A zero-carbon “home of the future” has been launched as the construction industry prepares for a new, more eco-friendly era of housebuilding.
Barratt Homes has built the one-off home to demonstrate what is achievable for mainstream volume housebuilders as it aims to becoming a zero-carbon developer by 2030.
The house was constructed using the latest building methods incorporating Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) such as such as closed panel timber frames with highly insulated cladding, factory fitted windows and offsite panelised masonry ground floor wall panels, reducing the need for bricklayers and the time it takes to build by half.
The company and its 40 partners, which include Salford University, Octopus, Nissan and Mitsubishi, are using the “Z House” to better understand what might work in future developments and what the supply chain needs to do to prepare itself.
Part-funded by the government, the home features overhead infrared panels that give off instant zero-carbon heat, a fridge that controls the humidity to reduce food wastage by 60 per cent and electronic taps that are claimed to be able to cut water usage by 80 per cent.
The skirting boards are all heated, giving off 10 per cent more warmth than a typical radiator, and British Gypsum has developed a plaster that traps toxins in the air.
The project is testing out a shower designed by Kelda, which uses less than half the water of a standard mixer shower but gives the sensation of a greater spray force.
That is all on top of the usual solar panels, electric vehicle charging points and an air source heat pump, which transfers heat from the outside to water.
Less high-tech solutions have been used, too. Johnson Tiles’ typical bathroom products are 1cm deep, but it has made ones that are only 0.8cm deep for the Z House, reducing carbon emissions by 20 per cent. Handles on the kitchen cabinets are made using 100% recycled chipboard plus handles made from coconut husk.
There is also a dedicated knowledge and energy hub built into the garage space to display and showcase products and technologies used within the Z House. Located on the main campus of the University of Salford, one of the university’s scientists will stay in the home to measure its energy-efficiency and to make sure that it is a practical place to live.
For more on the topic of Modern Methods of Construction for accountants, tune into this webinar of October 2021, with speakers from the ICAEW Construction & Real Estate Community: