The Frederick Street Apartment building in Te Aro in Wellington is one of the largest community housing projects completed to date. The 12-storey building has 75 apartments specifically designed for people with disabilities and complex needs. The building has a total occupancy of 120 people.

The Alternative Energy Company (TAEC) are proud to have supplied and installed the solar thermodynamic system which provides every apartment with domestic hot water and radiator heating. The radiator heating and domestic hot water are managed via a centralised system. On the roof of the building are 64 solar thermodynamic panels which collect heat from the surrounding air and the sun. Apart from the panels on the roof, the system also consists of two Energie Solar Block High temperature units and two 2000L stainless steel tanks with an internal coil for domestic hot water, and a 2000L stainless steel tank (with no internal coil) for the central heating.

The system is essentially a heat pump, and the added solar gain from having the panels on the roof make it extremely energy efficient. There is a video on the TAEC website which explains the working principle of solar thermodynamics. 

The design and build were done by McKee Fehl. Tony Mui from McKee Fehl construction management has this to say.

“We were in search of an eco-friendly solution for heating water and we couldn’t be happier with TAEC. The system helped us to achieve a Homestar rating on the apartment complex but also provides efficient and reliable hot water. We highly recommend it to any business who wants to make a positive environmental impact, while enjoying the benefits of a top-notch heating system.”