Waldeck’s new idea which was recently implemented on a leading sustainable store, has gained the ‘approved innovation’ credit from the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

Jordan Magee of BRE Global, said “This application relates to the use of rainwater to provide evaporative cooling. Evaporative cooling is an established if relatively uncommon technology. The use of rainwater to reduce the demand for potable water already attracts BREEAM Credits. However I am not aware of any other previous use of rainwater for this purpose and Waldeck has shown that the use of rainwater for evaporative cooling does not restrict its use for other purposes in the building.”

Adam Machan, Waldeck’s Project Manager on the scheme, said: “Since 2017, we have been working with the client, a home furnishings giant, to help them go big with green credentials at a new flagship store and this ‘approved innovation’ through the BRE is testament to work well done.

“As part of our application, we showed that this modification to the system, which is predicted to provide 34kW of cooling to the store for every 1kW of grid supplied electricity as a seasonal average, could also save 167m³ of mains water per year.”

BREEAM support innovation within the construction industry and its supply chain by rewarding construction projects that go above and beyond best practice in terms of a particular aspect of sustainability.