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As part of the Ministry of Justice’s £2.3 billion investment into new prisons, many HM Prison (HMP) sites are working on expansion projects to increase capacity. However, as net-zero targets become an increasing Government priority, contractors working on public sector construction projects are under pressure to create highly sustainable, yet economical buildings, that deliver on sustainability goals and targets quickly.
As the leader in sustainability, and the master of seeking out solutions that hit every client brief, Premier Modular makes the natural choice for industries looking to make immediate impact to their carbon footprint.
Premier Modular was appointed by Kier to deliver a series of temporary modular buildings across four HMP sites. The modular facilities needed to provide high-quality, customised spaces within tight timeframes, whilst also integrating as many environmentally-conscious features as possible, to align with strict sustainability goals as set out at project start.
When designing and installing sustainable temporary buildings, finding suitable technologies that deliver a meaningful return, both economically and environmentally, within the time it is onsite, can be a major hurdle.
Renewable energy integrations, like solar panels and rainwater harvesting, are often used in modular building projects due to a whole host of sustainability benefits. However, when faced with finding solutions for shorter term rental projects, not all the same benefits are realised and innovative solutions that deliver quick results need to be sought. Solar PV, for example, is often the go-to solution in construction to help reduce reliance on fossil fuels for energy and improve cost-efficiency of running the building. Although absolutely true, its extended payback period, which can typically be around seven years, can make it difficult to apply in rental or temporary settings where a building may only be on site for two to three years. In this case, whilst solar PV is a great way to support sustainability onsite, any financial return from solar panels would fall well outside the duration of the project.
For the more temporary building projects, such as those at HMP, a solution was needed that offered both environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness, no matter how long the building remained in situ.
To offer a market-leading solution that hit all corners of HMP’s sustainability goals, we teamed up with UK-based clean tech company measurable.energy, who aim to eliminate wasted energy from buildings and construction sites. Our partnership transformed sustainability across the project sites by installing AI-powered smart socket technology inside the new modular buildings.
Unlike traditional environmental solutions, the smart socket system excels in temporary modular environments as it provides a ‘plug and play’ model, offering energy and cost savings instantly. The smart socket technology actively identifies and eliminates plug load energy waste through automated, appliance-level control. This not only helps cut carbon emissions but also significantly reduces operational costs, making it ideal for short-term use where traditional renewable options like solar PV’s results are less instantaneous.
The smart sockets are quick to install, require minimal user intervention, and are able to provide real-time data on energy consumption and emissions. Not only do rental buildings themselves lower a project’s embodied carbon and lessens its impact on the environment, this technology integration helps set a new benchmark for sustainability in modular public sector construction, particularly for sectors that rely on temporary buildings.
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