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Zeal Hotels has appointed James Ferdinando as sustainable development lead, a new role aimed at supporting the group’s expansion across the UK.
Ferdinando joins from RED Construction, where he was group head of sustainability and led work on the voco Zeal Exeter Science Park hotel. The recently opened site is InterContinental Hotels Group’s first branded net zero carbon hotel and has been designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating – the highest available under the sustainability assessment method.
The hotel incorporates solar energy systems and aims to be the first in Western Europe to reach the ‘Outstanding’ certification level. It has been built to operate at low Energy Use Intensity (EUI), a benchmark measure for energy performance.
Ferdinando said the group was focused on a “repeatable model” covering design, construction, fit-out and operational energy use.
He said: “Having completed the build we are now measuring a wide number of data points, including energy consumption and overall carbon impact, to meet and hopefully exceed our targets, proving the concept.
“It is important to us that we meet our ambitions of true net zero carbon, by producing more energy than we consume over an annual period. With the use of innovative roof and façade PV systems (the first in the UK), we aim to achieve a zero net energy balance.”
Zeal Hotels is also part of a pilot for the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, a scheme intended to set consistent definitions for low-carbon buildings across sectors, including hospitality. The initiative is linked to the UK’s 2050 legally binding carbon reduction targets.
Ferdinando added: “We are delighted to be a part of a project which will set verifiable standards across the UK and one which includes, for the first time, hotels. Our intentions are to meet the 2050 standards when they come out and at this stage we are confident that we will.”
Tim Wheeldon, founding director of Zeal Hotels, said: “We are thrilled to have James as part of Zeal Hotels. He was an invaluable member of the team during the construction of the voco Zeal Exeter Science Park and we look forward to him driving further innovation as we grow across the UK.”
