Energy futureNew low-carbon technology center in London

Published 6 June 2008

The Center for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings will provide a teaching, research and demonstration resource for the capital; the center is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom

A new center for low carbon technology in buildings at London South Bank University (LSBU) will help put London at the forefront of the fight to tackle climate change. Funded by the London Development Agency and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, in partnership with LSBU and City and Kingston Universities, the Center for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings will provide a teaching, research and demonstration resource for the capital. The center is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom and will provide teaching in sustainable energy technology and building design for university students, academics, and to industry. It will also be available to the commercial and construction sectors as a research facility, as well as showcasing the latest in low carbon technology and design including photovoltaics, solar thermal, ground source heat pumps and wind power.

The building itself will be cooled and heated using geothermal energy technology which will form part of a demonstration facility on the roof top of the building. Data about the technologies used in the building will also be available to a wider audience via a dedicated web site. The center will be built on top of LSBU’s new Keyworth II building. Its design includes features to reduce carbon emissions including thermal massing, solar shading, ground source heating and cooling, and solar thermal.