This summer sees the first completions at two large residential development sites in Cardiff. Both feature Recoups’ award-winning Waste Water Heat Recovery System (WWHRS) for showers, the ‘Pipe+ HE’, as part of energy efficiency measures implemented across the development.Cardiff Living’s Silvervale Park and twin sites Captain’s View & Captain’s Walk  add nearly 300 new homes to the local area as part of an exciting development partnership between Cardiff Council and national developer, Wates Residential. This will deliver 1,500 new homes over a 10-year period across a number of sites in Cardiff, with the first of three phases firmly underway. At least 40% (around 600) of these homes will be available for social rent. 

Energy efficiency measures, including award-winning Waste Water Heat Recovery Systems (WWHRS) for showers from Recoup, have been designed to make the dwellings more energy efficient, resulting in lower energy bills for households. In 2013 the Energy Saving Trust found that UK households collectively spend around £2.3billion per year on heating water for showers. Without the use of WWHRS, around 85% of this energy would simply be wasted down the drain. That’s a staggering £1.95billion spent, that has the potential to be recovered through technologies such as WWHRS.The Recoup Pipe+ HE is a simple, passive heat exchange technology that attaches to the shower waste pipe. In new build houses, it can reduce energy requirements and hot water bills for each shower use by up to 55%. It does this by recovering heat energy from the outgoing shower drain water and recycling this back into the Domestic Hot Water (DHW) system. There is no behavioural change or planned maintenance required over the product’s serviceable lifetime to save this energy.

As well as energy savings for the homeowner, WWHRS is also one of the most cost-effective SAP-listed measures available to a developer and a key reason for Wates Residential’s inclusion of Recoup WWHRS as part of its standard specification on Cardiff Living. Since being selected for this project, Recoup has also been selected as a Sustainable Technology partner to the wider Wates Group as through the Wates Sustainable Technology Services programme. This specialises in the facilitation, selection and implementation of proven sustainable solutions across the built environment by working with sustainable technology suppliers to help promote their offer across the Wates business, its supply chain and customers.“Recoup is proud to have the opportunity to work with Wates across the many sectors within their business, including new-build residential, retrofit and commercial projects”, commented Kieron Dudley, Director of Recoup WWHRS. “The inclusion of WWHRS as part of the specification by Cardiff Living highlights the partnership’s commitment to producing homes that meet high levels of sustainability and energy efficiency to help tackle fuel poverty.”¹ Cardiff Living is a new kind of housing partnership that offers the best in both private and affordable construction and development expertise alongside a strong commitment to communities and regeneration.² Wates Residential is part of the family-owned Wates Group, one of the UK’s leading construction, development and property services businesses, with over 120 years of residential construction expertise. Wates residential specialises in new-build and partnership housing development services, working collaboratively with housing associations and local authorities to deliver high-quality new homes.³ Recoup_WWHRS are the UK market leader for Waste Water Heat Recovery Systems (WWHRS) for Showers. Recoup are a Sustainable Technology Partner to Wates Group, and were selected in 2017 to provide WWHRS as part of the standard specification to ‘Cardiff Living’: a ten-year partnership between Cardiff Council and Wates Residential.