Sustainable building practices and technologies for reduced carbon footprints

 

We work hard to protect the environment. From the efficiency of the buildings we deliver and our production processes, to the way we run our business. Portakabin was the first modular building company that committed to meeting the challenges of the Major Contractors Group Sustainability Charter. We remain just as committed today to sustainable buildings, actively assessing and improving our performance on an ongoing basis.

  1. In-house sustainable-design experts

    Our in-house sustainable-design team are highly experienced in environmental and energy performance analysis techniques and utilise these approaches to ensure that sustainability is at the core of our design philosophies when we produce buildings.

    The advantage that we offer by having in-house Architectural, Engineering and Sustainability teams is important. Having a complete design team that works together on a daily basis ensures that a thorough examination of all design options is carried out throughout the design development to create buildings that work both aesthetically as well as environmentally.

  2. SMART Building

    Our SMART building, located at our head office in York, brings together in a real-life setting the new innovative products and services we can provide. Our focus is sustainability and reducing our customers’ energy and water use to help them save operating costs and improve their environmental footprint.

    The building brings to life more sustainable options like heat pumps, low-flush toilets, solar PV, battery storage and smart lighting so customers can see for themselves just how the new products can work together.

  3. Responsible construction

     

    • We source timber from FSC certified sustainable and managed sources
    • Our PUR insulation has high thermal and structural performance, allowing us to minimise material use and construction time while delivering long-lasting, high-performance panels
    • We use lean engineering to make our manufacturing processes as efficient as possible
    • Intelligent design removes waste-generating operations from the manufacturing process
    • Since January 2012 we have proudly upheld our Zero Waste to Landfill achievement at our main manufacturing site in York, with any non-recyclable waste incinerated for power generation

  4. Air permeability rates that exceed targets

    Precision-made steel-framed buildings minimise air leakage for improved thermal efficiency, lower running costs and reduced carbon emissions.

    To demonstrate compliance with Building Regulations, measured air permeability should not be worse than the limiting value of 8 m3/(h∙m2) @ 50 Pa. The specific results that we get after completing air tightness measurements on our modular buildings are much lower.

    This contributes to decreasing the heat loss from our buildings and consequently associated building CO2 emission rates.

  1. Thermal compliance (BBA)

    The insulated, steel-framed Portakabin modular building system features a composite panel construction that ensures continuity of insulation across the building envelope. This design reduces the risk of condensation and delivers optimum thermal efficiency. All of our thermal calculations and the values given on the BBA certificates have been carried out using 3D modelling and the results independently verified by BBA.

  2. Sustainable design options for your buildings

    To enhance the environmental performance of your building you can choose from a range of sustainable-design options.

    Low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies such as solar heating systems, passive ventilation, air-source and ground-source heat pumps and green roofs can easily be incorporated into your building.

    Our standard products include energy efficient LED lighting and heating controlled by wireless controllers. Purpose-provided passive natural ventilation minimises energy consumption for both environmental and economic benefits as well as a comfortable working environment.

    It is also possible to upgrade your building to include low carbon, energy efficient technologies.

  3. Electric vehicle (EV) chargers

    As electric vehicles become more common the need for employers to offer EV charging at the workplace has grown. Workplace EV charging promotes sustainable transportation options by encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles.

    By providing charging infrastructure, businesses contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Increased use of electric vehicles also contributes to a reduction in Scope 3 emissions from employee commuting and business mileage.

    Workplace EV charging is convenient and eliminates the need for employees to rely solely on the public charging infrastructure.

    Portakabin offers an intelligent 7kW AC EV charger that is suitable for commercial charging.       

    • Up to 30 miles charging range per hour
    • Smart charging software compatible
    • 3 year warranty
    • Also available in 22kW depending on available electrical load.

  4. Energy efficient building services

    • LED lighting
    • Daylight-linked, smart lighting controls
    • Mechanical heat recovery ventilation

  5. Clean technologies

    • Air or ground source heat pumps - Portakabin offers an all in one, wall mounted air conditioning system meaning that there is no external condensing unit.

      The heat pump gives excellent energy efficiency which contributes to the customer’s environmental commitments.

      The technically advanced system uses R290 refrigerant gas, which does not require any on-site refrigerant plumbing and provides both space conditioning and ventilation in a single unit.

      The unit is equipped with a high-performance heat pump that provides effective and energy-efficient heating and cooling in addition to dehumidification and fan-only modes. This flexibility makes it suitable for use in various applications.

      There is also a user-friendly control panel with a digital display and touch controls for easy operation.

    • Green roofs – The additional level of insulation reduces heat loss from our buildings, but also provides a macro environment for wildlife species

  6. Renewable energy

    • Solar thermal heating – These systems harness energy from the sun to generate heating and to provide hot water, as well as reducing hot water bills. Solar thermal technology is particularly suited to buildings that have high hot water use.

     

    • Solar photovoltaics – Photovoltaic systems use solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity. Generated electricity can be used directly in your building and surplus can be stored in batteries or exported for use by others as these systems are generally used in parallel with the electricity grid. The photovoltaic (PV) modules can be roof-mounted or integrated into the roof or walls of your modular building.

  7. Third-party recognition

    A number of our products and processes have gained third party accreditation or recognition such as ISO 14001 accreditation for environmental management and a 4 Star rating by the zero waste recognition scheme Investors in Zero Waste.

PPN 0621 Carbon Reduction Plan

Our Carbon reduction plan document which aligns with PPN 0621 can be found here.

As a school, we are very passionate about the environment and it really appealed to us that refurbished buildings are a highly sustainable alternative to new build because the steel structure is recycled.

Nadine Doble, Business Manager, The Piggott School

Certifications and Accreditations

Find out more about third party verification for our products and processes

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