Mark Group

National energy efficiency company make their MARK with role in UK's first eco supported housing project

Tuesday 20 March 2007

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The future’s bright for a Leeds housing project which has become the first solar powered and sustainable supported accommodation in the UK, thanks to help from the Mark Group.

Faith Lodge, a residential hostel for people recovering from alcohol related difficulties, has just completed a £600,000 ‘green’ refurbishment, designed to make it as energy efficient and sustainable as possible. The all new eco-hostel was officially opened this month by the Duke of Gloucester, who was given a full tour of the site and the environmental improvements that have been made.

At the centre of the refurbishment are five solar panels, installed on the roof and angled to capture sunlight for the maximum amount of time each day solar panels and solar hot water system were installed by MARK group – specialists in whole house energy efficiency solutions and with offices across the UK – and the only UK company to offer the full range of energy efficiency products including insulation,heat pumps and wind turbines.

Faith Lodge is believed to be the first supported housing hostel of its type in the UK to become self-sustainable – with the systems in place putting the project well on the road to being almost entirely carbon neutral. Faith Lodge was renovated through a funding partnership between St George’s Crypt, a Leeds based charity which has been dedicated to helping the homeless in Leeds for 77 years, and Leeds City Council.

Bill Rumble, Director of the Mark Group, said: “It’s wonderful to be involved in a project to provide vulnerable people with a sustainable living environment and enable St George’s to maximise the energy efficiency of the building.
“I hope this becomes a beacon project for other such similar establishments and in doing so can help make a meaningful contribution to cutting carbon emissions and tackling climate change.”

Faith Lodge’s ‘green’ refurbishment has been praised by the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, who has declared himself “really impressed” by the innovations at the project.

Mr Benn, MP for Leeds Central, said: “I am really impressed by the environmental measures that have been installed as part of this restoration project. It shows what can be done to help the environment at the same time as helping the clients at Faith Lodge.”

The hostel also has a “rain water harvesting” system to cut down on waste,low-energy lighting,efficient insulation and plans for a power generating wind turbine to be installed. A small weather station has been temporarily installed to test for wind suitability for the proposed turbine, which will produce precise rainfall and wind speed data for Leeds and Yorkshire for the next four to five months.

Residents from Faith Lodge will assist in the collation and compilation of the rainfall and wind speed data as part of the educational training programmes offered at the project.

Gary Stott,Chief Executive Officer of St George’s Crypt, said: “We are very excited at the refurbishment of Faith Lodge. Not only will we be able to provide real opportunities for our residents to learn vital new skills, but we will also be making a contribution to using energy at the hostel much more effectively.”

The solar panels will mean a constant supply of hot water to the hostel. The hot water is fed into storage cylinders in the basement which will supply the hostel’s 15 bedrooms, which all have en suite facilities, as well as the kitchens and washing machines.

The panels are expected to provide sufficient heat for all the hostel’s needs in summer and a substantial part in winter. Following the success of the refurbishment at Faith Lodge, St George’s Crypt have plans to ‘green up’ their other hostel facility Regent Terrace, also in Leeds, in the near future.

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