North West Fire & Rescue Services PFI Project

Colin SchofieldProject Manager

Tony ClarkeSeymour Harris Architecture on behalf of Balfour Beatty

Damian Poyzer Ferguson Brown

Background

• Largest UK FRS building project

• Joint Project

• Cumbria, Lancashire & Merseyside FRS

• 16 sites

• Economies of scale

Background• Buildings in poor state of repair

• Lack of investment

• No community facilities

• Costly to maintain

• Energy inefficient

• Authorities’ responsibilitiesSouthport Fire Station

Background• Private Finance Initiative

• Competitive Dialogue

• Output Specification

• Environment v Affordability

• Selected Bidder - Balfour Beatty Fire & Rescue

Output Specification• Sustainable consumption & production

• BREEAM

• Climate change

• Natural resource protection

• Sustainable communities

Not Scored

Outstanding

Pass

GoodVery Good

Excellent

Unlikely to be Achieved

Achieveable

Air source heat pump

Solar hot water collector

Green Roof

BREEAM

Output Specification

• Travel/location

• Water

• Waste

• Energy

• Procurement

• Biodiversity

• Climate Change impact

• Social impact

Introducing Sustainability into UK fire stations

Introduction

– Significance of Fire Authority estate in contributing to U.K sustainability agenda

• Size of estate, condition of existing estate, new estate

– The Fire Authority’s agenda to meet its responsibility

• Policy, targets, dates, timeframe, tools for putting policy to practice

– Our experience • Application of experience from NWFS

Sustainable Design Drivers

– Fire Authority - Output specification• BREEAM• EPC rating

– National, Regional, Local Planning Authority

• 10% LZC, at least 10% of total energy demand to be met by on site renewable energy or low carbon sources

• Specific LZC preferences technologies (Wind turbine CHP PV’s Bio Mass)

– Industry Best Practice (now setting targets)

• Carbon Trust Ltd: better than or equal to 385 kwh/m2/p.a (fossil fuel) and 55 kwh/m2/p.a. (electricity)

“The community fire stations and other associated new accommodation, other than temporary accommodation must aim for

a target of ’excellent’ BREEAM, or equivalent, rating. A BREEAM rating which is less than ‘very good’ will not be acceptable to

NWFRS.”North West Fire and Rescue Services PFI Project, Output

Specification, Volume 3, FINAL VERSION 21 01 09

Design to Meet the LZC Challenge

Building design •Optimum levels of thermal insulation.•U-values better than minimum design limits included in

Part L.•Self closing devices on external doors.

LZC Technology choice•Aero-thermal heat pumps•full variable refrigerant volume (VRV) system combining the

benefits of the Aero-thermal heat pump with ceiling mounted fan coils.

•Variable Speed Drives (VSDs)

Heating, ventilation and cooling •Building Energy Management System (BEMS)•EC/DC fan motors where practical•Ventilation heat recovery units

North West 10% LZC

Lighting•high frequency control gear•Daylight and occupancy sensing•External lighting daylight and time control.

Control equipment •flexible user controls with set-back

function •time scheduling functions •Time and occupancy based controls

Energy Monitoring•BEMS•Set, monitor, and report against targets

for energy use

Design to Meet the LZC Challenge

• Rating TargetsNorth West

• Very Good rating minimum across all sites.• Excellent rating at three sites (one for each authority)

( Other fire PFI’s requiring excellent across all sites, looking for Outstanding as ‘added value’)

• New ‘Fire Stations’ criteria

BREEAM

Key BREEAM Impacts • Consultation

• Ecology and Land Use - Bio Diversity - best use of land - amenity areas - Green roofs – Blackburn

• Materials– LCA– Robust – Suppliers– Site waste management plan (Green Guide to Materials)

Additional to BREEAM and % LZC

• Fire Authority requirements• Electric car charging points (NWFS)• Cycle requirements (NW)

• Local Authority Sustainability statements (20% new target)

• Energy statements

• Travel Plan • Cycle schemes

• Inclusion of habitat development • Green Roof (Blackburn)

» Flood » Ecology

Balancing the Challenges

Conflicts can arise between requirements

1. Balance between natural ventilations & acoustics - noisy city centre sites

- air quality - noise

- combination of open-able Windows & mechanical ventilation

2. Material Choices - ease of maintenance verses technology choice examples

3. Space conflicts - bio diverse roof / photovoltaic

- competition for roof space

4. Bio mass boilers - space for storage

- NW air sourced heat pumps

5. Affordability - separate issue but potentially the greener you are the more experience the

scheme can be.

6. Pedestrian / Cycle access egress

Closing statement

It is always a challenge but….

A community fire station for the 21st century

• you can do it

• it is affordable

• it doesn’t affect design quality

• a few before after’s

Blackburn Fire Station

Workington Fire Station

Southport Fire Station

Existing Proposed