Fairview New Homes: Queens Hospital

FAIRVIEW NEW HOMES: Queens Hospital
The UK’s largest deployment of solar tiles

Queens Hospital, Croydon, is a unique large scale, low carbon development from Fairview New Homes. A mixed-use site of 360 residential units, the high density housing project is designed to minimise carbon emissions in the built environment whilst maximising the use of available land.

The development demonstrates the simplicity of providing low carbon, high density housing through the large scale integration of micro-renewable technologies. On completion in mid 2007, Fairview will be the largest deployment in the UK of Solarcentury’s building integrated C21e and C21t solar tiles; including
1,001 solar electric, and 970 solar thermal tiles. The award winning tiles integrate into the buildings’ fabric by replacing standard concrete tiles, sitting flush with the rest of the roof. Using a dark SunPower PV laminate, the solar tiles do not compromise the building design, blending superbly with the grey concrete tiles. The total energy contribution of the technologies will be 125 MWh per year, delivering significant carbon reductions for the site.

Like many councils across the UK, Croydon Borough Council follows ‘The Merton Rule’, the policies pioneered by the London Boroughs of Merton and Croydon, which requires the use of renewable energy on site in order to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 10%. Fairview is an example of how developers are addressing this local planning policy. As low carbon building moves up the government agenda,Croydon is one of 150 local councils currently implementing, drafting or actively progressing this policy across the UK. For further information on The Merton Rule and a list of participating boroughs see www.themertonrule.org.

Fairview’s commitment to the 10% carbon reduction target now offers homebuyers the choice of ‘reduced electricity bills for life’. These ‘low carbon’ homes protect homebuyers against rises in energy prices by generating 830kWh (kiloWatt hours) or units of electricity for each kWp (kilowatt peak) installed every year.

Built on the former Queens Hospital site, the environmentally conscious development comprises a diverse collection of fourteen different unit types ranging from apartments and houses to key worker accommodation. A private and housing association project, the site consists of 13 blocks. Covering five blocks to the south, the solar electric tiles, C21e, will provide 44,243 kWh of electricity per year for communal lighting, and save 25 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year.* The solar thermal tiles also cover five blocks, to the north, providing
between 1330kWh and 1709kWh per year for private use, depending on the size of the flat being served. This is a demonstration carried out by Solarcentury to illustrate
the practicality of large-scale deployment of solar tiles in a housing development.

Usually Solarcentury would train roofers to install the simple to fit technology, however in this instance Fairview were keen to see the initial process completed by the Solarcentury team. Fairview New Homes is delighted to be involved in a nationwide first.