Sky starts broadcasting from Europe’s greenest studio

06/08/2011

Leading television company Sky opened the doors to its new, state-of-the-art production facility in London earlier this week, which is being hailed as the most sustainable broadcasting facility in Europe.

Sky Studios, situated in West London, stands at 100 metres long and 50 metres wide and boasts an on-site wind turbine, a biomass-fired combined cooling and heating power(CCHP) plant and naturally ventilated studios and office space. According to Sky, the company has invested approximately £233 million in the site, which houses recording, post production and transmission facilities for Sky’s Broadcast and Sports News departments.

"Opening Sky Studios is a significant step in Sky’s development," Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s chief executive, said. "Not only is Sky Studios the most environmentally sustainable broadcasting facility in Europe, it’s cutting edge technology will also help us continue to create ground-breaking and innovative programming long into the future."

Green features

Designed by Arup Associates, the facility was built to capture every viable natural resource on the site and to radically minimise energy use, according to Sky. The CCHP plant provides sufficient green energy to reduce the carbon emissions of the building by more than 20 per cent and enough energy annually to power the equivalent of 3000 homes, and heat 600 homes. The wind turbine generates enough electricity to power 90 per cent of the facility’s lighting, while various water efficiency measures, including a rainwater harvesting system, have cut down water usage.

The facility includes eight state-of-the-art naturally ventilated studios, 45 edit suites, 14 voice-over suites, four audio suites and on site post-production facilities, as well as free-cooled data rooms for more than 400 computer servers. According to Sky, the facility has five levels, each the size of a football pitch.

The building has achieved BREEAM 'Excellent' rating and has achieved an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) 'A’ rating.

Sky’s efforts at energy efficiency resulted in Sky Studios being named 'Sustainable Project of the Year’ at the 2010 Sustainability Awards. The company was also nominated for awards at The Guardian Sustainability Awards 2011, Building Awards 2011 and 2011 Sustainable Energy Europe Award.

greenwisebusiness.co.uk

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