Miller Homes has built 5 Code for Sustainable Homes from Level 1 to 6 in Bassingstoke if you want to have a look. I have read the subsequent articles on the BRE site and they say the following:
Key innovations
•Level 1 house: this serves largely as a benchmark, but incorporates mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) and smart meter.
•Level 3 house: has MVHR, smart meter, water saving sanitaryware, air source heat pump (ASHP), and is built using thin joint masonry.
•Level 4 house: has MVHR, smart meter, water saving sanitaryware, thin joint masonry walls, ground source heat pump (GSHP) with two 90m deep boreholes, and underfloor heating
•Level 5 house: has MVHR, triple glazed windows, smart meter, water saving sanitaryware and appliances, 14m2 of photovoltaics, rainwater harvesting via a 200 litre tank for reuse in toilets and washing machines, biomass boiler and was constructed from Kingspan TEK Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs).
•Level 6 house: MVHR, smart meter, water saving sanitaryware and appliances, underfloor heating, approximately double the quantity of photovoltaics of the level 5 house, rainwater harvesting, biomass boiler, full storey height Aircrete panels and external insulation of 300mm urethane foam and render.
Learning points
•The housebuilder worked to minimise the visual impact of the technology. Pipework is boxed in, the cupboard under the stairs houses manifolds and photovoltaic array read out, and the washing machine is in a utility room at the rear of the house, with a short connection to the greywater tank.
•The housebuilder used hollow web floor joists. Ian Beal, managing director with Miller Homes (Midlands and South), believes their use will become more common in housebuilding to accommodate the increased amount of servicing.
•The housebuilder hopes to try different approaches on ecology. Beal says: “We put in bat and bird boxes, but in the middle of this site it was pure point scoring. We'd like to be having conversations about ecology earlier so that we can do something appropriate sitewise rather than tick a box for a plot.”
•The site was set to have a wind turbine, but the planners refused permission.
•The level 6 house cost £50,000 extra, even though the housebuilder innovated to try to cut costs. For example, it was unable to source PVCu triple glazed windows in the UK, and so worked with LB Plastics which developed a new product. Tim Hough, chief executive of Miller Homes says: “It saved us significant cost, but it was frustrating that we had to do it. It would have been better if the conversations with the window manufacturers had taken place when U values were set.”
•Hough says: “Many of the design guidelines and regulations applied here compete and do not talk to each other. We would like to get guidance pulled together in a form that is clear and concise.”
•Hough concludes: “I am not convinced homeowners should be running a mini power station. We need more engagement with power providers on how to provide energy on a site or area wide basis.”
For more information or to book a test, call me on 01484 686649 or visit my website on http://www.hometestingyorkshire.co.uk/
I hope this helps
Matt
No comments:
Post a Comment