Leading by Example with our Energy Efficient HQ
Client: Cornerstone
Measures: Solar PV, Biomass and External Wall Insulation
Location: Harleston, Norfolk
Date: August 2015
Value: £54,000
The Challenge
Cornerstone is a leading energy efficiency contractor with expertise in funding and installing insulation, heating and renewable measures. Headquartered in Harleston, Norfolk, by summer 2015 we had outgrown our original premises and so secured a move to a larger local commercial property comprising 720m2 of office space, a showroom and a warehouse.
Our energy needs for that building included cost effective and sustainable solutions for the provision of electricity, heating and hot water. In addition, we sought to reduce the heating requirement by ensuring that the property’s solid walls were sufficiently insulated.
Our Solution
We installed a solar PV system comprising 85 Enhance EP60 panels with black framing to blend into our dark tiled roof. Samil Solarlake inverters complemented the 21,250kW array, which was installed over a three day period by our in-house engineers and electricians.
An ETA PC32 pellet fed biomass boiler and a Stratified 1200 litre heat store were installed over a two day period, forming part of the heating and renewable technology showroom within our headquarters.
External wall insulation was installed on the building over a two week period. We selected the weber.therm XM 90mm EPS system for this 300m2installation, with a bright white finish.
The Result
Cornerstone moved into our current head office in August 2015, following a two week period of measure installation and general refurbishment. We are now able to achieve a comfortable and consistent temperature throughout the office, and have benefitted from significantly reduced energy bills and maintenance costs.
We also secured Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) funding for the biomass system, and Feed-In-Tariff (FiT) funding for the solar PV, which will generate a significant return on investment over the lifetime of the measures.
We have achieved an annual reduction of approximately 45% on our energy costs
‘At Cornerstone, we pride ourselves on practicing what we preach. When we decided to invest in a new space to house our ever-growing head office team, we knew that the retrofitting the premises and the installation of the latest renewable systems had to be a priority. Our head office is now a warm and comfortable environment for our employees, and as an added bonus, we are generating a generous return on our investment.’
– Tom Eden, Cornerstone Director
