The new Innovation Centre at the University of Exeter has been awarded the top rating in the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) thanks in part to a rainwater harvesting system installed by Stormsaver.

The building, which was completed late last year, was deemed excellent by BREEAM’s assessors as it meets the highest possible environmental standards.

The Stormsaver system will harvest over 1,000m3 of rainwater from the building’s 1,500m2 roof every year. The reclaimed water will be fed into a 25,000 litre tank where it will be filtered. Once treated, the water will be used in the flushing of toilets and urinals, saving over £1,400 on the centre’s annual water bill.

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Built for The University of Exeter and the South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA), the new development provides an innovative space for those working within knowledge-based industries. Tenants will operate in a diverse range of disciplines including biological science, environmental innovation, ICT and advanced manufacturing.

Andrew Bannock, Professional Services Manager for the South West RDA, said: "Rainwater harvesting is one of a number of environmental features the RDA looks at when assessing building performance.

"The incorporation of rainwater harvesting into the design of this highly environmental building contributed to it gaining a BREEAM excellent award and an environmental performance index of 10, the highest possible."

Construction was supervised by Kier Western’s Area Contracts Manager Simon Parsons and procurement of materials by Senior Buyer Derek Jefferson.

(CD)