Green deal for Halifax Central Library
A range of green technologies are being installed at Halifax’s new Central Library and Archive, as the building looks to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.
The £9.2m development – set to open in October 2016 as part of Calderdale Council’s multi-million pound Piece Hall Transformation Project – will feature two ground source heat pumps and solar panels to generate its own heating and electricity.
The main contractor on the project is GRAHAM Construction. GRAHAM is a privately owned company operating in the construction, asset management and project investment sectors. With a proud heritage where traditional skills and values are fused with professional management, the company has grown to have a turnover in excess of £490 million and employs more than 1,600 people.
GRAHAM Construction is working alongside mechanical and electrical firm Stothers Ltd, The Renewable Design Company and Evo Energy to complete the installation.
Drilling rigs have created 16 boreholes into the bedrock within the Piece Hall courtyard, drilling to a depth of up to 150 metres to install pipes for the two Dimplex ground source heat pumps. These will be used to recover latent heat for the library and archives’ heating system.
The roof of the library will be fitted with 115 SunPower 327W solar panels, saving energy and providing a CO2 reduction of approximately 20% compared to a similar, standard building. Although there will still be some requirement to draw electricity from the national grid, this will be significantly reduced.
The building will also be self-ventilating, providing a comfortable environment for people visiting the library and archive.
Gary Hughes, GRAHAM Construction regional director, said: “This is an important development for the people of Halifax which will be used by generations to come. Using these renewable technologies, the building will be extremely energy efficient and able to produce a significant amount of its own energy needs.
“As well as reducing the building’s carbon footprint, energy costs will be considerably lower than if it was using traditional energy sources.”
Construction of the new Central Library and Archives is well under way, with the steel framework built and concrete floors now in place.
Facilities will include IT and digital media hubs, study areas, children’s library and a Visitor Information Centre.
Calderdale Council’s director of communities and service support, Robin Tuddenham, said:
“One of our Council priorities is to become much more sustainable, so the new Central Library and Archive will be a real flagship building for Calderdale.
“The Central Library and Archive will be a fascinating building, combining the remains of the beautiful old Square Church with the very modern new-build of brick, steel, glass and the latest environmental technologies. It will be an inspiring place which will delight current and future generations.”
The new Central Library and Archive is being wholly funded by the Council. It will be a striking building which provides state-of-the-art facilities for the community, supporting the Piece Hall transformation and helping to create an improved pedestrian route from Halifax train station to the town centre.
For more information please visit: www.graham.co.uk.
