By Angela Green, Content Executive: Construction of an ‘energy positive’ lodge at Devon resort getting underway.
Hotel News is sponsored by HotelPartner UK
As part of its ongoing commitment to the environment and target to be a Net Zero resort, L+R Hotels has designed a ground-breaking Energy Positive Lodge for its newest development, The Mole Resort in Devon, with construction work due to begin this month.
The lodge is so-called because it produces more energy than it consumes – generating its energy through an array of Solar PV panels and with a fabric first approach at the heart of its design.
A showcase of sustainable development and energy efficiency, this innovative lodge allows guests to play their part in tackling the climate crisis by offering them a stay at the Mole Resort, knowing they will not only be in a lodge that is first of its kind, but also setting new standards in green energy.
Features of the Energy Positive Lodge include:
- Shower heat recovery – a heat recovery system works by extracting the heat from waste water from baths and showers. This is used to heat the incoming mains water for showers, reducing the requirement for the energy to heat water up to temperature.
- Sustainable lighting is used throughout the lodge.
- Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems use a heat exchanger to capture the warmth of stale air from inside the building to heat the incoming air and are highly efficient – up to 85% of energy is retained.
- Insulation – high performing and well insulated building fabric – achieving floor and roof U-values of 0.1 and 0.12 w/mk respectively.
- Triple Glazed – the third pane of glass located halfway between the inner and outer panes of double glazing, creates two air locks which improves the energy performance of regular double glazing by around 50%.
- High Temperature Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) – used as part of an efficient all-electric heating solution which includes heating the hot tub – ERP rated A++.
- Sunamp – heat batteries use a patented phase change material that provides a low carbon, reliable space-saving thermal battery storage system. The energy is released to deliver hot water.
- 1 battery at 2.4KW – storing power for when it is needed.
- 7KW electric vehicle charging point.
Critically, many of the features have been adopted on other lodges at the resort, delivering an average reduction in CO2 of 43.68%, far exceeding the planning CO2 target of 15% over Part L Building Regulations.
John Allen, Development Director, L+R Hotels, commented: “People are aware of the climate crisis as the greatest challenge facing our society at the moment. Being eco-conscious is at the heart of everything we do, and I believe this lodge is leading the change in terms of green buildings in the leisure sector – we think it’s the first of its kind.”
“Our team spoke at the early stages [of The Mole] about the design, and being committed to reducing the environmental impact of the construction, to provide cleaner, more sustainable developments for future generations.”
He added: “We are trying to set a precedent within the industry and offer guests the opportunity to contribute in tackling the climate crisis. It leads the charge on showing what is possible and the associated paybacks of all these latest innovations. The more these technologies are embraced, the more we can drive down the cost and scale on these technologies.”
“I genuinely believe we’re the first to offer this to the holiday lodge market and we’re sure with such exceptional green credentials it will be very popular.”
Hotel News is sponsored by HotelPartner UK
