About this group
Forge Valley Community School opened in September 2011 as an amazing Eco-School building with many features to reduce our impact on the environment. Staff and students are looking forward to some very exciting innovations and ideas in the building.
Forge Valley is a unique school in our region being one of the first nationally to be opened by parents, staff and our local community. We will be in the enviable position to offer its students and staff, the latest state-of-the-art facilities and most innovative learning opportunities available in this area for 11-19 year olds. We hope that the school will be enjoyed by the whole community, not just students and staff. Our sports centre will be accessible for community use as well as clubs, evening classes and through community events throughout the year.
We want Forge Valley to be one of the most environmentally aware and carbon neutral in the country. We have already ensured that we are reducing our carbon footprint with the design of the building such as:
· Solar Thermal hot water boost to the Sports Block.
· Improved building fabric thermal performance above minimum regulatory requirements.
· Solar shading to the South facade rooms to reduce solar heating.
· Mixed mode (fan extraction boost to natural) ventilation where medium additional ICT heat gains are expected (e.g. ICT rich rooms).
· Supply and extract ventilation with heat exchange provisions to large volume spaces (Main Halls, Sports Hall, Lecture Theatre) requiring forced ventilation.
· High efficiency lighting provisions throughout the school.
· Intelligent lighting control provisions in all teaching and office spaces including absence monitoring (PIR) and switch off, daylight dimming (2 rows), whiteboard switching, and absence monitoring and switching to all store rooms.
· Building Management Systems and Energy Metering to both monitor and control aspects of building heating, ventilation (to atrium space) and energy use, including zoning provisions throughout the school.
· Sanitary ware and fittings selected to minimise water usage and prevent undetected leakages e.g. percussion taps and low flush WC's and low volume usage showers.
· Water recycling system which will be used for flushing toilets.
· Biomass boiler which will be used for a large proportion of the heating in the building.
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