ECA, HVCA pledge cash for green centre

The facility is under construction at London South Bank University (LSBU). M&E Sustainability, a joint venture between the ECA and HVCA, has agreed to part-fund the project, as well as providing input from the contracting community.

The centre, which is a joint venture between LSBU and fellow London universities Kingston and City, is due to open in June 2009.

The building has been designed to be an educational, hands-on demonstration of a range of design measures and technologies for reducing carbon emissions.

The building showcases thermal massing, solar shading, ground-source heating and cooling and solar thermal systems. Other technologies demonstrated include hydrogen fuel and photovoltaic cells.

Researchers will be able to study the building and its energy use via a building energy management system and monitoring techniques. The centre will have demonstration areas and seminar rooms available to M&E Sustainability members for training courses and conferences.

M&E Sustainability has also provided a new website dedicated to helping m&e contractors take advantage of the business opportunities created by the rising demand for sustainable buildings.

At www.mech-elec.org.uk, detailed design guides, updates on relevant laws, technology guidance, case studies and news are accessible.

M&E Sustainability chairman David Frise said: “The sustainable building landscape is changing rapidly and is being tracked by the website’s editorial team, who have the task of ensuring members are kept up to date with this dynamic market.”

ECA president Bob Hall commented: “Sustainability is arguably the greatest business opportunity our sector has ever experienced, and clients are looking to us for answers.”