Costa Opens Zero Energy ‘Eco-Pod’ Coffee Shop

Costa have unveiled their first ever zero-energy ‘eco-pod’ coffee shop at Wrekin Park in Telford, Shropshire. The amazing trial site took only 13 weeks to build and contains eco-friendly features such as rainwater capture, solar panels, super insulated façade and a sustainable timber frame.

Every measure has been taken to reduce energy consumption and running costs , including the use of passive ventilation and solar PV cells to heat and cool the building.

Costa’s parent company Whitbread Plc are hoping the design will help manage the company’s environmental footprint whilst safeguarding against rising energy costs, they plan on monitoring the performance of the site over the next 6-12 months before deciding which elements of the design to incorporate into its future projects and existing sites.

At Eco-Catering we would also be interested to see what approach Costa will take going forward on the equipment itself, there is certainly more potential for improvement on this front. Whilst the power supply for the building is coming from renewable sources the equipment longevity and carbon footprint should also be considered. It’s certainly going to be interesting to follow this development from Costa and Whitbread.