Tata Steel has launched Colorcoat Renew SC®; an integrated solar air heating system that can deliver the best paybacks of any current renewable energy system, for the smallest investment.
Colorcoat Renew SC®, the latest system to be added to the Tata Steel product portfolio, can turn the building envelope into an active energy generator on both new and existing buildings. It can provide building occupiers with a free source of renewable energy that can not only save up to 50% on heating bills with little or no impact on the environment, but can also help meet Government energy efficiency targets.
Through holistic design of the renewable energy generation system and incorporating Tata Steel’s pre-engineered control options, building occupiers can secure the greatest cost and energy benefits from the system. Typically the system provides typical paybacks of less than 10 years and an average carbon payback of just four months.
Andrew Pleass at Tata Steel comments: “Buildings account for almost 50% of UK energy consumption and demand for energy continues to rise across the globe. The need for the construction and property sector to reduce energy demand and develop renewable energy sources is greater than ever. Our vision is to transform the building envelope from a passive energy conservation role to one of active energy generation, and Colorcoat Renew SC® offers a way for building owners to do just this in a very cost effective way.”
Incorporating Micro-perforated Colorcoat Prisma® pre-finished steel by Tata Steel as the solar collector, it is installed as an additional skin onto a building’s wall, creating a cavity between the wall and the metal skin.
Negative air pressure within the cavity draws pre-heated boundary layer air through perforations in the transpired solar collector’s surface, into the cavity. The heated air is then fed either directly into the building as ventilation, or ducted into a HVAC unit where it is used as a pre-heater to the main heating system. It is a highly efficient renewable energy system with up to 75% efficiency converting solar radiation to usable heat energy. 1m2 of collector area can typically deliver 250kWh heat per year.
Colorcoat Renew SC® has very low operational costs, as the solar energy used is free and the only additional cost is the low running cost of the fan. The system is a long-term and low maintenance solution.
Peter Wilks at Tata Steel, comments: “With the development of Colorcoat Renew SC®, Tata Steel continues our commitment to helping improve the environmental impact of the UK built environment through building envelope solutions that deliver sustainability as well as high performance and cost efficiency. We have the knowledge and understanding of how the building envelope can be designed and how our products can be integrated to optimise its environmental performance over the life of the building. We can provide a range of products to make buildings more energy efficient and our latest products including Colorcoat Renew SC® are designed to harness energy, turning buildings into energy generators and bringing the goal of zero carbon buildings ever closer.’’
Prior to the product’s launch to market, Colorcoat Renew SC® was applied to Tata Steel’s Sustainable Building Envelope Centre (SBEC) and as part of the refurbishment of Deeside Leisure Centre. For more information about these projects, please contact ishayle@camarguepr.com.