As a key member of the British Airways facilities-management team at Waterside near Heathrow Airport, Norland Managed Services works closely with the property department on sustainable-energy projects. Three initiatives are now running.
The most recent is an array of 12 photo-voltaic solar panels for trial and testing. Norland organised the initial research into product options and potential suppliers for an installation of the rooftop or atrium. The objective is a 20-year life and a minimum 10-year guarantee.
Among the specifications was compliance with ‘Approval specification 503’ of the Commission of European Communities, which sets rigorous standards for photo-voltaic panels, tested in field conditions. These include temperatures fro -40 to 85°C, mechanical endurance to sustain exposure to wind speeds up to 225 km/h and humidity/freeze cycles from 85°C at 85% RH down to -40°C.
The pilot installation comprises 12 panels in parallel with a total photo-voltaic area of 5.4 m2 providing power to a charge controller. The selected units incorporate toughened, high-transmission glass encapsulated with vinyl acetate in anodised-aluminium frames. The junction boxes are glass-filled polycarbonate.
Lessons being learned from the plant include the effect of seasonal variations.
Another project is a street lamp that runs off power generated by a self-contained wind generator. Within three weeks of commissioning, this street lamp survived some of the highest winds recorded at Waterside.
The street lamp incorporates a photocell to switch the lamp on and off at dusk and dawn and enough storage power to run the fluorescent lamp for 14 days in normal circumstances without a charge. Norland’s duty shift engineer checks the lamp regularly overnight.
The lamp standard is 6 m high, the propellor unit rotates through 360° and generates power at wind speeds as low as 8 km/h. At the base is a lockable enclosure for the battery and controller. There is a digital display of charging level and battery condition.
Outside the community learning centre is the third Norland initiative — a combined wind generator and photo-voltaic panel under test. The centre provides an information point for schools and students on every aspect of BA’s operation. It also has nature and ecological displays, and talks on sustainable energy are given at the centre and in local schools.
Norland’s contract has recently been extended to include fabric and handy-man services, as well as M&E, sub-contractors and audio-visual equipment.
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Come sun and wind (but not rain) sustainable-energy projects for British Airways at Waterside include photo-voltaic panels for trial and testing. |
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