Big Tick winner

Environmental Impact, Highly Commended

GEDA Construction - Sustainable building

Eco-efficiency Award 2007

GEDA Construction’s expansion into sustainable building has reduced costs for them and their customers, whilst benefiting the environment.

Processes

GEDA is a Northern Irish-based construction company providing civil engineering, contract building and private property development services. 

The company firmly believes that sustainable building improves people’s health, reduces running costs, is beneficial for the environment and consequently helps differentiate GEDA from competitors.  GEDA’s new purpose built headquarters epitomise the company’s commitment to sustainability.  The building includes solar panels to provide hot water, an air to water heat exchange unit for under-floor heating, recycled rain water for toilet flushing and vehicle washing and earth pipe ventilation to reduce the need for air conditioning.  It also treats its own sewage on-site and uses a fuel interceptor to avoid water pollution from oil spillages.

Recognising a gap in the current market, GEDA has taken this approach into the residential sector with the eco-village, Coill Darach. The development was built using airtight construction methods along with insulating properties exceeding current regulations by in excess of 35%.  A Heat Recovery Ventilation system, solar panels, high efficiency boilers and the latest in temperature heating controls were also installed as standard in all homes.

Attracting visitors from several universities and being the subject of their research projects, while also attracting local businesses and even competitors, has meant that GEDA are now, in effect, training others in environmental technology use.

Impact

  • To date, the headquarters have saved over 60% on oil usage and 62% in electricity costs
  • The carbon emissions for the new headquarters are around 50% less than those for a standard build project
  • Coill Darach homes have combined energy savings of an estimated 67% compared with an average 3 bedroom semi-detached house
  • The technologies installed in Coill Darach eco-homes have resulted in an approximate 62.5% reduction in running costs for the consumer
  • In 2006, GEDA tender applications submitted increased by 157% on the previous year, one third of these involving environmental matters
  • GEDA’s PR coverage trebled in 2006

See also