy consumption, with no loss in performance.
The building achieved an air permeability of 3.38m3/h.m2 @ 50Pa, significantly better than the target of 10m3/h.m2 @ 50Pa. This also will help to improve the efficiency of the heating system.
Air source heat pumps provide heating and cooling to the office areas using a variable refrigerant flow system (VRF). Lighting controls have been used in the office areas to help reduce the cooling load and energy associated.
