Arts and events company SWG3 is heating up as it plans to introduce a state-of-the-art renewable heating and cooling system to the venue, transforming body heat from clubbers and gig-goers into a source of energy to be used again.
The first of its kind to be installed in Scotland, BODYHEAT uses heat pumps and fluids to capture the incredible amounts of body heat generated by SWG3’s crowds, channelling their combined energy into twelve 150m-deep bore holes drilled beneath the venue. This heat can then either be used immediately to cool the audience, or stored under the ground until it’s needed to heat the building.
BODYHEAT, which the venue will launch in November 2021 with a DJ Honey Dijon party, is part of Going Net Zero, their bold ambition to become a carbon neutral venue. It is hoped that the system is installed by before Glasgow hosts COP26.
Idly mingling, a human body radiates about 100 watts of excess heat, which can add up fast in confined spaces – and the enormous amount of heat that people dancing at clubs or gigs generate is currently ejected into the atmosphere as waste.
With this new system in place, the venue will be able to utilise that warmth, consuming minimal electricity and gas on site and in turn minimising our carbon emissions. Based on the number of people who set foot in our space across one year, it’s estimated that we will save 70 tonnes of C02 annually.
Andrew Fleming Brown, Managing Director, said
“There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought huge challenges to the events sector around the world, but it has also created a seismic jolt across businesses – underlining the need for a stable and sustainable future. BODYHEAT is our innovative contribution to a global issue, and will help us to dramatically decrease our energy consumption – bringing us one step closer to becoming a carbon neutral venue in the not so distant future.”