RES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

RES Mediterranean low-carbon headquarters in Avignon, France

RES Mediterranean has recently built its new headquarters in Avignon. The building has been designed with one aim: the sustainable reduction of its carbon footprint, thanks to numerous energy saving technologies. The building itself is oriented north-south and of a traditional design with a choice of materials adapted to reduce energy consumption, such as supporting walls built from insulating bricks 37.5 cm thick, composite insulating panels and strongly insulated wooden sidings on the north face of the building, and a glass curtain wall with aluminium structure on the south side, with low emissivity glass, solar control and strong insulation.

A central dual stream ventilation system with air transfer from the south to the north, allowing warming or cooling of the entering air with the outbound air at the level of the system (thus generating significant energy savings) has been installed as well as reversible high efficiency air-conditioning (control of the energy expenditure of the generator).

Internal lighting consumes less than 12 Watts per m2 (use of electronic ballasts, compact and LED fluorescent lamps) and through areas and rest rooms are lit by presence detection sensors.

A green roof terrace promotes a thermal inertia allowing significant energy savings and panels of photovoltaic cells on the south façade serve as a sun shade thus limiting direct solar radiation during the summer inside the offices. A 10.15 kW photovoltaic installation has been placed on the terrace (sun shade and safety barrier) and hot water for the sanitary areas is generated by a thermal solar panel.

The car park is lit by a Hybrolight®, an independent low energy light (LED), powered by 4 solar panels and a vertical axe wind turbine.

A thermal analysis of the building was carried by an independent assessor. The primary energy consumption (excluding photovoltaic production) gain is 46.22 %, or 107.5 kWhep/m² compared to 199.41 kWhep/m². The production of the photovoltaic cells is 56.42 kWh ep/m²/year. The design of the building allows an improvement in its energy performance of 74 % compared to existing French regulations.

Our environmental policy

In the company's offices, saving electricity is important; by turning off lights in the course of the day and using natural light as much as possible, by not leaving computers, copiers and printers in sleep mode at the end of the day. RES Mediterranean also buys its electricity from a supplier who guarantees the renewable origin of its electricity (wind and hydroelectric). Every kWh consumed is guaranteed by Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

As for the use of paper (recycled of course), whenever possible the reading of the documents is done on PC screens to avoid excessive printing. Any copies or printing is done back to back and in draft mode. In each office, specific paper recycling bins are in place in order to collect all waste paper in the recycling containers put at our disposal by the council, following our request. We also recycle all our ink cartridges and work with a company who repurchases the cartridges. The money is given to a local association and the company itself transfers 0,9% of its purchases of empty cartridges to UNICEF. We also actively encourage staff to use public transport, bicycles, trains and car sharing for travel between home and office. The company facilitates professional trips by train via season tickets.

The company also establishes action plans for the protection of the environment for all its projects. These plans present all of the general information concerning the organisation of the construction of a wind farm or solar plant and the actions planned for the protection of the environment during the works, in accordance with legislation and with the commitments made during the development of the projects. RES has on its team several members of staff who are directly implicated in the environmental follow-up of projects, of operational wind farms and of the day to day running of the company.

The RES Group award-winning low-carbon HQ in the United Kingdom

Beaufort Court, the ecological head office of RES, is a reference in sustainable architecture and renewable energy production. By using the most recent construction techniques, standards of high energy effectiveness and renewable energy technologies on site which provide all the energy needs for the head office, the Group has created an innovative Zero Emissions building, http://www.beaufortcourt.com/

Beaufort Court was designed so that all the energy needs for the building are provided by renewable sources located on site. As well as erecting a 50 metre high wind turbine visible from the M25 motorway, five hectares of energy crops have been planted to provide heating, solar panels have been installed which provide electricity and hot water for the heating and an underground heat store makes it possible to use the heat produced in summer to heat in winter.

Entrance to Beaufort Court	Solar Panel Array	Grass Roofs	Aerial View of Beaufort Court