Sustainable homes hoping to make a difference in Cumbria
An environmentally conscious homebuilder is leading the way in sustainable housing after revealing plans for its first net-zero carbon emitting development.
Sixteen houses fully powered by renewable sources and smart technology will be built in the village of Calthwaite by successful Cumbria-based housebuilder Genesis Homes as part of its EcoGen project.
The project is part of the business' ongoing commitment to significantly reduce household emissions, with 40 per cent of UK carbon emissions attributed to households.
Nicky Gordon, the Managing Director of Genesis Homes and who has led the EcoGen project, said: "We are endeavouring to be the best we possibly can in our practices and this development underlines our serious commitment to tackling the climate crisis.
"We are leading the way in the sustainable house building sector because we feel passionate about reducing our impact on the environment, and we are encouraging our customers to join us on this journey.
"For us, this is just the starting point in our commitment to sustainable living and we are excited to see how this pioneering project will shape our long-term business plan.
"By building these homes, we are removing harmful carbon emissions from households while significantly reducing energy costs for the homeowner so we regard this development as a win-win situation."
By introducing the greener homes, more than 850 tonnes of carbon emissions will be saved over a 10-year period, compared to a traditional 'grid and gas' development of the same size.
Every net zero emitting home will have
- Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof that will obtain energy from daylight to power the home
- A solar assisted heat pump, powered by a thermodynamic panel, which provides hot water storage for the dwelling
- A small, powerful battery unit that will be charged predominantly from the electricity grid, using 100% green tariff energy, during off peak, low cost hours
- Infrared heating panels which convert electricity into radiant heating will be installed in each room
- Electric vehicle charging points will be installed to encourage home buyers to switch to more environmentally friendly modes of transport
- A smart home system managed through an integrated app which allows the management of all parts of the house technology, from managing the multiple thermostats, to battery and energy usage, and scheduling of vehicle charging
Nicky added: "This is an ongoing project and the net-zero emitting homes at Calthwaite are a line in the sand in our commitment to our sustainability agenda.