When we decided to expand Highcliffe, we carefully considered our responsibility to the environment and have tried to introduce some important sustainable elements to the design and construction of our new buildings. We want to ensure we are doing our bit, investing in the future as well as giving our guests a great holiday! Read on to find out exactly what we’ve done.
Out of sight, the new Reception roof is covered with a SolarEdge photovoltaic system (PV). We chose this particular brand because, unlike their competitors, each module is optimised and monitored, and they are one of the most efficient solar power systems on the market.
Our panels will supply power to all areas of the reception, from the air conditioning in the gym to the electric car charging points.
More and more of our guests are turning to electric cars to reduce their carbon footprint, and we are looking forward to supporting their choice by installing some EV charging points for our guests to use.
One of our favourite locally-sourced materials is the Tadelakt plaster used on the reception walls, supplied by Cornish company Clayworks. This style of plaster is non-toxic, breathable and derived from natural materials. The manufacturing process uses only a small amount of energy and produces zero waste.
All of the hot water and heat is generated by our ground source heat pumps. This is one of the most efficient and sustainable systems, with no need for fuel, no sound pollution and zero emissions (when powered from our EV roof!).
We have installed a HUGE attenuation tank beneath the reception car park to collect surface water, avoid flooding and run-off onto neighbouring land. The water will be filtered and released into the water table steadily instead.
From the outset, our architects were briefed to include as much natural light as possible. As well as the feel-good factor, the ‘solar-gain’ makes a huge difference in the temperature regulation of the building (along with the much less glamorous, but equally important, triple glazed windows and substantial insulation!).
