BODYHEAT – TownRock is ready to deliver a world-first renewable heating system in Glasgow
TownRock Energy is hugely excited to announce that it will begin construction of its unique renewable heating and cooling system at SWG3, Glasgow’s innovative events hub, in January 2022. The project, aptly named BODYHEAT, was officially launched during COP26 when SWG3 hosted the New York Times Climate Hub. Sunday 7 November saw iconic DJ, Honey Dijon, headlining a sell-out concert in the main event space which was enhanced by a temporary art installation of 197 trees.
BODYHEAT works by capturing the heat generated by clubbers and gig-goers when dancing. The energy is collected and piped to boreholes located in SWG3’s community garden. The rock surrounding the boreholes, which are drilled to a depth of 150-200m, stores the heat for use days, weeks or months later. The energy is then retrieved as required and, with the help of heat pumps, is piped around the venue to heat (or cool) different rooms and provide hot water.
The project was the brainchild of TownRock Energy’s CEO, David Townsend. The idea chimed with SWG3’s founder and managing director, Andrew Fleming-Brown, who was looking at ways to develop the venue in an environmentally and sustainable way with a commitment to it becoming net zero by 2025. BODYHEAT will potentially save up to 70 tonnes of CO2 each year.
As Townsend explains in Dazed: “We would love for different clubs in different cities to start to compete to be the most green…The clubbing generation right now are very enlightened with regards to climate change, and it will make a big difference for clubs to be able to say they’re net zero.” To understand more about how the project will operate and other possible rollouts in the future, take a look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUpPuArGFyw&t=1480s.
As a world first, BODYHEAT has captured huge attention. To date, it has generated over 130 media articles globally and that number continues to rise each week. Here is what the BBC had to say about the project: https://bbc.in/3C8Xygy. In addition to hitting the news in Scotland (STV and the Scotsman), and being picked up by media outlets in Europe and the US, including Fast Company, the project has been featured right across the other side of the world: Men’s Health Australia.
Due for completion in March, all involved cannot wait to see the project come to fruition. And such has been the buzz surrounding the enterprise, a new company, BODYHEAT Club, has been set up, active from January 2022. If you think your business could benefit, visit: www.bodyheat.club.