An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD officially opened Diageo’s new €169m state-of-the-art Brewhouse No. 4 during a ceremony conducted at St James Gate, Dublin, on 10 September.
Brewhouse No. 4 is so named for being the fourth brewhouse in the 255-year history of St. James Gate, the largest stout brewery in the world. The new Brewhouse, the first facility of its kind in Ireland, is capable of producing over 2 billion pints each year, the majority of which is intended for export to 130 markets around the globe.
RKD project-managed the certification process to achieve LEED Platinum and BREEAM Outstanding status by leading an expert team comprising consultants, specialists, contractors and the commissioning team. The process involved full engagement with United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and Building Research Establishment (BRE).
Construction of the new 10,000 square metre facility involved 1,000 people on what was the largest building site in Ireland in 2012, the equivalent of two million man-hours worked. It is one of the largest brewing projects in the world.
From an Irish perspective the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) approved the use of Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM) to evaluate energy efficiency opportunities. The building itself is carbon neutral, the first and only non-domestic building in the Republic of Ireland to achieve the top Building Energy Rating, A1.
The team adopted the Energy Efficient Design (EED) methodology to design, construct and manage the project to achieve minimum energy consumption. EED was the key to reducing energy usage during the operational phase. In turn, capital cost savings were achieved in both utilities and processes. CO2 emissions were reduced significantly.
Given the scale and complexity of the project, the achievement of “zero waste to landfill” was an environmental triumph.
Some sustainability features that contributed to the achievement of LEED Platinum and BREEAM Outstanding certification include:
- Variable speed-variable temperature ventilation system
- Lighting control and occupational sensing and monitoring of lighting systems
- Extensive metered building services to monitor energy and water use consumption
- Enhanced commissioning and verification of building services including post occupancy seasonal testing
- Full air-tightness installation and enhanced u-values to all building elements
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