Ethos Public Relations Manchester

EcoPod installed at Blackfriar Court

by Ethos public relations

This week, residents living at Blackfriar Court in Salford witnessed an impressive feat of engineering as a massive ‘EcoPod’ was installed on the building.

Residents looked on from a great vantage point with refreshments provided by construction and regeneration company Emanuel Whittaker who are installing the pod on behalf of Salix Homes.

The EcoPod Heating System combines highly efficient cascade boilers with solar power and will result in considerable savings on utility bills of up to 43% a year for tenants at Blackfriar Court.

Ian McCune Site Manager for Emanuel Whittaker on the project said: “This is an impressive piece of equipment weighing around 6.3 tons. It takes around five hours to prepare and install (weather permitting) and we have had to hire a special crane to lift it into place 229 feet on top of the building."

Oldham based Emanuel Whittaker is working with Salix Homes to refurbish the 88 properties at Blackfriar Court as part of Salix’s £51.8 million decent homes investment programme. External work includes rendering, insulation and new windows. Once the EcoPod has been installed Emanuel Whittaker start work inside the building, providing residents with new kitchens, bathrooms, re-wiring, new front doors, and the new heating system.

Colin Goodall, Investment Delivery Manager at Salix Homes, said: “We are improving homes across Central Salford and making them more energy efficient through the Decent Homes investment programme.

“Once the EcoPod system is installed, Blackfriar Court residents can look forward to more affordable heating and hot water. The system is also more environmentally-friendly and will help reduce carbon emissions in the area.”

Local resident Paul Brodie said: “Finally, we see organisations working towards a greener future while reducing Fuel Poverty for current and future residents in high rise tower blocks.

“This is something that members of Vertical Villages, the local Residents Association, completely support and endorse. More projects like this should be the norm rather than the exception and we look forward to further partnership work to achieve even more!”

Posted at 17^th July 2012