Greencore Construction’s development awarded first place in green energy competition on Earth Day as next category opens
An Abingdon company is the first winner of a competition to discover Oxfordshire’s most impactful green energy initiatives.
Greencore Construction’s pioneering development of 25 high performance, low carbon homes at Springfield Meadows in Southmoor (pictured above) was deemed exemplary in the Built Environment & Communities category of Energy Pathfinders: 2050 (EP:50), a new competition run by Oxfordshire Greentech and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) to identify and showcase the county’s leading carbon reduction initiatives.
Entries were evaluated by experts from industry, academia, and the public sector, who will also judge the second category of the competition: Transport & Infrastructure, which is now open to entries.
The EP:50 announcement comes as millions of people across the world take part in Earth Day, a global event that champions a zero-carbon future.
Greencore’s project boasts zero embodied carbon and is net-zero carbon in use, with the second phase being ‘Climate Positive’ – locking up more carbon than emitted and generating more energy than used – thanks to bio-based materials, photovoltaic panels, and energy sourced from a green provider.
Its ambitious scale-up plans also impressed the judges, with Greencore aiming to build 500 Climate Positive houses over five years, creating employment for people with a wide range of skills and backgrounds.
Pictured above (Left to right): Lewis Knight, Programme Manager, Oxfordshire Greentech; Ian Pritchett, Managing Director, Greencore Construction; James Pritchett, PR and Marketing, Greencore Construction; and Rob Panting, Communications Manager, Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP).
Ahmed Goga, EP:50’s Chair and Director of Strategy at OxLEP, said: “Among strong submissions to this first category, Greencore Construction’s development is an exemplar of what EP:50 is seeking out: projects with positive environmental impact pertinent to Oxfordshire’s Energy Strategy, bolstered by a strong sense of social justice, diversity, and innovative thinking. These values reflect the kind of approach to zero carbon development that we want to encourage across Oxfordshire.
“It’s also an example of Oxfordshire’s world-leading approach and commitment to clean energy– an important message to communicate ahead of this autumn’s COP26 event in Glasgow.”
Hannah Scott, EP:50’s Deputy Chair and Senior Project Officer at Oxfordshire Greentech, said: “We were delighted by the quality of applications to this category, which focused on projects making Oxfordshire a greener place to live and work.
"Greencore demonstrated the greatest merit in line with the competition’s guiding principles: impact, scope for scale-up, and economic importance to Oxfordshire. We are particularly proud that Greencore are a valued member of our innovative Oxfordshire Greentech network, and are excited to see where their ambitions will lead them next.”
Ian Pritchett, Managing Director at Greencore Construction added: “We have always been confident in Springfield Meadows’ potential to have a positive impact on greener living in the area, so to have its social and environmental value confirmed by the judges of EP:50 is a fantastic feeling.
"We look forward to getting involved further in representing Oxfordshire’s green capabilities over the coming months.”
Entries open
The EP:50 competition continues with the second category, Transport & Infrastructure, now open for entries until 4 July 2021. This will be followed by Category 3: Energy Efficiency & Demand Reduction. The scope and timing of the competition reflects Oxfordshire’s preparations in the run-up to COP26 climate change summit in November. Organisations wishing to submit projects or register an interest can find more details on the OxLEP and Oxfordshire Greentech websites.
The EP:50 project aligns closely with the county’s energy strategy which outlines a path to zero carbon by 2050, as well as supporting a drive to generate a further £1.35bn each year to the local economy, helping to create at least 11,000 new jobs in the low-carbon sector by 2030. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the low-carbon energy sector generated £1.15bn each year to the Oxfordshire economy.
