The future’s bright for Riverlight
Strolling around London’s South Bank district, you can’t help but notice the startling urban regeneration that’s taking place. It’s a visual feast of magnificent, futuristic architecture that’s quickly transforming the look of the capital. And underneath those towers of glass and steel, hidden from view, there are lots of exciting ideas at work.
The prestigious Riverlight development enjoys spectacular views across the Thames. With 811 opulent residential properties and 3,850 square meters of commercial space, it’s a huge project with construction costs in excess of £200 million.
SSE Energy Solutions has worked with developers, St James, on the project for more than five years and has been involved in the design of all the site utilities: electricity, gas, water, waste and, significantly, a low-carbon heating and cooling system.
It gives us confidence that the installation, which is a very complicated installation, is going to be maintained and looked after for our residents over the next 25 years and that there’s a strategy going forward to deal with any replacement. It gives them a sense of security going forward.
With innovation at the heart of the Riverlight project, we helped to design a remarkably effective heating and cooling system at the cutting edge of energy efficient design.
Riverlight’s underground energy centre uses a mix of technologies. There are ground source heat pumps, gas fired boilers and gas fired combined heat and power engines. By generating the power, heating and cooling on site, there’s a significant reduction in the development’s carbon footprint.
Importantly, by taking a joined-up approach to developing all the site’s utilities, there are cost and efficiency benefits at design, delivery and operational stages. SSE Energy Solutions designed and installed the electricity, gas and water mains and services throughout the development with in-house ownership providing a very efficient and effective utilities solution. We’ve also adopted the foul infrastructure, giving us a complete multi-utility service offering.
The whole system’s been built for the long term. The final properties in the six ‘pavilion’ development will be completed in 2017. But our commitment extends long after the cranes have gone. Our ongoing maintenance and energy reporting contract will ensure that we continue to make a significant contribution to the Riverlight development for the next 25 years.