Sustainable wood and recycled materials have been used wherever possible. The shingle roof tiles are made of natural western red cedar from a sustainable source, and hardwood old railway sleepers have been used replacing steel supports in several places in the building.
A high tech biological pool cleaning system which significantly reduces the need to throw away the heated pool water on a regular basis.
The solar panels are composed of what is called a "direct flow" solar collector. The copper collector plate transfers heat via an insulated copper tube heat exchanger in which the solar circuit fluid is circulated. These are both well insulated meaning that this panel can provide heat not only on warm sunny days but in cold, windy or humid conditions.
Solar panels and an air heat exchange system heat the pool water to a comfortable 18ºC using only 25% of the energy a more traditional gas boiler would have used.
The Zoo is planning to use the rhino dung for composting.
