In Wembley Park, the revolutionary Mobile Energy Plant (MEP) is transforming the way energy is managed on construction sites. This innovative solution is designed to heat and cool a four-story temporary building that serves more than 2,000 employees and includes offices, dining areas, and wet rooms.
Traditional energy solutions were insufficient to meet the ambitious goals of this construction site, which is expected to operate for approximately five years. Together with our UK partner, we sought an innovative approach to reduce the carbon footprint and lower operating costs. The MEP proved to be the perfect solution, significantly reducing energy consumption and enabling simultaneous heating and cooling.
The idea that revolutionized the construction sector was born at a bachelor party: “Early in the morning at Gatwick Airport, we discussed our work over a pint of beer. The conversation turned to how we could reduce the carbon footprint of construction sites. We needed something mobile to reduce energy consumption for cooling, heating, and hot water. Why not use heat pumps? Why don’t we build a plant that is movable inside a container?” explained our business partner’s project manager.
The mobile energy plant is designed for effortless transportation and quick installation. “All components are inside the container. You only need to connect the pipelines and electrical supply,” explained the project manager.
The mobile energy plant, with integrated heat pumps, has significantly reduced energy consumption and lowered carbon dioxide emissions. The low-carbon installation achieved an energy consumption of 269 kWh per square meter per year compared to 1525 kWh in a standard installation, resulting in a drastic reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 54,722 kg – equivalent to driving around the world 18 times.
The project manager highlighted the importance of waste heat recovery: “One of the important parts of the plant is capturing waste heat. Typically, when providing cooling, waste heat is just blown outside. The great thing about MES is that it captures heat that would otherwise be wasted and uses it to produce hot water. This not only reduces energy consumption but also waste heat.”
MEP also stands out with its other advanced features. It uses thermal modeling for low flow temperatures and is made from reusable and recycled materials, achieving an impressive 73% energy savings. “Compared to a similar construction site five years ago, we reduced electricity costs from 25-30 thousand pounds per month to 15-20 thousand pounds, despite energy prices rising by 70%,” added the project manager.
Moving the mobile energy plant posed a unique challenge. “One of the biggest challenges was ensuring the device could be moved – from our warehouse through London’s busy streets. It couldn’t be too wide and had to remain stable during transport,” explained the project manager.
With the mobile energy plant in Wembley Park, the construction company is laying the groundwork for the future of sustainable construction. By reducing energy consumption and using recycled materials, it sets a new standard for environmental responsibility in the industry.
The project manager emphasized: “The construction sector consumes a lot of energy. We can build an energy-efficient building, but if we don’t construct it efficiently, we can lose all those gains. By using sustainable energy, we reduce the embodied carbon of the whole build. This is something other constructions companies can look up to.”
The mobile energy plant is not limited to temporary buildings. The device can also be used in permanent buildings as a solution that can replace existing systems with minimal downtime, for example, in nursing homes where it can be pre-connected and almost immediately replace the existing heating system.
If you are looking for a solution for your project or an individually implemented heating and cooling system, contact us here.
