Objectives
- Develop a series of energy efficient new homes that look like traditional semi-detached houses
- Substantially improve the insulation and include the latest heat pump and solar panel technology along with home automation
- Sell the homes and guarantee no energy bills for the first 2 years of occupation
In 2013 we designed and delivered 10 Zero Energy Bill (ZEB) homes which confirmed that buyers were prepared to pay a premium for Eco living and highlighted a performance gap that UK construction must address when building new homes.
The project, supported by SEMLEP, developed 10 new homes on Priors Hall Park, Corby, Northamptonshire that looked like traditional semi-detached houses. With substantially improved insulation and complete with renewable energy generation (solar PV, solar hot water) and home automation to control power, lighting and heating we guaranteed no energy bills for the first 2 years of occupation.
All the homes were sold on the open market and demand was such that they went for premium over standard homes.
A ZEB 2 project has also been delivered (Eco Homes: Etopia) with 47 Energy Positive homes showcasing Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) that tackle the performance gap and construction sector skills deficits. ZEB 2 is now a BEIS “Building for 2050” case study and a SEMLEP Local Industrial Strategy case study.
