Design Buy Build Issue 19 2016 | Page 76

Lomax Builders Ltd breathes new life into Victorian School Built in 1897 for £3000, St Marks Boys School in Hall Road, Norwich has been quietly refurbished into eight stunning energy efficient apartments by Lomax Builders Ltd. Using Minus7 technology, Lomax Builders have been able to provide low carbon heating and hot water to tenants at minimal running costs, enabling them to charge a reduced price for heat and create an additional revenue stream. Meeting the highest environmental and sustainability targets D iscovered at EcoBuild by David Lomax, Minus7 is an award-winning building integrated technology made up of 3 parts: An energy collecting roof, a solar energy processor and thermal stores. As the solar thermal tileplanks work with conventional roof construction methods, they blend in seamlessly and there is no need for ugly bolt-ons or expensive back up systems. Weighing 27kilos per square metre – the equivalent of Welsh slate - two areas of the roof have been replaced with Minus7 tileplanks in slate grey. A total area of 93.6m2 has been covered with an output of 64 Kilowatt hours. Three thermal stores holding 12,000 litres of water have been completely hidden under an area of decking in the courtyard. The distinctive Victorian character of St Mark’s boys school has been retained whilst meeting the highest environmental and sustainability targets. Appealingly simple for tenants Available to rent from £875 - £1100 PCM, all apartments have been quickly filled with happy tenants who have not noticed anything different about the way the system works as a standard timer and thermostat controls it. Whilst the modular nature of the technology ensures that heating and hot water demands can be met 100% of the time, remote monitoring services provides complete transparency of the energy generated, used and stored. It also allows the Minus7 after-care service team to proactively ensure the system is working as efficiently as possible, without disrupting tenants. “With so many choices on the market, it’s hard to know what you’re getting” said David Lomax “but Minus7 have been really good, when people ask me, would you use them again? I say Yes!” Interestingly, David and his team have been so impressed with Minus7’s system performance and customer care that they have now chosen to start their next development with the next generation of Minus7’s technology. Launching latest innovation at EcoBuild 2016 Already designed to harvest thermal energy day and night efficiently at temperatures as low as Minus 7ºC, the latest innovation goes even further. A new composite design of Minus7 solar endothermic tileplanks embeds photovoltaic technology without compromising their appearance. This latest innovation makes much more effective use of valuable roof space and almost doubles the output of the system per square metre. Allowing Minus7 to offer a zero net carbon solution with zero net running costs, by design. Zero net carbon; zero net running costs by design: Minus7 have recently obtained capital investment which has enabled them to expand the core team and launch the next generation of the technology. Visit www.minus7.co.uk to watch the video of Minus7 technology being installed at St Mark’s Boys School and sign up for our newsletter. Join the heating revolution. www.minus7.co.uk 01983 282844 76