Building Briefs – March 16th

• Sidey windows get Energy Saving Trust endorsed

The Energy Saving Trust is a leading organisation that endorses and approves energy efficient products that have met industry agreed standards for performance and UK regulatory requirements.

Sidey Solartherm, Solartherm Plus and Smart Sash windows will now bear the Endorsed Product brandmark ‘stamp of endorsement’, demonstrating to consumers, homeowners and industry professionals that they meet energy performance criteria.

• New Arnold Clark to open in vacant land near M8

A new Arnold Clark will soon be coming to Renfrewshire after planning permission was granted this week.

The dealership will be based in Mossland Road at Hillington Business Park on what is currently an area of vacant land alongside the M8.

Plans were given the green light by members of Renfrewshire Council’s communities, housing and planning policy board.

The development will consist of a showroom building to the east of the site, a valeting and repair building to the west alongside car parking areas, access and landscaping.

• Highland Council meets energy saving milestone

Work to install solar panels to supply key buildings across the Highland Council’s non-domestic estate has reached a significant milestone, with completed sites estimated to generate over 500,000kWh of energy a year.

This generation is estimated to deliver a carbon saving of over 128,000kg CO₂ equivalent a year. This roughly equates to 1,200 trips from Thurso to Edinburgh an average (non-electric) car; around 25,000 hours in an average electric shower; planting 50 acres of new forest; 16.3 million smartphones charged.

With 14 sites now complete, the council is part way through Phase 3 of six in its roll out of solar panels across key non-domestic buildings. With latter phases aiming to cover greater numbers of sites, future installs could potentially triple this annual generation figure and associated carbon saving.

The full programme is a £2.3m investment in solar technology across the non-domestic estate, committed in 2018. It is designed to combat energy price increases, reduce energy spend and reduce carbon emissions. The programme is self-financing, meaning the money the programme saves more than covers all delivery costs. 

The work also makes up part of the council’s wider £7m ‘Salix Recycling Fund’ – a pot of money match-funded by an interest-free loan to the Council for energy efficiency projects, funded by Scottish Government through Salix Finance Ltd. Highland Council currently operate the largest Recycling Fund in Scotland and the largest for a local authority in the UK.