COLCHESTER'S first "green" office building has been officially opened, bringing with it a potential 200 jobs.

And its owners are already considering opportunities to build another in the town.

The Square, in Sheepen Place, cost £3.5 million to build and features a host of environmentally-friendly measures, including solar panels on the roof and low voltage, sensor lighting.

And with its "very good" rating by Breeam (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) - a system which measures the energy efficiency of buildings - potential tenants can compare it to other office spaces just as a customer may do with household appliances.

"We have worked hard to achieve energy performance at The Square and the finished product is absolutely fantastic," said Chris White, head of asset management at Wrenbridge, a Cambridge-based property company that owns the building.

It is not the first energy-efficient project built by Wrenbridge, former owners of the Octagon in Middleborough, but it is the company's first in Colchester.

"We always try and build green buildings and, potentially, we could build another in Colchester. We are just waiting for the right opportunities," added Mr White.

Richard O'Connell, senior surveyor at Lambert Smith Hampton, joint letting agents for The Square with Newman Commercial in Colchester, said energy efficiency is "already important" in people's personal lives, and it is only a matter of time before businesses follow suit.

"Companies are beginning to invest in the environmental side of things because there are cost benefits to be had," he said.

As well as having energy-efficient features, The Square was also built in an environmentally-friendly fashion.

Builder R G Carter, based at Whitehall Industrial Estate, is part of the Considerate Contractors scheme, which requires it to consider the impact of their work on their surroundings.

And its site waste management plan (SWMP) - by law, all building firms must have similar plans in place by April this year - has meant waste was separated on site, so it could be recycled.

Saul Humphrey, regional director at R G Carter - which built Colwyn House in the 1970s before it was demolished to make way for The Square - said: "We all have the responsibility to be energy-efficient and all businesses should be aware of that. It's the biggest issue facing us."

Colchester mayor Ray Gamble, who attended the launch, agreed and said Colchester 2020 - which works to promote Colchester as a business destination - is encouraging other businesses to learn from what has been done at The Square.

WHY WRENBRIDGE BUILT IN COLCHESTER

COLCHESTER'S reasonable rents and skills base were the main reasons Wrenbridge decided to build The Square.

The company used to own the Octagon in Middleborough, which it sold for £19 million in October 2007, and filled it with businesses choosing to relocate from the City, creating 200 jobs in the town.

Chris White, Wrenbridge's head of asset management, said: "Central London and City rents have drastically increased in the past two or three years and this has made towns along the A12 more attractive. Colchester also has a good skills base and is a commuter town."

FACTFILE: THE SQUARE

27,100 sq ft open plan office space
will save 87 tonnes of carbon emissions a year
If Wrenbridge sold The Square today, it would have more than doubled in value to £7.75 million
Features include:
Roof solar panels
Low voltage sensor lighting which automatically adjusts brightness depending on the level of natural light
Brise soleil (French for sun breaker) - a permanent sun shading technique - installed on the windows
50 cycle spaces to encourage people to cycle to work
Carpet is only laid on one floor to reduce waste if new tenants wish to redecorate.