Showersave, part of The Keystone Group, which provides drain water heat recovery solutions, has collaborated with Currie Community High School to install Waste Water Heat Recovery Systems (WWHRS) as part of the school’s journey to Passivhaus certification.
Built as part of the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP), the £65 million facility in south-west Edinburgh accommodates 1,000 students and includes a swimming pool, theatre, café and extensive sports facilities.
LEIP is a joint initiative between national and local government that aims to modernise learning environments while delivering sustainable, long-term estate planning.
Pioneered by the City of Edinburgh Council, the project set out to achieve Passivhaus certification, an internationally recognised energy-efficiency standard that minimises energy consumption by reducing the reliance on active heating and cooling systems.
Passivhaus buildings are designed to be net-zero-ready and resilient to future climate conditions.
Demonstrating its commitment to these principles, the City of Edinburgh Council won the AJ100 Awards Client of the Year 2021 for its leadership on the climate agenda and visionary approach to education projects, citing Currie Community High School as a leading example.
Currie Community High School is only the third school in Scotland to be built to Passivhaus standards and is expected to consume 70% less energy than a conventional school. Its design has been modelled to withstand predicted climate changes up to 2080.
To support the whole-building approach required by Passivhaus, Kier Construction opted to install Showersave’s WWHRS. These systems capture heat from shower waste water and use it to preheat incoming cold water.
The WWHRS can achieve a reduction in the demand for hot water from the heat source by up to 50%, helping meet an operational target of 67 kWh/m2/year.
Showersave systems integrate seamlessly into showers, requiring no change in behaviour from students. With no moving parts or switches, they feature a built-in overflow for safety and are fully reusable and recyclable, making them an environmentally responsible choice.
At Currie Community High School, Showersave has benefited both students and the wider community. The facilities, including the pool, gym and sports hall, are all used outside of school hours, with showering facilities available after exercise.
Showersave’s WWHRS ensure every shower taken remains warm, is more efficient while cutting CO2 emissions, and reduces energy costs.
Cameron Loggenberg, Technical Manager at Showersave, commented: “It was fantastic to work alongside Currie Community High School to support their journey to net zero. The integration of Showersave’s WWHRS will significantly reduce energy consumption, lower costs, and improve SAP performance.”
Gerard McCluskey, Mechanical Engineer at Castle, added: “Showersave is an excellent addition to Currie Community High School’s efforts to create a low-carbon, energy-efficient facility for both students and the public.” The WWHRS will help ensure hot water demand does not put strain on the main heat source or drive up energy costs.”
Since 2005, more than 200,000 Showersave systems have been installed across the UK and Europe. Showersave is the only WWHR solution on the market designed, manufactured, and distributed by a single company – streamlining the supply chain and allowing the business to respond swiftly to the fast-evolving demands of the industry.
