Case Studies of Sustainable Housing in The East Midlands1

Section 4: Case Studies
18 case studies have been identified in the East Midlands – information on the following are
set out below:
Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 119

Albert Hall Memorial Housing, Coalville
Location Coalville, Leicestershire

Type of Area Suburban
Tenure Social housing rental
Built Form Detached bungalow
Contact Name East Midlands Housing
Association
Phone / e-mail (01530) 839091
Summary
The development consists of seven dwellings incorporating elements of passive solar
design, high levels of insulation and mechanical heat recovery ventilation. It was designed
and built by the East Midlands Housing Association for older clients.
Extensive monitoring and analysis was carried out by the Energy Technology Support Unit
(ETSU) as part of the project, and much of the information presented here draws on this
report.
The project demonstrates how more attention and research at the design stage can enhance
the benefits that may be derived from such energy saving features. It also shows how the
perspectives of success or failure of a design differ between building professionals and
residents.
Project Objectives
To create a high-quality flagship sheltered housing development for older people that is
highly energy efficient and incorporates the principles of passive solar design.
History of Concept
The development, which was constructed in 1990, consists of seven dwellings (three two
bedroom and four one bedroom bungalows) and is a memorial to a former member of the
housing association, Albert Hall. The association wanted an energy efficient scheme that
used electricity as its main heat source. The energy consultants decided on a highly
insulated design with controlled ventilation that would meet the regional electricity company’
s
Civic Shield 2000 standard.
The passive solar element of the design was in addition to this specification and came about
as a result of the Housing Association’
s interest in this area.
Construction Details
Built form Detached bungalow with integral unheated sunspace. The building is
orientated northeast –southwest along its longest axis.

Walls The external walls are of a cavity wall construction, with a brick outer leaf and
a lightweight aerated concrete block inner leaf, separated by a 100mm cavity
fully filled with mineral wool.
The wall construction is the same for the internal wall of the integral
sunspace, effectively thermally isolating this area from the rest of the dwelling.
The external facade of the sunspace comprises single glazed windows and
doors set into laminated timber frames.
The internal partition walls are of blockwork construction.
Roof Clay tiles upon conventional sarking and trussed rafters. Insulated with
200mm of mineral wool on the loft floor.
The roof above the sunspace is mainly single glazed with toughened glass. A
double glazed, Velux, opening rooflight is fitted to prevent this area from
overheating during the summer.
Floors Jetplus suspended beam and slab system. 140mm thick polystyrene slabs
are fitted between suspended concrete beams that span between the walls.
This is covered by 18mm chipboard fitted on top of a polythene damp proof
membrane.
The sunspace floor is formed from concrete paving slabs laid on sand blinding
over hardcore. A damp proof membrane is installed within the blinding.
Windows With the exception of the sunspace, all external windows along with the
glazed internal doors and the windows between the sunspace and the
dwelling are low-emissivity, argon gas filled, double glazed units. These are
set into laminated softwood frames.
Figure 1.Internal
layout of two
bedroom bungalow
Key to room numbers:

1. Large bedroom
2. Bathroom
3. Small bedroom
4. Draught lobby
5. Kitchen
6. Hallway
7. Sunspace
8. Lounge

All of the dwellings are orientated northeast - southwest. The main living areas are located
in the southern side of the dwelling, with the bathroom and bedrooms located on the cooler
northwest side. The kitchen and sunspace face southeast, allowing them to be warmed by
the sun in the morning, but preventing them from overheating in the afternoon sun.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.3
Internal Floor: 0.3
Roof: 0.2
Windows: (double) 1.6
(single) 5.6
Air Infiltration ( ac/h )
Heat recovery sealed 0.56

Using heat recovery 1.35
Resource Conservation
Heating The following electric heating units and controls were used in the
dwelling:
Hall and living room: Creda night storage fan heaters with an output of
2.36kW and 3.56kW, respectively. A ‘ Meterminder’ controller that
matches the charge rate to the external temperature controls the night
time charging. The heaters are fitted with a thermostatic control that
varies the output of the two-speed fan.
Large and small bedroom: Creda 900W panel heater controlled by a

thermostat, fitted with an auto-timer and a manual override switch.
Kitchen and bathroom: Creda 2kW plinth fan heater and Dimplex 1kW
fan heater respectively, controlled by manual on-off switches.
Data collected during the first year of occupancy showed that the
annual energy consumption for heating was 99 kWh/m2/year 1, while
domestic hot water consumed 2,307 kWh over the same year.
Monitoring during the first year of use showed that 64 percent of this
electricity was consumed at the off-peak rate. The same monitoring
also showed that the storage heaters used 96 percent of the energy
consumed for heating. The remaining 4 percent was for the kitchen
fan heater. The heaters in the bedroom and bathroom were not used
at all.
Monitoring also revealed that the sunspace had made only a very
small contribution to offsetting the heating load. This is mainly due to
the thermal isolation of this space, with highly insulated walls, high
specification glazing and a separate floor reducing the opportunity for
heat to move from the sunspace into the dwelling. However, the
1
Due to the nature of the residents, who are retired older people, the heating was operated continuously throughout the day.
Temperatures in all rooms were high, averaging around 25°C. As no mention was made by the residents of overheating it can
only be assumed that they choose to operate the heating system at these temperatures.

largest windows in the building face southeast and southwest and

admit solar thermal energy into the lounge, kitchen and large bedroom
as well as the sunspace. As part of the monitoring programme,
carried out by ETSU, it was calculated that the total useful thermal
gains provided by these windows amounted to 1346 kWh or 12
percent of the annual heating need. This contribution was mainly
made at either end of the heating season in October, April, May and
June.
Lighting The sunspace has made a significant contribution to offsetting the

artificial lighting load within the dwelling. Both the manner of its
integration within the building envelope and its central location in the
southern half of the building allow the rooms surrounding it - the
lounge, kitchen and hallway - access to large amounts of natural light.
Both the kitchen and the lounge have windows that provide natural
light on three sides of their construction. The window on the back-wall
of the sunspace allows daylight to penetrate deep into the dwelling,
illuminating the hall that would otherwise be lit only by artificial light.
Ventilation The dwelling is ventilated using a mechanical whole-dwelling heat
recovery ventilation (MHRV) system manufactured by Bahco. Warm,
moist air is extracted from the bathroom and the cooker hood, and is
used to preheat incoming fresh air that is then supplied to the lounge
and two bedrooms. The designers wanted to keep the ventilation
system independent from the sunspace and believed that using the
sunspace to preheat the air offered no advantage to using outside air,
and ran the risk of cooling the sunspace. The system runs
continuously all year using night air in the summer to cool the building.
The natural infiltration rate of the building was calculated to be

0.56ac/h. The MHRV contributes a further 0.8ac/h bring the total to
1.36ac/h. This is enough to ensure a high quality of internal air for the
residents whilst reducing the heat losses associated with conventional
extraction and natural ventilation. The monitoring programme showed
that the amount of heat recovered by the system contributed 778 kWh
to the annual heating requirement. This showed that the system was
62 percent effective in recovering heat from the outgoing air.
However, the electrical energy needed to power the system must also
be taken into account when calculating the energy and financial
benefits of such a system. The payback period for the installation was
calculated to be 50 years, or 35 years if the system were not used
during the summer period.
Transport
The development is located approximately 1½ miles from Coalville town centre and is
situated on a main bus route that serves the town centre.
Social Aspects
As part of the monitoring programme, a post-occupational attitudes survey was conducted to
assess the residents’feelings about the design of the dwellings. The main results are shown
in Table 1 and reveal a high level of satisfaction with the design. The resident interviews
revealed in particular the satisfaction that they felt with regard to the sunspace and the
amount of light that it lets into the building. They also enjoyed using this space as an
extension of their home during the summer months.
They learnt how to control the temperature inside the sunspace to extend their use of it
during the summer months and how to use it to provide warm air to the dwelling during the
spring and autumn. This area featured as the most aesthetically pleasing aspect of living in
the dwelling for the residents.
Table 1. Results of post-occupation survey of residents after first year
Male Survey II Female Survey II

Feature
The standard of thermal comfort in winter 5 5

The standard of thermal comfort in summer 4 4
The cost of heating 4 4
The fact that the house is totally electric 4 4
Effort needed to keep the home warm 4 5
Effort needed to keep the home cool 4 4
Heat distribution in the house 4 4
The quality of the air indoors 5 5
Its soundproofness from outside noises 5 5
Amount of daylight entering north rooms 5 5
Amount of daylight entering south rooms 5 5
Extent of view of outside from indoors 4 4
Its privacy from outside viewers 5 3
External appearance viewed from the south 5 4
External appearance viewed from the north No data 3
Its internal appearances 5 5
Its internal layout and design 5 5
Its standard of construction 5 5
As a house to buy 5 5
Its general character and 'atmosphere' 5 5
Overall 5 5
key 1 = Very dissatisfied

5 = Very satisfied
Source: ETSU, 1992
Well-Being
Health and The high thermal performance of the building envelope, the building’ s
Affordability orientation to maximise solar gains to the main living areas, and the
efficient heating system installed should protect the residents from the
effects of fuel poverty. The post-occupational attitudes survey
revealed that the residents believe that the fuel costs are value for
money for the comfort they experience.
The MHRV system provides adequate ventilation levels to the dwelling

ensuring a continuous supply of fresh air and the removal of indoor
pollution and moisture.

Economic Issues
The cost of development was £430/m2, including the sunspace. At the time of development
(1990) this was 46 per cent more expensive than a traditional dwelling without a sunspace.
Barriers and Lessons

A summary report on the dwelling was commissioned by the Department of Trade & Industry
(DTI) and written by ETSU as part of the Solar Building Report programme. As part of this
report, the researchers undertook computer aided modelling of the building in order to
assess different design approaches and also compare the building against a reference
building of standard construction. By analysing the results of this exercise, together with the
data gathered as part of the monitoring programme carried out by the same group, they were
able to make the following observations and recommendations:
• The building incorporated two energy saving strategies, the mechanical heat recovery
ventilation (MHRV) system and the sunspace. Due to the building design they were not
complementary to one another. The MHRV system is a climate exclusive strategy that
benefits from a well-sealed building envelope during the winter, whereas the sunspace is
a climate inclusive strategy that benefits from the controlled passage of heat across the
building envelope during sunny periods. The report recommended that contradictions
between various energy strategies needed to be resolved at the design stage.
• The building fabric needed to be better sealed to enhance the performance of the MHRV
system.
• MHRV is not cost effective when considered purely in terms of the energy it saves.
• The primary heating system installed in the dwelling (electric storage) is too slow to
respond to the solar gains entering the building and therefore negated possible energy
savings. Had the sunspace not been so thermally isolated from the rest of the dwelling, it
may have also led to instances of overheating. A computer model of the dwelling
showed that substituting a more responsive, well controlled, wet system for the electric
storage heating system would produce better energy savings than were being realised in
practice.
• Due to the thermal isolation of the sunspace, the contribution that it made to offset the
space heating needs of the dwelling were negligible and could not be justified in cost
terms. However, 12 per cent of the space heating need was provided by solar gain,
mainly due to the building’
s orientation, the placement of larger windows on the southern
facades and the use of high specification glazing.
• The sunspace was highly valued by the residents for its amenity value, providing a
seasonal living area and adding to the enjoyment of adjoining spaces because of its
effect on daylighting and visual interest.
The report concluded that “The dwelling fulfilled in nearly every way the requirements of its
older residents… [and used] less energy than an equivalent building of standard
construction, due more to its high level of insulation and heat recovery system than to solar
gain… The amount of electric heating displaced by solar gain does not justify the capital cost
added to the building by the passive design. The design’ s inherent solar potential might be
more fully realised if a more responsive heating system were installed, and if the existing
solar gains to the sunspace could be ventilated to the habitable areas of the building.”
(ETSU, 1992)

Bibliography
ETSU: Solar Building Report: Summary Report: Albert Hall Memorial Housing. 1992.
Oxfordshire. ETSU S 1163/SBS/29
Project Partners
East Midlands Housing Association
Centre for Alternative Technology
East Midlands Electricity
John Willoughby (energy consultant)

Ashton Green, Leicester
Location Northwest of Leicester City

Type of Area Proposed new urban extension
Tenure Mixed private, affordable,
shared ownership and social
dwellings
Contact Name Fabian Decosta,
Urban Planning Unit,
Environment & Development,
Leicester City Council.
Phone / e-mail: (0116) 252 7239
Web Address www.environmentcity.org.uk
Summary
Ashton Green is a project being developed by Leicester City Council. It is still in the planning
stages but is intended to be a high quality development incorporating current best practice
relating to urban design and sustainable development. The entire development will
eventually contain 3,500 dwellings and will be built in five phases over the next 15 – 20
years. Phase 1, with 500 dwellings on 20.28 hectares is currently at the advanced planning
stage. In addition to housing, the development will also incorporate community facilities,
shops and two new primary schools.
Leicester City Council wishes to deliver a sustainable development that has a clear sense of
place and identity. In December 2001, the Council formally adopted a supplementary
planning guidance (SPG) specifically for Ashton Green. This SPG sets out the planning,
design, development guidance and requirements that the council wish to see met by any
developers who become involved with the scheme. Although relating primarily to Phase 1, it
is anticipated that this SPG would set the tone for the remainder of the site. The Council is
the owner of the land and cannot enter into a S.106 Agreement with itself. Any desired
elements that cannot be met via a planning condition will therefore be incorporated into the
development agreements between the Council and the selected project partners. The
success of the scheme will depend upon the project partners collaborating with one another,
to share the risks and overcome the barriers that this form of development brings. At the
time of writing the council is in negotiation with several potential partners.
Project Objectives
“It is intended that Ashton Green will demonstrate best practice in new housing development,
in both the production of high quality in … the final layout and built form and also in
sustainable development practice.” SPG Ashton Green, Leicester City Council, December
2001.

History of Concept
The site of the proposed development was allocated for residential development in the mid-
1970s and formed part of the Beaumont Leys extension of Leicester city. It is currently
allocated in the Local Plan for residential development and a small local centre. It is
Special Policy Area’in the draft replacement local plan, in recognition of the
identified as a ‘
City Council’s ambitions for the scheme.
Inspiration for the layout of the development and the sustainability features to be included is
drawn from current government guidance and best practice as well as built examples such
as Poundbury in Dorset (road layout, building and space design, etc) and the Beddington
Zero Energy Development (BedZED) project in Sutton.
In 2000, planning consultants EDAW Ltd. were commissioned by the Council to develop both
a master plan and a land release strategy for the site. The Council went out to tender for
Phase 1 of the development and received approximately 25 expressions of interest from
developers. Unfortunately, nearly all of these expressions were devoid of any reference to
the energy / sustainability aims of the development, even though the importance of these
issues was underlined by the Council in the tender document. The Council intends to issue
a questionnaire that addresses the issues relevant to sustainable development in order to
develop a shortlist of developers who have the potential to deliver such a project.
Once this shortlist has been devised, a seminar will take place with guest speakers from
other similar schemes. The purpose of this is to build capacity and share experiences both to
inspire the potential partners and to reassure them of the scheme’ s feasibility.
More successful have been the council’ s attempts to attract an Energy Service Company
(ESCo) that can act as an energy utility to the site’
s commercial and residential customers.
More than five suitable organisations were identified. More information concerning the
energy systems is included under the Resource Conservation section.
Many hurdles have to be cleared before construction work can commence onsite. Amongst
these is the need for the Council’
s cabinet members to be convinced that the benefits of the
scheme will outweigh the initial loss in potential revenue from the sale of Phase 1 land.
Members have so far been supportive of the ideals of the development; however they have a
duty under Best Consideration to ensure that the Council achieves the maximum revenue
from the sale of the land. This will create a possible point of conflict between the ideals of
the planning and urban landscape departments on the one hand and the finance department
on the other.
The Council commissioned a survey from the Institute of Energy and Sustainable
Development (IESD) at De Montfort University to compare the difference in attitudes
between developers and financiers from the private sector with those of key staff at the
Council. This revealed that the private sector believed that developing the site in a more
sustainable manner would lead to both increased construction costs and lower land values.
The developers suggested that higher standards could only be achieved in one element of
the scheme by compromising on another element.
The Council will have to be very pro-active to get their private sector partners to see the
project in more long-term and holistic way. It may also have to encourage this philosophy
amongst its own members when it comes to making the final decisions concerning the trade-
off between the value of the land and the additional value that such a project could bring to
the residents of the city.
One financial objective set by the scheme’ s managers, in order to alleviate this potential
conflict, is to see the value of the land increase across the project build phases when Ashton
Green becomes perceived as a desirable place to live by house purchasers. The Council
intends to create an agreement with its private sector partners to share this benefit in
exchange for their sharing the risks and uncertainties of the earlier phases. If the first phase
is successful, the Council aims to raise the sustainability standards as each of the individual
phases are released.
In addition to the above issues, PPG3: Housing, published in March 2000, states the position
of the national government with regard to new build housing. By 2008, 60 per cent of all new
housing should be provided on previously developed land and through the conversion of
existing buildings. Leicester City Council is currently undertaking its Urban Capacity study
and is presently unable to grant permission to develop any further greenfield sites until this is
completed and they can prove that they are meeting their land reuse targets. The Council’ s
development plan has identified that there will be a need for an additional 19,000 dwellings
within the city by 2015. It is extremely unlikely that this need will be met unless the City
expands onto what is presently greenfield land, but the process that the council must go
through to prove it necessary will delay the development of Ashton Green.
Construction and Layout

The site is a greenfield site and was used until 1964 as a repository for sewerage slurry.
Two small residential developments, Glebelands (150 dwellings) and Benskins Croft (300
dwellings), already exist within the proposed area for development, and it is intended that
Phase 1 will retain and link these together.
At the time of writing, individual designs for the buildings that will eventually form Ashton
Green had not been undertaken. The standards to which the dwellings will be built are to
some extent covered in the Resource Conservation section.
One of the principle challenges for the developers is to provide a central focal point, similar
to the traditional market square, for the whole of the Phase 1 development. It is envisaged
that most of the buildings within this area will be of three storey, terrace type construction.
This will provide an adequate level enclosure to form the desired space and is referred to in
the SPG as “Market Street”. This area will be the epicentre of the transport system for the
scheme and most of the main community services (shops, health care, community centre,
etc.) will be provided here. A range of construction materials and building styles will be
developed to engender a sense of place and identity for this area, as well as providing
landmark buildings to aid navigation around the site.
In order to ensure that a range of shops and services can be supported within the
development, a density of 30-50 dwellings per hectare is proposed for the scheme. This will
allow people to have access to a range of resources without the need to travel by car. To
allow the buildings to be adaptable to the changing needs of the community, the SPG calls
for the design of “robust”buildings around the central area of Phase 1. The term “robust”
refers to buildings whose ground floor level is adaptable, i.e. it could be used for residential
accommodation in the early phase of the development and converted to commercial uses
(shops, offices, bars, etc.), when the community expands as a result of new phases being
released for development.
Energy One of the principle aims of the development is that the scheme
should provide low energy homes that meet the zero carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions standard. This standard means that the housing will
create zero net emissions of CO2 on an annual basis. It therefore
must meet all of its energy requirements for space and water heating,
lighting, appliances, etc. from sustainable energy sources.
The city council and De Montfort University secured funding from the
E.U.’s Alterner program to produce an energy strategy for the site.
This showed how it was technically feasible to generate 100 percent of
Ashton Green’ s energy needs using sustainable sources using a
combination of technologies placed both on and offsite.
Energy efficiency will play an important part in meeting the zero CO 2

emissions standard in a cost-effective manner. All of the dwellings will
exceed current Building Regulation construction; however the Council
wishes to give developers the maximum of flexibility with regard to
how they meet the zero CO2 aim. Trade-offs between the level of
energy efficiency in the buildings and the amount of sustainable
energy infrastructure provided within the scheme are allowed. The
Council does envisage however that it will be achieved through a
combination of the following measures:
The creation of low energy demand by:
• using high levels of insulation;

• optimising dwelling orientation;
• using shelterbelts and earth forms to reduce the impact of
prevailing winds;
• using low energy appliances and highly efficient heating
systems.
Meeting this demand by employing sustainable energy technologies

such as:
• solar domestic hot water systems;

• a biomass-powered combined heat and power (CHP) plant;
• wind turbines;
• other off-site sources.
A CHP plant will only be economically feasible with the cooperation of

the manufacturing businesses on the nearby industrial estate, as it will
require a constant thermal load. Low-energy domestic buildings do
not provide enough demand on their own; however some of the
nearby industries have a large demand for heat in their processes.
The prospect of supplying this heat and electrical energy to both
domestic and commercial consumers makes this an attractive
proposition to potential ESCo partners.
Performance standards will also be applied to the “white-goods”within
the dwellings, as these conventionally consume a significant
proportion of the total domestic electrical demand. A recommendation
has been made that low-energy light fittings are included throughout
the scheme as standard.
Water Best practice with regard to both water use in the home and surface
runoff will be incorporated into the site. The Council requires any
potential developer to investigate the feasibility of developing a
sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) to handle surface runoff
from Phase 1. This system must be capable of eventual integration
into the rest of the development.

It is hoped that all the dwellings will be able to achieve a water

consumption rate of 30 per cent below the national average by
incorporating items such as rainwater collection systems, low flush
WCs, and the use of aerated tap and shower heads. Again, flexibility
to design the solution is given to the developer.
Landscaping
Full surveys of the existing ecology of the site had not been undertaken at the time of writing.
It is anticipated that the existing trees, hedgerows and ponds will be incorporated into the
scheme and complemented with plant species appropriate to the local environment and that
reflect local species.
Landscaping will be used to enhance the energy efficiency of the buildings by creating
shelterbelts that will reduce the heat loss caused by winds.
Transport
The following transport measures will be incorporated into the master plan to ensure that
they are delivered as an integrated part of the development:
• A high quality, high frequency bus service is specified. The specification includes the
frequencies required for different times of the day, low-emission or alternative energy
vehicles, minimum seating capacities and ensures access for people with disabilities.
• All dwellings within Phase 1 must be within 400m of a formal bus stop.
• These bus stops will provide seating and have the potential for connection to real time
information systems.
The Council are encouraging the use of Design Bulletin 32 (residential road and footpaths –
1992) and “Places, Streets & Movement” (DETR 1998), which provide a source of good
practice for the layout of the development. The main design principles that will be
incorporated into Phase 1 are:
• A transport network that ensures that people, cyclists and public transport have priority
over motor vehicles will be created.
• Emphasis was placed on designing for public transport at an early stage. At least 75 per
cent of the site will be within 250m of a formal bus stop.
• A street network that includes restricted connectivity for motor vehicles along some
streets will be used, to prevent ‘rat running’.
• All public parts of Phase 1 will be fully accessible to disabled people.
• The development will be well connected to the existing developments at Glebelands and
Benskins Croft. This will allow the commercial area of Ashton Green to become a focal
point for these existing communities, enhancing its economic sustainability.
• Building and space arrangements will restrict the speeds of motor vehicles to create an
environment within which vehicles will travel below 20mph.
• Standard traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and chicanes will be used only
as a last resort.
Social Aspects
It is hoped that a mechanism, such as the formation of a local management company, will be
created through which residents can have an input into the day-to-day management of the
key spaces and open places created as part of the Phase 1 development.

The chosen developer will be expected to provide funding to enable active community
participation in the various stages of the development of Ashton Green, for example
“Planning for Real”exercises, etc.
Community consultation exercises have been carried out with the residents of Glebelands
and Benskins Croft. Initially there was resistance to the proposals, and the residents formed
an action group. They have since developed a dialogue with the Local Authority’ s officers
however, and see the value of working with the Council on the development plans to ensure
that they complement their existing communities.
Communal Facilities
The Council realise that a key factor in ensuring a more sustainable form of development is
the early provision of a range of shops and services that meet the immediate needs of the
incoming residents, so that they do not form the habit of going elsewhere. The following
developments are therefore to be included within the planning obligations for the site:
• The built form of the village centre will have to be completed following the occupation of
the first 400 dwellings of the development.
• A community shop, providing convenience goods, with a floor area greater than 40m2
must be provided. This must be open at least five hours a day following the occupation
of the first 100 dwellings. It will be operated continuously for at least five years after
opening.
• A single doctor’ s surgery and associated health facilities which:

o must be completed after the first 250 dwellings have been occupied.
o be capable of expansion to accommodate five doctors plus associated health
facilities for the whole of the Ashton Green development.
• A community building that:

o measures at least 500m2.
o is provided following the occupation of the first 300 dwellings.
o provides for community meetings and activities, small-scale sports use and has the
potential to house a local library resource.
• An increase in capacity at Glebelands Primary School for the anticipated 84 extra places
needed as a result of Phase 1. This will entail the construction of an extra three
classrooms and associated facilities.
• Additional nursery-age provision will be provided either at Glebelands primary school or

on the proposed Market Street.
Quality of Life
Health and Through the provision of highly energy and water efficient housing,
Affordability local residents will be protected from the effects of fuel and water
poverty.
At least 30 per cent of the housing provided during Phase 1 will be

affordable housing, in line with the adopted Local Plan. This will be
delivered mainly via the provision of low cost, restricted floor space
units and shared ownership units.

Accessibility At least 20 per cent of the dwellings within Phase 1 will be accessible
to disabled people.
Crime It is the aim of the Council to see the opportunities for crime in the
Phase 1 area reduced by the use of features such as designing all
properties around public spaces to look out onto them. This will allow
natural surveillance of the area and encourages resident activity,
therefore making the area feel safer.
Other A great deal of emphasis in the SPG is placed upon the “public realm”
to ensure that this is designed to a very high standard and raises the
perceived quality of the entire development. Developers are required
to develop a “memorable place” that is easy to navigate due to the
presence of “landmark buildings”. A sense of community identity is to
be created by paying careful attention to issues such as paving,
planting, lighting, street furniture, signage, orientation, etc. and
incorporating these into a common design theme for the whole of
Phase 1.

Concept Cottages, Donnington
Location Donnington, Lincolnshire

Type of area Village
Tenure Local Authority Rented
Built Form Semi-Detached
Contact Name South Holland District Council
Phone 01775 761 161
Visiting possible By appointment only
Fee charged None
Summary
Two semi-detached houses were built using factory-based, timber-framed construction
methods in Sweden and then imported in completed sections to the UK for final assembly by
Greenfield Way Ltd. who are based in the Midlands and specialise in this form of housing.
These were the first houses to be built by South Holland District Council (SHDC) in over
twelve years and are the first of their kind in the UK.
The site was chosen by the council because of its exposed position. This provided an
opportunity to fully test the fabric of the buildings, the triple glazing, the heating systems and
the heat recovery ventilation system. East Midlands Electricity carried out monitoring of the
fuel consumption of the property on behalf of the project partners.
The houses aim to demonstrate sustainable social housing design and incorporate high
levels of insulation and air tightness along with careful sourcing of components to reduce
their environmental impact. The design also aims to contribute to the health of the tenants by
incorporating measures such as whole house mechanical heat recovery ventilation and
natural internal paints and finishes.
Project Objectives
South Holland District Council obtained funding to assess the benefits of highly insulated,
low energy, timber-framed dwellings. The aim of the trial was to establish the viability of
factory constructed, Swedish-style properties for the UK social housing sector.
Entire panel sections of the dwellings were prefabricated in factory conditions in Sweden and
imported to the UK with all windows, doors and insulation already fitted. The sections were
delivered to the site and lifted into place by a crane. They were then fixed together and the
property was completed by a specially trained British workforce. A prefabricated bathroom
‘pod’complete with all internal fittings including the shower and toilet was simply lifted into
place. The two timber-framed houses were built in just over ten weeks, minimising the impact
that the construction had on local residents.

The buildings are two-bedroom, semi-detached units of 70.63m2 floor area. The homes are
expected to last for 110 years and all materials used as part of the construction are
recyclable at the end of their life.
Walls 120mm timber studs faced on the first floor with 22mm pre-strained timber
cladding fixed to 13mm Bitumen impregnated fibreboard. The inner face is
lined with 13mm plasterboard. The cavity is filled with 120mm rockwool
insulation slabs. The ground floor walls are rendered with 30mm Heraklith
board instead of the timber cladding. The partition walls between the houses
are also prefabricated and are filled with 95mm of insulation to reduce
acoustic transmission.
Roof Timber W-constructed trusses covered with impregnated fibreboard sarking

and dressed with Decra metal tiling attached to timber battens. The floor of
the loft space is insulated with 240mm rockwool insulation laid upon a
reinforced glass fibre vapour barrier.
Floor The ground floor structure is a floating floor upon a concrete base. A 22mm
Kährs parquet wooden floor is underlined with 70mm of Styrofoam insulation
that in turn is underlined with a 0.20mm vapour barrier foil. The intermediate
floor is finished with 15mm Kährs wooden flooring and includes 95mm of
insulation for acoustic purposes. Tongue and grooved pine is used to finish
the lobby floor.
Windows Wooden framed triple glazed units.
Waste The nature of the Swedish based factory production system is extremely
Minimisation accurate and therefore reduces waste to a minimum at this stage of the
process. The “Fast-Track” assembly method used on site also reduces the
amount of transport movements needed to deliver all the component sections.
Additional
• Allergen-free painted surfaces.
• Simple profiled second fix timbers are used to limit the trapping of dust.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls Ground floor 0.19

First floor 0.24
Roof 0.18
Windows 1.40
Air Infiltration 3.21 ac/h @ 50 Pa
Heating There is no supply of mains gas to the site. Norwegian “Nobo”electric
panel heaters are fitted throughout the properties. These are
thermostatically controlled, with a programmable timer, and operate on
peak-rate electricity. Due to the low heat loss rate of the properties, it
was believed that storage heaters would be unsuitable and prone to
causing the buildings to overheat.
Hot water is supplied from an un-vented, 125 litres, and electrically

heated hot water cylinder. Monitoring undertaken by East Midlands
Electricity has shown that the residents of each house consume

approximately 30 kWh per week heating water. Both properties house

a family of three adults.
Lighting Low energy compact fluorescent lighting is used throughout the
property.
Ventilation The property is fitted with an ADM Baxi whole-house mechanical heat
recovery system. Pressure testing undertook by East Midlands
Electricity of one of the units showed an air change rate of 3.21ac/h at
50Pa.
Water Conservation Aerating taps have been installed in both the bathroom and the kitchen
to reduce hot and cold water demand. This results in energy saving as
well as water saving as less hot water is used.
SAP / Eco-ratings The properties were rated for a SAP of 97.
Social Aspects
The residents of the properties have undergone several training sessions from both SHDC
and East Midlands Electricity in order for them to fully understand the use of the heating
system controls. This has had a noticeable effect in reducing the energy demand of the
properties and has also led to a more appropriate control system being installed in one of the
houses.
Residents took part in the monitoring process by submitting weekly meter readings to SHDC.
East Midlands Electricity verified these readings with ad-hoc visits to the property. The
residents have always been very helpful and positive about living in an ‘ experimental’
property.
Well-Being
Various aspects of the project contribute towards a healthy internal living environment for the
residents. These are:
• A well controlled, mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery that continuously
provides fresh air to the internal space of the properties and removes stale, moist air to
the outside.
• The use of allergen-free paints and finishes reduces the indoor air pollution often caused
by the gassing-off of modern building finishes.
• By providing a well-insulated building fabric with a well-controlled and efficient heating

system as well as providing training for residents in how to optimise the efficiency of this
system, residents should be at little or no risk of suffering from the negative effects of fuel
poverty.
• Features such as the hardwood floor and profiled second fix timbers limits the amount of
dust traps within the property.
Costs
Each property cost £45,000 to construct. SHDC already owned the land so there was no cost
for this.

The properties are designed to be low maintenance and therefore cheap to maintain. No
figures validating this were available from SHDC.
Energy rating software used during the design phase of the project estimated the average
annual space heating costs to be £63 per annum. The estimates for water heating were the
same.
A 92-day trial conducted by the Council and East Midlands Electricity as part of their
monitoring program covering December 1998 – February 1999 showed that the actual space
heating costs for one property were £2.87 per week and, £5.18 per week for the other. Water
heating costs for both properties were lower than originally predicted at £0.83p per week.
This is some 30 per cent lower than the norm for this property and household type. The
differences between the properties can be attributed to different occupancy and heating
regimes adopted by the tenants. The same reason can be given for the costs being higher
than predicted by the modelling software.
Additional Information
These were the first two dwellings of their type to be imported and assembled within the UK.
Since their construction, the design and build company Greenfield Way Ltd. has worked in
partnership with its suppliers both in Sweden and in the UK to improve the quality of its
products and to adapt the overall design to complement the UK housing market.
The current products have 170mm filled cavities, use timber composite internal wall linings
and incorporate specialist plumbing and rainwater materials to reduce the use of plastics
used in the construction.
A formal Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) process has been adopted which investigates the
impact of every component used in the buildings. The companies CONCEPT 2/3 design has
achieved Local Authority National Type Approval Certificate (LANTAC) approval which
assures its suitability for social housing throughout the UK.
The company now specialises in the social housing sector and has completed builds for
several housing associations within the UK.
Project Partners
South Holland District Council (Project initiators and managers)
Greenfield Way Ltd (Design and build)
East Midlands Electricity (Monitoring and technical support)

The David Wilson Millennium Eco-House

School of the Built Environment, University of Nottingham
Location University Park Campus

Type of Area Rural
Tenure Private Rented
Built Form Detached
Status Occupied, ongoing test facility
Contact Name Professor S. B. Riffat
Phone 0115 - 951 3157
Web Address: www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe
Visiting Possible: Yes, by appointment
Summary
The David Wilson Millennium Eco-House is a four bedroom detached property situated on
the University Park campus of Nottingham University. It is occupied continuously by a group
of researchers working at the School of the Built Environment who monitor and appraise the
environmentally friendly energy features that are built into the property.
The house is of traditional construction using traditional building materials. In this way the
project can provide a true appraisal of the technologies that are incorporated into it, and their
relevance to the general housing stock. The design of the property is such that new
technologies, techniques and building systems can be easily assimilated into the structure.
They are connected to the existing systems and services, monitored and appraised by the
researchers, and then removed or replaced if necessary.
The house also provides an educational resource to university students, to industry and to
local schools and colleges. The university sees this as an essential role in inspiring future
generations of engineers, architects and builders in the possibilities of sustainable
technology.
Project Objectives
To provide a fully instrumented, occupied test house, to demonstrate and evaluate energy
efficiency and sustainable energy systems, and to provide a test bed for new domestic scale
systems.
The Eco-House is built using traditional brick and block construction techniques. It was
designed deliberately to meet the 2000 Building Regulation requirements, which permits
research to be carried out on novel techniques for upgrading the thermal performance of
standard new build homes. The house is orientated to maximise solar gains in the winter.
It has a prominent location on the University Park campus.
Flexibility of the structure was an important design criterion for the project. The integration of
a steel frame (see Figure 1) into the structure of the house means the fabric that makes up
the rear of the property can be individually removed and replaced with other test materials.

The frame also provides a convenient mounting for the rapid testing of new sustainable
energy systems such as solar thermal tubes and wind generators.
A solar chimney (see Figures 1 & 2) is integrated into the south facing facade. Air within the
chimney is warmed by the sun and circulated into the property. The summer operation of the
chimney is modified to vent warm air from inside the house and replace it with cooler air from
a void beneath the concrete ground floor slab.
Monitoring sensors and data logging equipment are located throughout the property. Access
for installing the required sensors and pipe and cable runs has been provided by a half
basement below the ground floor slab, integrated conduit runs throughout the building and a
clear span attic space.
Walls The 280mm thick external walls comprise of an outer leaf of either 103mm
facing brickwork or a two coat sand cement render on 100mm thick 7N
blocks. The inner leaf is 100mm thick 7N blocks and the 77mm cavity is fully
filled with blown mineral fibre. The walls are lined internally with 9.5mm
plasterboard.
Roof Photovoltaic tile arrays designed to produce approximately 1250 kWh of

electricity per year are fitted in place of conventional concrete roof tiles on the
southern facing side.
Figure 1
The steel frame in the southern half of the
house, supporting two solar thermal collectors
either side of the central solar chimney. Top-
left is the vertical-axis wind turbine. The
southern face of the roof features integrated
PV tile arrays
Figure 2
Taken from the first floor landing, the

internal upper vent of the solar chimney
can be seen central. During the winter,
air preheated by solar gain passes from
the chimney onto the landing. During the
summer, warm air from the landing is
passively extracted and vented to the
outside. Uppermost in the photograph is
the landing lightpipe.

Floors The ground floor above the half basement consists of 150mm deep beam and
block flooring finished with 16mm levelling screed, 40mm expanded
polystyrene insulation and 19mm of moisture resistant grade chipboard.
Windows The double glazed units are set in wood grain finished uPVC frames.
Doors Treated softwood doors on treated softwood rebated frames.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls 0.45
Roof 0.35
Floor 0.45
Windows 3.30
The house is designed to test a wide and changing range of resource conservation
technologies within its envelope. The following systems are, at the time of writing, installed
within the property for tested:
Space heating Space heating for the property is provided by a variety of novel
systems that include both passive and active heating methods.
Passive solar gain is supplied through the south-facing facade and
solar chimney. The principle behind the chimney is outlined above.
Active heating includes
1. A WhisperTech microCHP unit has been supplied by Powergen so
that its performance can be evaluated in a domestic building, as
part of a trial program. The unit is rated to supply 8kW of heat and
1.2kW of electricity at the maximum burner firing rate. A
comprehensive monitoring system has been installed alongside
the unit, although no findings were available at the time of writing.
2. Two Solel, evacuated tube, solar water heating units are bolted to
the steel frame on the southern facade of the building.
3. Ground couplings and a heat pump system from Clima-Gas Ltd,

comprising:
1 x vertical concentric tube at 50m depth;
1 x vertical concentric tube at 20m depth;
1 x vertical U-tube at 50m depth;
1 x vertical U-tube at 20m depth;
1 x 300m horizontal ‘ slinkies’tube just below the surface at the
south side of the property;
1 x heat pump (7kW heating, 5kW cooling, desuperheater for hot
water supply).
These three systems feed into a twin coil, 300-litre capacity
thermal store, which is insulated with 50mm of spray-on insulation.
The evacuated tubes and the ground source heat pump share a
common heating coil within the store. These two systems are
designed to meet most of the space-heating load for the building.
They are disengaged at the time of writing however, as the

performance of the standalone microCHP unit is under

investigation. Water drawn from the thermal store is circulated and
controlled in the same manner as for a conventional wet central
heating system. Domestic hot water is also drawn from the thermal
store. A small contribution is made during the summer months
from the heat pump desuperheater when the pump is running in
cooling mode.
Lighting Through good use of glazed elements, including external glass brick
walls, the property is naturally well lit during daylight hours. Daylight is
delivered deeper into the property through the use of Monodraught
lightpipes (see Figure 3). These are highly reflective sealed ducts that
transfer daylight from a clear dome on the rooftop to enclosed areas
such as the downstairs cloakroom and the first floor landing. Low
energy compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) were installed elsewhere
throughout the property. These are currently being replaced by
superbright LED installations from LED Lamps, which feature 80-90
percent energy savings on incandescent bulbs and a typical lifespan of
100,000 hours.
Figure 3.
External and internal views of

the combined lightpipe/wind-
catcher system situated on
the peak of the roof.
Ventilation and Natural ventilation is provided throughout the property via the solar
Cooling chimney, the Monodraught wind-catcher installed on the roof and by
occupants opening and closing windows and doors. Additional
mechanical extract ventilation is provided to the kitchen and bathroom.
During the summer months the operation of the ground source heat
pump is reversed so that it extracts excess heat from the property and
passes it into the ground outside the building. The solar chimney also
passively cools the building as mentioned previously. Both of these
systems have undergone testing during which they were monitored
continuously by University researchers.
Energy generation The south-facing section of the roof features Atlantis Sunslates; mono-
crystalline photovoltaic tiles that replace the conventional roof
covering. This integrated system has been designed to deliver
approximately 1250kWh of electricity per annum; roughly one third of
the building’ s estimated need. An inverter converts this electrical
energy into conventional mains current. Any excess energy generated
is stored in batteries that power the School’
s electric van.
A small, vertical-axis wind turbine manufactured by Windside is sited

on the south-western corner of the rooftop. This provides additional
power for the monitoring equipment present in the property. A larger
vertical-axis wind turbine and two 1.8kWp sun-tracking photovoltaic
arrays sited near to the house (see Figure 4) supplement the system,

which is further complemented from time to time by various test

generation units that are bolted onto the property’
s frame.
Figure 4
The two sun-tracking PV arrays
situated nearby the Eco-House.
Inset is an image taken during
the laying of the PV tiles that
replace the conventional roof
slates.
Water Conservation Rainwater from the roof of the house is stored in an underground tank
and used by the property’ s residents. A processing unit located below
the kitchen sink filters and purifies the water before it reaches the
appliances. Filtered water is used for flushing the toilets in the house.
Water receiving an additional sterilising treatment can be used for
wash hand basins, washing machines, etc.
Economic Aspects
The cost of designing and building the Eco-House was approximately £200,000, not
including monitoring renewable energy technology.
Source of Funding:
House construction David Wilson Homes
Special Technology Funding for the technology under test within the property is ongoing
and delivered from various UK and European government sources, as
well as industry.
Although there are no plans to replicate the project as a whole, it is hoped that many of the
systems tested on the building over the coming years will one day become common
specification for all new build and appropriate retrofit properties.
Project Partners
Nottingham University School of the Built Environment
David Wilson Homes
Maber Associates Architects

Littleover Energy Efficiency Project, Derby
Location Hall Park Close, Littleover

Type of Area Urban
Built Form 2-3 storey, 1-3 bed flats
Status: Ongoing programme
Contact Name Andy Daykin Derwent Housing
Association, Technical
Services
Phone / e-mail (01332) 346 477
Visiting Possible Only by prior arrangement
Fee Charged No
Summary
This is a refurbishment project of 71 flats on an estate in Derby that was experiencing
serious problems of fuel poverty, high tenant turnover, vandalism and was rapidly becoming
a sink estate at great financial cost to the housing association.
In 1997 the Association contracted an energy consultant to develop a scheme that would
provide affordable warmth to tenants, reduce tenant turnover and be cost effective with a six
year payback period.
The strategy included:
• thermal dry-lining the units on their external and stairwell walls;

• reducing the capital cost of the replacement heating system by reducing the thermal
load;
• insulating the ceilings of top floor flats.
These measures were delivered cost effectively by combining the energy efficiency upgrade
with the standard refurbishment of the flats. The cost of the project was also offset against
revenue gains from a reduction in tenancy voids. Together, these measures made the
project financially feasible.
The result was a 50-60 per cent reduction in fuel costs for the tenants, and a tenant turnover
rate of five per cent per year, down from 50 per cent before the works were carried out. The
improvement in tenant turnover is due mainly to the improved living conditions of the flats
and the improved affordability of keeping them warm.
Project Objectives
To provide affordable warmth to residents living in electrically-heated 1970s flats and reduce
tenant turnover. The payback time for investment had to be kept as short as possible.
History of Concept
The Littleover estate consists of seventy one flats of one-bedroom and three-bedrooms. All
units were designed in the 1970s and are heated by electricity, which resulted in tenants
spending up to £25 per week on electricity bills during the winter. Consultation with the
tenants revealed that most were heating only the lounge and one bedroom, and often to an

inadequate temperature. Tenant turnover was running at a rate of 50 per cent per year, and
they often left the flats in a state of disrepair when they vacated. The costs of repairs, along
with the lost revenue from frequent voids, meant that the estate was a financial liability to the
housing association. Socially, it was becoming a ‘ sink’estate, with a high incidence of crime
and social exclusion.
An energy consultant was employed by the housing association in 1997. He recommended

that a pilot flat, which was already due for a refit of its kitchen and bathroom, be refurbished
using an energy saving design that called for the external walls of the flat to be dry-lined with
thermal board. This would result in less space heating being required and so lower running
costs to the tenants. The refurbished flat was monitored for a year to assess its
effectiveness.
The standard heating system installed in the flats up to this point had been four storage
heaters and four panel heaters. These were often vandalised by the tenants when they
vacated the units. The refurbished scheme achieved adequate internal temperatures using
just one or two storage heaters and one panel heater. This reduced both the running costs
to the tenants and the capital costs to the Housing Association. It also reduced the value of
equipment that could be vandalised.
In 1999, based on the results of the first year of monitoring, Derwent Housing Association
embarked on a programme to upgrade all the flats to the same specification over the next
five years. The kitchen, bathroom and window replacement programme was brought
forward, which made internal lining with insulation boards economically viable. Three or four
flats were upgraded at the same time, which reduced unit costs. A cost analysis was
undertaken, setting the void cost savings against the costs of the energy efficiency upgrade.
This suggested that the measures installed would pay for themselves within six years if the
void rate could be reduced to five per cent per year.
Built form Refurbishment of seventy one flats of one to three bedrooms on two to three
storeys, originally constructed in the 1970
Roof Traditional 1970s pitched roof construction with tile over felt. The loft floor
(ceiling of the top floor flats) was insulated with 250mm of mineral wool
insulation.
Walls The walls are of cavity construction that was originally filled with expanded
polystyrene granules. These were dry-lined using Rockwool mineral wool
slab under plasterboard as part of the refurbishment scheme.
Floors The traditional concrete slab floors were maintained, as there was no
economically viable method to upgrade their thermal performance within this
project
Windows Double glazed units with uPVC frames.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.30
Floor: 0.50
Roof: 0.15
Windows: 2.70

Heating After refurbishment, the heating system in each flat consisted of one to
two storage heaters and one panel heater. No gas is available onsite.
Lighting Dedicated low energy fittings are installed in the circulation areas of
the flats. Low energy light fittings were also installed in high use areas
such as hallways.
Ventilation Mechanical heat recovery ventilation is installed in all flats and set
permanently to the ‘
trickle ventilation’mode.
An ‘ extracted’ drying cupboard was also installed in each flat to

encourage tenants not to dry their clothes over the storage heaters,
thereby reducing the amount of moisture within the flat.
Resident training A tenant’s user manual was developed, which explained to tenants
how they could maximise their energy savings in the refurbished flats.
Monitoring of the tenants attitudes to energy over the last few years
has revealed an increased awareness of energy efficiency issues.
SAP / Eco-ratings The refurbishment achieved an increase in the units’SAP ratings from
42-47 to 66-91, depending on the external exposure of the individual
units.
Social Aspects
The residents of all the flats were invited to a ‘
Show-house’open day of the pilot flat.
A tenant questionnaire has been devised to gain feedback on the project. At the time of
writing, no details were available for analysis.
Economic Aspects
The cost of development for the energy efficiency measures in a three bedroom flat was
£4,400. Subsidy of £10,000 was received from Powergen through the Energy Efficiency
Standards of Performance scheme (ESSOP). For the total project
Monitoring revealed that total fuel costs were on average between six and eight per cent of
the tenants’income after the refurbishment.
The project team achieved their objectives in finding a cost effective solution to some of the
problems experienced by the tenants of these units. Many tenants have experienced fuel
cost savings of between 50-60 per cent, and tenant turnover in the converted flats reduced to
the target of five per cent per year.
The main barriers to the fulfilment of the project were:
• The cost of the works. At £4,400 per unit the cost of the new energy efficiency and
heating products was very expensive. The project was able to proceed only by
embedding the energy efficiency program within the maintenance department’ s kitchen,
bathroom and window replacement programme. The other key factors in achieving
financial success were a reduction in the capital costs of the heating system, by installing

a smaller system, and reducing the loss of revenue through tenancy voids. Combined,
these factors gave a 5.9 year payback period for the initial investment.
• Reducing the energy costs of the units was dependent upon tenant behaviour. It was
therefore essential for the Housing Association to develop an operating manual for the
tenants, and to talk them through the concept of the flat and the way in which the heating
and ventilation worked.
• A small minority of tenants refused to use the mechanical heat recovery ventilation
system and turned it off against the advice of the housing association. Overcooling by
the ventilation system was noted in some flats and the specification has since been
revised. The system has been scaled down to ventilate just the bathroom, kitchen and
bedroom. This has reduced the capital cost of the units and the noise problems
experienced by some of the tenants.
As the project is ongoing over five years, lessons have been learned and changes have
been made to the project’ s specification. For example, fanned storage heaters have now
been introduced for improved efficiency and heat distribution.
Resident’s Comments
Information from the housing association suggests that the tenant of the pilot project flat
became very enthusiastic about the project. Many tenants have expressed their appreciation
of the work that has been carried out, and some have given positive comments to newspaper
journalists and on television programmes when the scheme has attracted media attention.
There has been resistance from some tenants however to providing the housing association
access to their homes to allow the refurbishment program to take place ahead of schedule.
At the time of writing, approximately 25 per cent of the flats are yet to be upgraded.
Two or three of the tenants have made complaints about the comfort levels or fuel costs of
the flats, but the problems have usually been found to be more about the individual tenant’
s
lifestyle than about the energy performance of the dwellings.
Project Partners
Derwent Housing Association
Martin Gamble (energy efficiency consultant)

Sinfin and Mapperley Energy Efficiency Projects
Location Merlin Green, Sinfin, Derby

Bennett St, Mapperley, Nottingham
Type of Area Urban
Tenure Housing Association
Built Form Terrace
Contact Name Andy Daykin
Derwent Housing Association,
Technical Services
Phone / e-mail (01332) 346 477
Visiting Possible Only by prior arrangement
Summary
This project developed five units, with the aim of demonstrating how low-energy design can
be delivered for the same cost as ‘ standard’housing, which was being developed in parallel
on the same sites. The units were three adjoining terraces at Sinfin and one pair of semi-
detached dwellings at Mapperley. The dwellings were extensively monitored over a two year
period and were found to provide affordable warmth to residents while costing on average
just £49 more per dwelling to build than ‘standard’housing.
The dwellings incorporate high levels of thermal mass through the use of dense blockwork in
the wall construction. Other features of the project include mechanical heat recovery
ventilation, high levels of insulation, high air-tightness, locally sourced materials, timber
windows and doors and experimentation with different heating systems.
The project has led to the Housing Association revising its housing specification and onsite
working practices, as well as the development of a new gas wall heater by a commercial
manufacturer.
The additional build costs for the project were offset by the exclusion of gas central heating
from all dwellings within the project. Total fuel costs to the residents average £307 per year,
about six per cent of the average annual income of the residents.
Project Objectives
To demonstrate that energy-efficient housing can be built at a similar cost to ‘
standard’
construction.
History of Concept
Following the success of the Littleover refurbishment project (see separate case study), an
energy-efficiency design consultant was invited to look at the standard housing types being

constructed under Derwent Housing Association’ s development programme. It was felt that
the thermal specification of the ‘ standard’design could be substantially improved, creating
homes that were more energy efficient for the same construction budget. This would be
achieved by trading the savings gained by removing the central heating system against the
additional cost of the energy efficiency products. This approach was based on prior research
conducted by the energy consultant.
Built form Terrace row of three two bed units (Sinfin) and two semi-detached two bed
units (Mapperley).Both developments were on greenfield land adjacent to
existing housing.
Roof Traditional pitched roof construction with the loft floor insulated using 250mm
of mineral wool.
Walls Brick and dense blockwork with a 150mm cavity fully filled with batons of
mineral wool insulation. High thermal mass is gained from the use of the
high-density blockwork for the inner wall skin. The walls are wet-plastered
internally to improve the air-tightness of the buildings.
Floors Concrete upon a 100mm expanded polystyrene slab.
Windows Timber-framed double-glazed units with a 20mm air gap. The timber frames
were sourced from a local manufacturer
.
Doors Timber construction, sourced from a local manufacturer.
Internal The dwellings are arranged internally so that passive solar gains can be used
Layout to offset the need for heating. The lounges are on the southern side of the
units and the kitchens are on the northern side.
Construction Existing hedges on the sites were retained during the development.
Impact
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.21
Floor: 0.25
Roof: 0.15
Windows: 2.70
Heating The dwellings are heated by the following means:
• All units have a gas fire fitted in the lounge.

• Electric panel-heaters are fitted to the first floor landings in two
dwellings. These use off-peak electricity to warm the thermal
mass of the units overnight.
• A 3kW gas wall-heater is installed in one dwelling in place of the
panel heater.

• An instantaneous, multi-point, gas water heater provides hot water

for the dwellings.
The financial costs of the additional energy efficiency measures were

offset against the savings gained by not installing a conventional gas-
fired central heating system.
The Sinfin units were monitored for two years (1998 and 1999) using
spot internal temperatures, air-tightness and thermal imaging
techniques. It was found that the mid-terrace performed best, with an
energy consumption figure of 23 percent below SAP estimates. The
end terrace with the fanned gas wall-heater achieved 3 percent below
SAP estimates, and the end terrace with the electric panel-heater was
20 percent over the SAP estimate. Average annual recorded running
costs for the dwellings were £307 per year (gas and electricity for all
uses). This equates to 6 percent of the average household income for
residents in the scheme, and therefore below the 10 percent
affordable warmth target. Consistent background temperatures of
20°C were recorded with the heating switched off, demonstrating the
effectiveness of the thermal mass.
The monitoring results for Mapperley were not available at the time of
writing.
Lighting A dedicated low-energy lighting system is installed in both the kitchen

and hallway of the dwellings.
Ventilation Mechanical heat recovery systems are installed in all dwellings. A

single ‘ through-the-wall’system is installed in the kitchen to ventilate
the ground floor, and a remote controlled, ducted system is used on
the first floor.
SAP / Eco-ratings Data only exists to provide ratings for the two end terrace units, which
achieve a SAP of 102 (22.08 GJ/yr.) for one unit, and a SAP of 92
(24.71 GJ/yr) for the other unit.
Transport
The dwellings are located within existing housing estates that are well served by a variety of
shops and local supermarkets. Public transport is available locally from both sites, with
regular buses into the town centres.
Social Aspects
A handbook explaining the concept behind the houses and giving details on the efficient
operation of the heating and ventilation systems is provided to all the housing association’
s
tenant advisers, who pass this information onto the tenants. Residents took part in the
monitoring of the dwellings for two years after their completion.
Communal Facilities
A new play area for the residents’children was created as part of the project.

Well-Being
Health and The use of a highly insulated structure reduces the cost to the
Affordability residents of heating the dwellings, and therefore reduces their risk of
suffering from fuel poverty.
Crime All dwellings built as part of the scheme meet the national ‘
Secure by
Design’standard.
Adaptability All dwellings built as part of the scheme meet with the national
‘
Lifetime Homes’standard.
Economic Aspects
The cost of development on average, the dwellings cost £49 more to build than the
‘
standard’units on the site. Funding was provided by the housing Corporation and the
housing association’
s own resources.
Members of the project team made the following points concerning this project and its
relevance to future projects:
• The project team had difficulty in locating appropriate gas heaters for the project. The
maximum heating requirement per home is 2.5kW, and the ideal solution would therefore
have been to provide 2kW of heating to each floor. At the time, no manufacturers were
supplying a gas heater of this size that incorporated thermostatic control. Less effective
units therefore had to be used, which had a negative effect on the SAP rating of the
dwellings. A 2kW unit with thermostatic control has since developed by the project team
in partnership with a manufacturer, and is being used in similar schemes as well as being
commercially available.
• The initial ‘ warming-up’period of the large thermal mass led to higher fuel costs than
anticipated during the first quarter of the year. This was due mainly to the time of arrival
of the first residents, which was in December. Complaints concerning the additional fuel
costs were received from the tenant whose property did not perform as well as
anticipated by the SAP analysis.
• Due to the success of this scheme, the Housing Association revised their standard
specification to include dense blockwork on the internal partition walls, in addition to the
external walls, as a way of creating greater thermal mass. They have since incorporated
this idea, in conjunction with the new gas wall heaters, into a recent scheme of flats.
They encountered problems with drying out the wet plaster used on the partition walls
however, and some mould growth occurred on these surfaces. The problem is believed
to be due to the contractors treating wet-plaster in the same manner as dry-lining and not
giving the plaster time to dry out before fixing cupboards, etc. to it.
• Problems were encountered with the mechanical heat recovery ventilation (MHRV)
system. The system on the upper floor of the dwellings was overcooling, leading to an
increase in the heating load. The ‘ through-the-wall’units fitted in the kitchen appeared to
be causing the water vapour to migrate around the lower floor of the house. This initially
led to MHRV systems being omitted from all future schemes, although recent projects
that utilise a smaller multi-room MHRV have been more successful.

• During the monitoring period, it was found that the dwellings at Sinfin demonstrated poor
envelope air-tightness. The project team have revised their onsite checks to ensure that
air-tightness and the installation of insulation are checked more thoroughly during future
constructions.
• The two properties in Mapperley were constructed as part of a development designed for
shared ownership. No additional marketing was required to encourage buyers to
purchase a share of these properties compared to standard properties within the
scheme.
Project Partners
Derwent Housing Association
Martin Gamble (energy efficiency consultant)
Robinson Willey (gas appliance manufacturer)

The EcoHouse, Leicester
Location Western Park, Leicester

Type of Area Suburban
Tenure Private rental and demonstration
project
Built Form Detached, 2 storey
Contact Name Ben Dodd
Phone / e-mail (0116) 222 0222
Website http://www.environ.org.uk/
Visiting Possible Yes, open to public.
Fee Charged Voluntary charge of £2 for adults
and £1 for concessions
Summary
A‘lived-in’environmentally friendly show-home that is open to the public and incorporates
many of the features of environmentally sustainable construction.
Project Objectives
The EcoHouse project’ s objective is to demonstrate to the public that often the best option
for the environment is also what’ s best for the people living within that environment. It aims
to inspire its visitors to implement practical changes in their homes and gardens to make
their lifestyles more sustainable.
History of Concept
Originally built in the 1920s as a park-keeper’s cottage, Environ took control of what is now
the EcoHouse and opened it to the public in 1989 after a ‘ green’retrofit. Ten years later,
after over 100,000 people had visited the project, the EcoHouse was re-launched following
the completion of an extension and refit programme.
The project is now two houses in one; the original 1920s dwelling and an extension built to
1999 best practice specification with regard to construction materials and energy saving
techniques. The project provides a valuable source of information for people wishing to
undertake a green retrofit of their homes, those building extensions to their homes, and
those building a new home.
The design of the extension is in keeping with the original house and with other housing in
the surrounding area. It was designed to be acceptable in style to as wide an audience as
possible, ensuring that a majority of visitors see it as desirable.
The project team wanted to employ an architect and a firm of builders who had an interest in
environmental issues but who had no real ‘ green’building experience. This was so that a
learning element was included in the process, and to prove that it is possible to construct a
low-energy dwelling without any previous expertise.

The original building is of standard 1920s construction, i.e. brick cavity walls, timber and
slate roof, etc.
The extension, which effectively doubles the floor area of the house, is traditional in
appearance, but the individual components are more novel in design. Since the EcoHouse
aims to be of a demonstrative nature, as many different products as possible were used in
order to test their performance and to raise public awareness of the range of products
available from different manufacturers. This report does not have the scope to cover all of
the products installed at the house. Rather, an overview is presented of what the project
attempts to achieve. More detailed information can be obtained from visiting the house or
contacting Environ directly.
Walls In keeping with the original building, the new build walls are of brick and block
construction, but all the bricks used are recycled colour-damaged stock that
were due to go to landfill. The interior block leaf is made from compressed
power station ash. Cavities of 150mm allow extra mineral wool insulation to
be inserted between the inner and outer leaves. Mineral wool does not leech
the toxic fumes associated with urea-formaldehyde based insulating foams.
Roof Many of the roof tiles used were from recycled sources and the loft is
insulated to a depth of 200mm with Rockwall (mineral wool).
Windows The windows and doors feature double-glazed, low-emissivity glass,

and Doors with a 21mm argon filled gap. This gives better thermal performance than
standard triple glazed units. All wood used in the construction was certified by
the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), including the window frames. The
windows are also fitted with insulated shutters that reduce heat loss at night
and give protection from vandalism. All door finishes are metal, and all solid
doors are filled with insulation to make a ‘
thermal sandwich’ .
Other The amount of PVC used in the construction was kept to a minimum. All of
the electrical cabling is PVC-free ‘
low smoke and fume cabling’, the guttering
is galvanised steel, the window frames are FSC certified timber, the heating
and plumbing pipes are polypropylene, and the underground rainwater and
waste pipes are made of clay.
Finishes within the house have been selected for their low environmental
impact. They include nine types of environmentally friendly paint, recycled
wallpaper, recycled wool carpets, carpet underlay made from recycled car
tyres and rubber floor mats made from recycled aircraft tyres.
Recycled materials again feature prominently in items such as the kitchen

worktops, sink splash-backs, cupboard doors, picture frames, and shop
shelves that are made from recycled plastics originating from drink cartons,
coffee cups and coat hangers.

Internal The nature of the development is that of a visitor centre, and the internal
Layout layout is designed around this purpose. However, the project designers have
still been able to simulate the effect of bringing the main living areas of the
house to the south-facing side of the property. This helps to offset both the
winter heating load and the lighting electrical load. Areas such as the kitchen
and bathrooms are located against the north facing facade.
Impact The property’ s site is compact with relatively poor access. The only way
construction traffic could access the site was to cross the organic vegetable
garden. The topsoil from the garden, which had been created over at least
ten years of organic gardening, had to be removed from the site, stored and
replaced after the construction was completed, in order to avoid its
compaction and degradation.
Waste produced during the development was divided between different skips
(wood, metal, etc.) so that as much as possible could be recycled or reused
onsite.
Heating The EcoHouse demonstrates two types of heating systems; one for
the original building and another for the extension.
The original building is fitted with a gas-condensing boiler that feeds

into traditional radiators controlled by Thermostatic Radiator Valves
(TRVs) and with radiator foil fitted behind them. Normal controls such
as room and hot water cylinder thermostats are used to maintain the
correct temperatures and improve the efficiency of the system.
The extension is much more thermally efficient than the original house
and does not have the heat load to require a condensing boiler. Solar
water heating panels mounted on the roof of the south facing facade
supplement a high-efficiency non-condensing boiler, to heat the water
in a 300 litre thermal store. A heat exchange coil runs through the
store and feeds into an underfloor heating system. Domestic hot
water is directly drawn off from the store.
Lighting Low-energy lighting is used throughout the property, with the

exception of some of the exhibition displays where its use would have
been inappropriate.
Ventilation Whole-house mechanical heat recovery ventilation (MHRV) is used

throughout the building to remove stale air and moisture, and replace it
with fresh, preheated air. 70 percent of the heat extracted is returned
to the incoming air, reducing the energy losses usually associated with
ventilation systems. All ducting for the ventilation system is PVC-free.
Energy Generation Part of the south-facing roof is covered with polycrystalline

photovoltaic tiles that substitute for conventional roof covering. The
weatherproofing qualities of the tiles are equal to that of normal roofing
materials, and a marginal economic saving is made when compared to
the traditional method of installing PV arrays on top of the roof
covering. Inverters convert the electrical current produced to standard
household AC current. This is used by appliances within the house or
exported to the national grid when a surplus is generated. When there

is a shortfall of generation, the national grid is used. The total peak

output of the tiled array is 1.4kW.
Water conservation Many water-saving features are on display both in the house and in its
garden.
The features within the house include: rainwater toilets linked to an

‘eco-vat’water storage tank, a grey water recycling system from the
bathroom and kitchen appliances, aerating heads fitted to all taps, and
presence detectors fitted to the public toilet taps. A composting toilet
for the use of the house residents is also provided along with a low-
flow shower unit and low-water consumption appliances in the kitchen.
The garden has rainwater butts for irrigation purposes and has been
planted with drought resistant plants.
Recycling facilities Recycling facilities are built into the kitchen to encourage the residents
to recycle glass, aluminium, paper, some plastics and organic waste.
Transport
The house is close to local bus stops and is easily reached from the centre of Leicester city.
Cycle locking facilities and a car park are available onsite.
Landscaping
The third of an acre site is managed organically and integrates some principles of
permaculture. The idea is to demonstrate many different techniques of maintaining a garden
for people, wildlife and for growing food. A range of courses are offered each year to the
public, operating from one day to a whole year (at weekends) and covering different aspects
of sustainable gardening and food growing.
Examples of composting and grey water recycling (using marginal plants) and rainwater
recycling are presented. Landscape plantings provide visual and acoustic barriers for the
house as it is close to a major road. In addition, the planting of thorny shrub species such as
quickthorn on the boundaries provides an additional security deterrent for the property, which
has encountered problems in the past with vandalism.
A pond and a wetland area have been created as part of the new project. These handle the
overflow from the property’ s grey and rainwater systems, and form part of the organic
gardening strategy by providing a habitat for species that are beneficial for pest control, such
as frogs.
Well-Being
Health and The importance of a healthy indoor environment is recognized by
affordability the use of natural materials that do not leach solvents, formaldehyde,
etc. into the air. An efficient and affordable heating and ventilation
system keeps the house warm and reduces internal moisture levels.
Water is made affordable to the residents by conserving and reusing
water; etc.
Accessibility The EcoHouse is designed to be accessible for all and a lift can be
used to reach the first floor. A disabled toilet and baby changing
facilities are also available.

Adaptability A demonstration eco-home office is featured within the house, to

encourage people to consider the option of adapting space for home
working, and reducing the effects of their commuting upon the
environment.
Crime The insulated window shutters and the thorny vegetation around the
site boundary demonstrate two sustainable methods of enhancing
crime protection.
Economic Aspects
The house is leased to Environ by its owners, Leicester City Council, for a 99-year period for
a peppercorn rent. The development cost was in the region of £410,000. This was funded
by an award of £229,000 from the National Lottery Charities Board, £120,000 from an Article
10 bid, and over £60,000 in kind from various product manufacturers and suppliers.
Approximately £213,000 was used for the building construction. The remaining funds were
used to develop the interpretation elements of the project such as displays, literature,
marketing, etc., and to provide a project worker.
A shop stocking environmentally friendly household products, as well as a range of books

covering ‘green’building issues, is located within the visitor centre. There is also a café
where visitors can purchase a range of organic and Fair Trade drinks and snacks during their
visit. The EcoHouse also acts as a collection point for the local organic vegetable box
scheme, for which it receives a small payment.
Barriers and Lessons

The EcoHouse project manager believes that the initial objectives of this stage of the
project’ s evolution have been met, but further objectives are constantly being set to ensure
that it remains ahead of market trends.
The barriers encountered during the redevelopment phase were primarily financial. Finding
a building company who could build it for the estimated price presented major problems, with
the tenders being over twice that of the initial cost estimates. Errors in quantity surveyor
costing meant that many of the more innovative environmental features had to be omitted in
order for the project to be completed on budget. These included a living roof, a workshop for
various training courses, and the building energy monitoring system to validate the project’s
claims. Environ have been involved as consultants on several other ‘ green-build’projects,
and find that this is a common experience, with quantity survey estimates often being 50 to
100 per cent too low.
Obtaining a contract with the local Regional Electricity Company (REC), to sell surplus
energy generated by the photovoltaic panels to the grid, was a long and complicated
process. The project manager believes that this was more to do with the mindset of
individuals within the REC than with any political or regulatory issues.

Project Partners
Environ
The National Lotteries Charity Board
Leicester City Council
De Montfort University (Leicester)
YMD Architects (Leicester)
Various product manufacturers and installers

Hockerton Housing Project
Location Hockerton, Nottinghamshire

Type of Area Rural
Tenure Owner occupied on 999 year lease
Built Form Terrace
Status Occupied since 1998, project development ongoing
Contact Name Nick White
Phone / e-mail (01636) 816 902
[email protected]
Web Address http://www.hockerton.demon.co.uk
Visiting Possible Yes, by appointment and frequent guided tours (see website)
Fee Charged Yes
Summary
Hockerton Housing Project (HHP) consists of a row of five terrace dwellings designed to
incorporate the principles of passive solar design with the techniques of earth sheltering.
The dwellings were built, to a large degree, by the residents themselves. The construction is
super-insulated, with a high thermal mass, and covered on three facades with a layer of soil
at least 400mm thick. This lessens the visual impact of the construction and reduces heat-
loss.
The south facade is heavily glazed using high specification windows and is buffered from the
outside by a timber conservatory. The conservatory acts as a solar collector, providing
heating to the homes by natural convection, and heating the domestic hot water supply via
an air-to-water heat pump. To provide good daylighting, all the main living rooms have
windows that open onto the conservatory, which offsets the need for artificial lighting.
The project aims to develop working opportunities onsite. All residents contribute an agreed
number of hour’s work each year towards community purposes, such as land management,
food growing and onsite cooperative business.
A communal office facility has recently been built, which will serve also as a resource centre
for visitors. A number of research and networking projects are underway, through which the
group hopes to stimulate more projects of this type around the country.
The following awards have been won by the project:
• A‘ Major Commendation’was awarded in the Business Commitment to the Environment

(BCE) Awards for 1999, in recognition of exemplary achievement in environmental
activities.
• Winners of the ‘ Not For Profit’ category of the Eurosolar UK Awards (2000), for
outstanding service to the promotion of renewable energy

Project Objectives
To create one of the most energy efficient, purpose-built developments in Europe that
demonstrates a zero-energy design by reducing life cycle energy to a minimum. The houses
are earth covered and have passive solar heating without a space heating system. The
project aims to be as autonomous as possible in terms of energy and water, and provides
homes that offer financial savings in the medium to long term, with no loss of comfort or
modern amenities.
History of Concept
Nick Martin, whose family owned the original 25 acre site, initiated the project by getting the
group members together in 1993. As a builder, Nick had built the UK’ s first autonomous
house at Southwell (see separate entry). During that project, he had become increasingly
convinced that combining resource conserving elements with the principles of earth-
sheltering was a way forward for developing even more energy-efficient housing. He hired
Dr. Robert Vale to design what has since become one of the UK’ s most famous housing
projects.
The planning application for a terrace of five dwellings was approved, subject to a S. 106
Agreement, in May 1994. This delayed construction for two years; however, the first family
took occupancy in February 1998, followed by the remaining four over the course of the year.
A similar agreement was used to secure planning permission for a further two earth-
sheltered properties in an adjacent field, which are approaching completion at the time of
writing.
Built form The initial development consists of a terrace of five earth-sheltered dwellings.
Two further dwellings have been constructed on an adjacent field, as well as a
Sustainable Resource Centre. The site is whitefield and planning permission
was only approved subject to a S. 106 Agreement.
Approach The dwellings are designed to be heated purely from passive solar gains and
incidental internal gains. The structure’s high thermal mass moderates the
internal temperature against external variations, as heat gains are stored and
released over long periods of time.
The entire building envelope is highly insulated with 300mm of Jablite

expanded polystyrene surrounding the external sidewalls, roof and slab floor
of the structure. Within this insulating envelope lie a 200mm thick reinforced
concrete roof, a 300mm floor slab and a 450mm thick rear wall. On top of the
insulating envelope is an impermeable double-layer waterproof membrane
and 400mm of grassed earth.
Walls The front wall (conservatory rear wall) has a 150mm Drytherm filled cavity.
The conservatory and entrance porch act as thermal buffer zones on the
exposed south facade. The design allows the conservatory to be completely
isolated from the main house during winter.
Roof The soil on the roof acts as a thermal flywheel, as the temperature of the soil
lags weeks behind seasonal changes in air temperature. During the summer,
the winter/spring temperature soil draws heat from the structure and provides
cooling. Conversely, during the winter, the summer/autumn temperature soil
lessens the temperature difference between inside and out, therefore reducing
heat loss.
Floors The internal structure is kept as exposed as possible, which maximises its
ability to absorb and emit heat. Carpets have an insulating effect on the
floor’s heat transfer capability, therefore clay tiles have been used for most of
the floor coverings.
The floor slab extends three metres in front of the main living space to
accommodate the conservatory floor. This is thermally broken from the house
floor slab to reduce heat loss to the conservatory space during cold weather.
Windows Two layers of high specification glazing are used across the south facade.
Between the bays and the conservatory, triple glazed windows with two layers
of low-emissivity coating, insulated spacers and argon gas filling are used.
The outer conservatory glazing is double glazed with a low-e coating. All
window frames and doors are imported by Swedhouse Ltd. and are made of
timber from a sustainable Swedish redwood source. There are no glazed
elements on any other facade.
Internal All paints, varnishes, sealants, etc. were chosen for their low environmental
Decoration impact and low toxic content to provide a healthier indoor environment.
Rainwater, The project avoided using PVC for windows, conservatory structure and
Plumbing electrical wiring. Copper was used for all rainwater goods from the
conservatory roof, again to avoid PVC.
Construction The onsite environmental impact of the construction process was limited
Impact through the careful choice of materials and the reduction of construction
waste, including packaging. The self-build nature of the construction meant
that waste produced from a particular operation was often incorporated into
another aspect of the project.
The concrete used was quarried locally to reduce transport energy use, and
the project has planted over 4000 trees on the land to offset the CO2
generated by the energy embodied in the construction materials. The facing
bricks used on the south-facing facade were supplied by a local company that
uses landfill gas (methane) to fire them.
The earth covering significantly lessens the visual impact of the houses from
the surrounding roads.
Internal The style of the dwellings is based on a repeated modular construction

system,
Layout forming a series of bays 3 metres wide and 6 metres deep separated by
200mm concrete block walls (see Figure 1). Four of the homes have six bays
each and one has seven.

Conservatory
Figure 1. Internal
layout of six bay
dwelling. Note the use
of an extended porch
wall (top right) to form
the conservatory
sidewalls.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Excluding the effect of the earth covering
Rear Wall: 0.11

Floor: 0.11
Roof: 0.11
Windows: (Triple) 1.15

(Double) 1.90
Air Infiltration: 0.95-1.23 m3/h/m2 @ 50 Pa
Heating Energy conservation was a primary objective of the design process,
and a space heating system is not required due to the passive solar
design and super-insulation. A wood stove is occasionally lit in the
conservatory for aesthetic purposes rather than heating.
A Baxi air-to-water heat pump installed in each conservatory

mechanically draws warm air from the sunspace. The air’ s heat is
extracted and passed to a water-filled thermal store. This action also
helps to cool and extract moisture from the conservatories, which are
often used for drying clothes. The heat is stored in a hot water
cylinder with a 1500litre capacity, which, when heated to its maximum,
is enough for up to a week. The heat pump requires an electrical input
to run, and an electrical immersion coil provides back-up for cold
spells. The system’ s overall efficiency is dependent on the amount of
heat available from the conservatory, and therefore on the solar gain.
Lighting All the main living areas are well day lit, and compact fluorescent lights
(CFLs) are used throughout.
Ventilation Each dwelling has its own Baxi mechanical heat recovery ventilation
system to provide fresh air. Air extracted from the moist areas (the
kitchen, bathroom and toilets) is passed across an in-line heat
exchanger before being exhausted from the building. This transfers
heat from the extracted air to the incoming fresh air. The two air
streams are completely separate to prevent stale air re-entering the
home.
The air-tightness of the dwellings was tested in 2003 and the results
showed that the mean air permeability was between 0.95 and

1.23m3/h/m2 at 50Pa. This is considerably lower than the UK mean of

11.48m3/h/m2 and the maximum level of 10m3/h/m2 that is specified in
Part L1 of the Building Regulations.
Energy One of the project’

s key design objectives is to use renewable energy
Generation sources to meet the energy requirements of the development.
A Proven wind turbine with a blade diameter of 5.6m and rated at 5kW
was erected in December 2001. The generator is gearbox free, which
reduces the noise output. The turbine was expected to generate
12MWh of power annually. It is currently underperforming, but
research and improvements are ongoing.
Planning permission has been granted for a second wind turbine from
Iskra Wind Turbines, based in Nottingham. It is of a similar
specification to the first.
In August 2002, a series of photovoltaic modules were incorporated

onto the southern-facing facade. The modules are mounted on ballast
filled consoles that sit above the conservatory glazing, on the parapet
wall and at a similar angle. The ballast is 75kg of loose gravel, which
ensures the modules stay fixed. Despite being a retrofit installation, it
was not required to penetrate the building fabric or roof structure of the
homes since the cables pass through a ventilation shaft. Ninety BP
Solar 85Wp modules have been installed, giving a 7.65kWp total
rating.
Excesses and shortfalls in power are compensated for by the local grid
via an import / export meter.
Water Water conservation is a major part of the project. All of the water used
Conservation by the residents is both captured and treated onsite. There is no
external mains water supply or sewerage treatment system.
Two rainwater collection systems are featured. The first provides the
residents with drinking water. Runoff water is collected from the
conservatory roof and stored in large 25m3 underground tanks where it
naturally remains cool. It is pumped on demand to the houses,
passing through a 5 micron string filter to remove small debris, then
through a charcoal filter to neutralise any dissolved chemicals, and is
finally exposed to ultra-violet light to kill any bacteria or viruses
present. When full, the rainwater tanks hold enough water to provide
twenty residents with ten litres of drinking water each for 250 days.
The second system provides water for washing, bathing, toilet flushing,
etc. The water for this system is collected from the turf roof of the
house and the land adjoining it. This is channelled into a sump and
pumped to a reservoir behind the homes. The reservoir is capable of
storing up to 150m3 of water, which is at least 100 days use for the
residents. When this is pumped to the houses it passes through a
sand filter to remove any suspended matter.
All the dwellings are fitted with low-flush toilets and some flow
restrictors in showerheads. Showers are taken rather than baths, and

more environmentally friendly detergent alternatives are used in the

washing machines.
Grey and black water is treated onsite by a combination of septic tanks

and a reed bed. Once water has been treated in the reed beds, it
flows into the lake that was created by the residents and is populated
by fish such as carp. Much of the solid matter is removed and
composted discretely onsite.
Resident Training As it is a self-build project, the residents have trained themselves using
the expertise that exists within the group. New project members are
actively encouraged to share and use their know-how to benefit the
group.
Recycling The group compost all organic waste material produced on the land or
in the homes. Domestic scale recycling facilities have been built into
each house, and the material gathered is either reused onsite or taken
in bulk to local recycling facilities. The municipal waste bins are
emptied less than once a month.
Transport
The number of residents working from home at least part time is steadily increasing,
therefore reducing the pollution attributable to commuting.
The project’s rural location means that it is not well sited with regard to access to public
transport. Hockerton, the nearest village, is not well equipped for shops or other facilities, so
frequent visits to the village of Southwell, 2½ miles away, have to be made. Walking and
cycling are encouraged, and part of the tenancy covenant is that each house is allowed to
own only one fossil fuel powered vehicle. Car sharing and multiple purpose journeys are
common.
An electric Peugeot 106 has been made available to residents using a grant from Powergen.
The car has a 60km range, which is enough for round trips to schools, supermarkets and the
city of Nottingham. The vehicle’ s batteries are charged using surplus power from the wind
turbines and photovoltaic array.
As part of the demonstrative nature of the project, a number of two/three/four wheeled,

human powered vehicles are used by the residents for recreation and labour.
Landscaping
Encouragement The site was originally fit only for grazing sheep and cattle. As part of
of Biodiversity the project, the residents wanted to enhance the landscape; to
increase biodiversity and to provide additional resources for the
dwellings.
New habitats of woodland and water have been created as part of the
landscaping, which have provided habitats for local wildlife. The lake
forms part of a productive aquaculture scheme, being home to many
forms of fauna and flora, such as water-voles, frogs, toads, carp and
numerous reeds. It attracts birds such as coot, moorhen, mallard, little
grebe and tufted duck. Waders, geese, kingfisher and swans also visit
on occasions.

Landscape The residents have observed that the houses act as a wind and noise
structural Feature shelter for the area between the conservatories and the lake to the
south. They believe that it is the ramp shape of the earth-covered roof
that produces this effect, which can also be used to protect more
delicate plantings outside the conservatories.
Resource crops Food growing areas have been created to produce vegetables for the
(food/fuel) families, and livestock is grazed as part of the land management
strategy and to provide wool and meat. Chickens are kept to provide
eggs and manure.
Newly planted woodland of over 4,000 trees provides wood fuel for the
conservatory wood stove.
Economic Aspects
The residents drew up an internal contract that obliged each household to meet the financial
costs of the development up to a common stage. Each household had to separately fund
their share of the work. However, each household paid a unique amount for their dwelling.
An internal LET scheme offset labour contributions from capital contributions, therefore those
households that contributed more in labour had to contribute less in capital, and vice versa.
The group believe that they have met their initial objective of constructing a group of
autonomous, zero-CO2 emission dwellings. The development of the project is ongoing
however, and the group has received funding from various bodies to undertake research into
various aspects of sustainable housing development.
An award from the Environmental Action Fund (EAF) for 2000-1 aided the development of
the “Sustainable Communities”project, which promotes the group’ s knowledge and skills to
assist other individuals and groups to develop their own sustainable community. The project
includes the publication of a tool-kit that includes two publications to date, ‘
The Sustainable
Community - A Practical Guide’and ‘ Sustainable Housing Schemes in the UK - A guide with
details of access’ . Along with the website content and tours and talks at HHP, the group
hope to mentor fledgling groups through the various hurdles of project design, planning
application, etc. to aid the development of similar projects around the country.
The group led the establishment of the Zero Emission Network (ZEN), which operated from
October 2002 until April 2004, in collaboration with innovationONLINE. The aim of ZEN was
to assist designers and promoters of zero emission housing projects to identify and develop
markets for their products. It featured a network directory and helped establish links
between the various organisations who were keen to be involved in developing zero
emission housing (architects, consultants, product manufacturers, etc.). This project was
funded by over £26k from Biffaward (landfill tax credits scheme) and from the Pilkington
Energy Efficiency Trust.
Social Aspects
Resident The residents were completely involved with the design of their
involvement dwellings and the landscaping that surrounds them. This has led to an
increase in the skill base of the residents and an increase in their
confidence as individuals to take control of very important aspects of
their lives.
The commitment that each resident must make to the ongoing

development of the project ensures that the social cohesion of the
group is maintained beyond the major building stage. Residents are

required not only to maintain the present development and its grounds
but to further develop the project with regard to onsite businesses,
trading products from these businesses, and to disseminate
information about the project to other groups, which in itself has
become a staple source of financial income.
These functions provide continual challenges to the residents, who

have to develop the skills necessary to carry the project forward in line
with their communally agreed and individual aspirations.
Weekly meetings are held where issues and plans are discussed and
tasks are agreed. These are important as social gatherings, taking
part on Friday nights, as well as to the business of the group.
Social support is provided, often on an informal basis, through shared
childcare activities, car sharing, communal working and skill sharing,
and through the friendships that have come about as the project has
developed.
Methods of It has long been an ambition of the group to better demonstrate its
Community achievements in sustainability to the wider community. As outside
Engagement interest steadily grew, it became apparent that a dedicated
‘Sustainable Resource Centre’(SRC) onsite would be an effective way
of involving local communities, schools and agencies in the project,
and act as an added catalyst for sustainable action in the region.
A feasibility study was undertaken to better understand the needs of

the target groups. It was decided that the new amenities should focus
around an ‘ eco-barn’situated near and complimenting the homes.
The SRC will feature a dedicated audio-visual room, seminar facilities
and permanent exhibitions.
Communal Facilities
The main “communal”areas at the moment are the gardens and the orchards that provide
vegetables and fruit to the community.
The SRC incorporates a communal office that will provide computing, e-mail and Internet
facilities. This will further enhance the onsite business opportunities. Food processing,
workshops, seminar and office space are also to be incorporated into the building.
Well-Being
A healthy living environment has been provided to the residents by the following factors:
• The energy efficient and water conservative design means that the residents are at no
risk of suffering from either fuel or water poverty.
• The indoor thermal climate is always maintained in the comfort zone, reducing the risk of
extreme temperatures exacerbating any health problems.
• A constant supply of fresh air is provided by the mechanical heat recovery ventilation
systems, which maintain a low relative humidity and reduce the risk of damp related
illnesses.

• The opportunities of communal working, skill sharing and mutual support, and the
challenges of moving the project forward, should contribute to a sense of mental well-
being to group members.
Accessibility Issues of old age and disability have not yet been addressed; mainly
because none of the present members fall into these categories. The
site could present a challenge to people with mobility problems,
although the group has coped with both motorised and manual
wheelchairs during their guided tours. It is envisaged that the situation
will improve over time.
Adaptability The group is currently composed of family units and single people.
However, formations such as single parents or house sharers can
happily be accommodated to live and become integrated into the
project.
Crime The prospect of crime is reduced by the ‘ stealth’nature of the project;

it is not visible from the surrounding roads. The sense of community
adds to the security as unknown visitors are always noticed and
challenged. The residents’daily work and life routines mean that the
site is never left completely unoccupied.
Economic Aspects
The Costs of development for a three-bed (171m2) home are as follows:
Basic house construction £51k
Conservatory £12k
Landscaping, water systems and amenities £ 9k
Set-up costs £20k
The construction costs are thus approximately £450/m2

The construction costs shown above were funded by a mixture of private investment from the
residents and loans that were made available by the Co -operative Bank and later transferred
into mortgages by the Ecology Building Society. One of the features of this project was the
way in which these two organisations cooperated to achieve the aims of the development.
The cost of each individual household mortgage is met through a mixture of offsite
employment and onsite income generating activities. The equivalent of three members fully
earn their living working on the group’ s onsite trading projects, although most obtain some
additional income through part-time onsite work. Several members have full-time
employment offsite. There is no sharing of any externally gained income, but each resident
gets a share of any revenue generated by co-operative business activities such as tours,
sale of publications etc. A peppercorn rent of £25 per year is paid by each household to the
landowner of the site in lieu of a 999-year lease.
Additional funding was provided with an award of over £11,000 from Scottish Power’s Green
Energy Fund for the first wind generator. Funding for the second turbine has come from the
Clear Skies programme (50per cent) and Scottish Power (25per cent). The photovoltaic
array was funded by £60,000 from the DTI’ s Domestic PV Roof Trial programme.
Two Lottery grants from the Social, Economic and Environmental Development (SEED)
Programme, funded both the feasibility study (£4,799) and the construction costs (£49,619)
of the Sustainable Resource Centre.

Visiting
Contact the group directly or visit the project website for details, pricing and to book a place
on the regular guided tours. A fee is charged that varies depending on the nature of the
visiting group.
The group identified two main barriers to the realisation of the project:
1. The local planning authority did not want to set any sort of precedent for a building
outside village envelopes. They attached a landmark 106 agreement to the planning
consent that included, amongst other things, issues around development of onsite, low-
impact sustainable employment and working towards self-sufficiency. Being low-energy
was not enough. The group had to demonstrate that the project would be a positive
move towards sustainable development and that it would complement the Council’ s own
policies in this area.
2. The group had difficulty in locating additional skilled labour / contractors who understood
the aims of the project.

Hollies Barn, Eakring
Location Eakring, Nottinghamshire

Type of Area Rural
Tenure Owner Occupied
Built Form Detached
Status Occupied since March 2003
Contact Name Sam Pearce
Phone / e-mail 01623 411026
[email protected]
Visiting possible No
Summary
Hollies Barn is a private development that sees the refurbishment of a former Victorian barn
into a large, four-bedroom dwelling. The original solid brick walls have been upgraded
internally to provide a highly insulated and airtight envelope, which incorporates a high level
of internally exposed thermal mass. The methodology is very similar to that employed by the
Hockerton Housing Project, which to a large extent inspired the current owner to take this
route. Other technologies and methods used in the development have also been chosen as
a result of the influence and availability of local expertise and systems that now exist within
this area of Nottinghamshire. Hockerton’ s earth sheltered scheme, the Vale’ s Autonomous
House and Gusto Construction Ltd are all within easy reach and appear to be having a
positive influence on other developments within the region.
The project also includes high specification glazing, rainwater harvesting and reed-bed grey
water treatment, space for home-working and good accessibility features. Passive Solar
Design (PSD) has been considered in the internal layout of the dwelling and the finished
design will provide a high quality and contemporary home for the residents.
Project Objectives
To create a comfortable home that is CO2 neutral in its day-to-day energy consumption and
that can be used to inspire other people to do the same.
History of Concept
The owner / developer has had a long interest in alternative energy systems, low energy
design, etc. After making the decision to leave London and return to the area where he grew
up, he sees this barn conversion as the ideal opportunity to put his ideas into practice.
With a strong background in product design and with Nick Martin, a builder and a resident of
the Hockerton Housing Project contracted as a consultant, he set about designing a virtual
model of the barn conversion in order to create a large four bedroom family home that
benefits from high thermal mass.
Although the building has been habitable since early in 2003, the project is ongoing, with
advancements being made as the finances required become available. At the time of
writing, efforts have been focused on the landscaping of the garden and pond, with the
completion of the rainwater collection system due to follow.

Built form A detached, U-shaped, barn conversion.
Roof Clay-pantiles fixed to wooden battens upon 40mm Kingspan insulated sarking
board. The space between the rafters is filled with either 100mm of rigid
polystyrene, or 100mm of fibreglass. A further 40mm of insulated Kingspan
plasterboard is attached to the underside of the rafters to reduce thermal
bridging.
Walls The wall construction comprises 300–350mm original solid brick wall, lined
internally with 150mm polystyrene sheet, and enclosed by 100mm dense
concrete block (see Figure 1), to provide a large amount of thermal mass.
This is then faced with wet plaster, to increase the air-tightness of the
structure.
300 - 350mm
original solid
brickwork
150mm expanded
polystyrene sheet Figure 1. Cross
section of wall
construction
100mm dense
concrete block
5mm wet
plaster finish
Floors A 100mm concrete slab is used to tie the walls together at ground level. On
top of this is laid a 300mm EPS slab, upon which a 200–300mm concrete raft
is laid, giving the internal room area a very large amount of exposed thermal
mass.
Windows Bespoke double glazed units with oak timber frames, low-emissivity coated
glass and a 28mm gap filled with argon gas.
Doors The doors are bespoke units made from English oak.
Rainwater The owners have chosen to use galvanised steel for the guttering and
Goods downpipes. This represents an economically viable and environmentally
better alternative to using PVC, and because the collected water will be used
for drinking, it is healthier than iron.
Waste During construction No ‘waste’left the site during completion of the major
Minimisation construction works. ‘ Leftovers’arising from the development were either
recycled on site, or traded with other builders, members of the village
community, etc., for other goods or services. Three lorry loads of hardcore
were taken to a recycling facility to be processed to form road surface fill
material. Just one skip of rubbish has been removed to landfill in the course
of the project.

Internal The basic principles of passive solar design have been applied, wherever
Layout possible, to the internal layout of the dwelling. The main living area contains a
large amount of south-facing glazing; and the kitchen, recycling and food
storage areas are situated on the cooler northwest side of the property. The
downstairs guest bedroom receives sunlight in the afternoon due to its
westerly location.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.20 (average)

Floor: 0.16 (average)
Roof: 0.14
Windows: 1.80
Doors: 1.80
Heating The heating system consists of electric panel heaters in most rooms of
the dwelling. These run off a tariff that provides 10 hours of off-peak
electricity throughout the day and night. No gas is available at the site.
In addition, a wood burning stove has been installed in the sitting room
to provide supplementary heating when required during the colder
months.
Domestic hot water is provided from a mains pressure storage cylinder

heated by off-peak electricity. This is a bespoke and experimental
system designed by Nick Martin, of the Hockerton Housing Project,
which incorporates 5 heat-exchange coils through which the mains
pressure cold water is passed and heated by the hot water stored in
the cylinder. The owner praises the performance of this bespoke
system to date.
Lighting The lighting in all habitable areas is provided by compact fluorescent

lights (CFLs).
Ventilation Individual Ventaxia heat recovery ventilation units are located in the
kitchen and bathrooms of the dwelling. Due to the narrow floor plan of
the structure, opening windows naturally ventilate the rest of the
dwelling
.
Energy Generation The design of the refurbishment allows for the easy integration of
photovoltaics at a future date. At present, their cost is prohibitive for
this development.
Water Conservation Rainwater collected from the roof of the dwelling will be stored and
utilised by the owners for all domestic purposes. The owners have
chosen to use the FREERAIN system, when the required finance
becomes available, developed by Gusto Construction in nearby
Collingham (see entry on Millennium Green for further details). The
household water will be filtered before use, and the drinking water will
be treated by ultra-violet light to destroy any water-borne bacteria.
The system has a mains water backup in the event of component /
power failure or lack of rainfall.

Grey-water will be treated on site by a reed-bed system, situated on

the southern side of the property, and allowed to soak away naturally.
The reed-bed will also form a visual screen from the road.
Brown-water will be fed into the local sewerage system where it
naturally passes into the village reed-bed and soak-away.
Recycling Facilities A dedicated area for separating and storing recyclable materials has
been designed into the dwelling.
Transport
The property is situated close to a local village shop that provides day-to-day necessities.
The owners of Hollies Barn both work from home and are therefore not dependent on
transport for commuting. There is a regular bus service from the village to other local town
and village centres.
Landscaping
The owners have created a pond and an organic vegetable patch which have already
noticeably increased the biodiversity of the project site. The creation of reed-beds in future
will further promote biodiversity.
Well Being
Accessibility The dwelling has level access at several points allowing for ease of
entry for those people who are mobility impaired. The ground floor of
the property incorporates a double bedroom and a bathroom, mainly
for the use of guests, but it could also provide for residents who are
not able to negotiate the stairs to the first floor facilities.
Adaptability A single step, soon after the entrance, does exist on the ground floor
level, but the design allows for a ramp to be built into this should it
become necessary at a future date.
Health and Both the high levels of insulation and thermal mass will reduce the
Affordability possibility of the residents suffering from fuel poverty. The rainwater
collection system and reed-bed sewerage system will reduce the
tenants’water costs.
Economic Aspects
The cost of the conversion to date has been £295,000. An evaluation of the heating energy
and utility bill savings is to be conducted once the creation of the internal buffer zones has
been completed. As both owners work mainly from home the design for the refurbishment
incorporated a dedicated office space. An ICT network has also been installed throughout
the house, making it possible to connect to the Internet from various locations within the
dwelling.
The owners / developers encountered the following problems when attempting to bring the
project to fruition:

• The building ‘industry’ appeared to be very busy and it was difficult to locate the
appropriate amount of labour within the desired timescales.
• Local builders were initially unenthusiastic about an ‘

eco-build’
.
• Accessing the appropriate skills and knowledge needed for the development proved to
be very difficult and the owner feels that the success of the project is mainly due to the
good contacts at the Hockerton Housing Project and Newark and Sherwood District
Council, which they had already established.
• A conflict arose between the properties owners and the local authority’ s building
conservation officer over the issue of the galvanised steel guttering. The property lies
within a conservation area and the local authority officer held the belief that only cast iron
guttering should be used. The issue was resolved when it was made clear to the officer
that the rainwater was to be used for drinking and that iron guttering could have a
negative effect on the residents’health.

Lakeside Park, Sutton in Ashfield
Location Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire

Type of Area Urban
Built Form Mixed
Status Development in progress
Contact Name Paul Smith
Bellway Homes PLC
Leicester
Phone / e-mail 0116 2727000
Website www.bellway.co.uk/eastmids/
LakesidePark/home.htm
Summary
This scheme demonstrates the ability of a local planning authority to work with a mainstream
developer, to produce a scheme that is more sustainable than a traditional new-build
development.
By utilising the Building Research Establishment’s (BRE) EcoHomes rating system, the
developer, Bellway Homes, was required to meet a defined set of national criteria that are
assessed by an impartial, independent body and are quality assured. With guidance from
the EcoHomes scheme assessor, a ‘ Very Good’rating was achieved, as had been stipulated
beforehand by the Council.
Project Objectives
To develop a mixed use site consisting of 114 dwellings, a hotel, a day-nursery and a light
industrial unit that meets or exceeds the Building Research Establishment Environmental
Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating of ‘ Very Good’. After achieving this rating on this site,
Sutton in Ashfield District Council is working to encourage all developments in the area to
meet the same standards.
History of Concept
In a previous housing development, the Council had used its position as the planning
authority and owner of the land, to secure a greater amount of public amenity space than is
generally provided, doubling the amount of space from ten to twenty per cent of the gross
development area.
The Council wished the focus of this new development to be on sustainability, and so a set of
sustainability indicators were required to judge proposals submitted by developers in an
impartial and objective manner. The decision was made to adopt the BREEAM standards for
the non-domestic developments on the site and the EcoHomes rating system (the domestic
version of BREEAM) for the dwellings. This standard categorises developments as Pass,
Good, Very Good and Excellent. The standard that the Council decided to aim for was a
‘Very Good’rating for all types of development.
B&Q, the DIY warehouse chain, were the first to accept the challenge of meeting the
standard and now operate their flagship environmental store from the site. The building
incorporates many environmentally beneficial features, including photovoltaics, solar water

heating and a wind generator.
The Council worked with Bellway Homes to assist them in delivering a residential
development that achieves the EcoHomes rating of ‘Very Good’ . The developer was initially
sceptical about the rating scheme and they found upgrading their standard housing
specification to achieve the ‘ Very Good’ rating difficult and time consuming. Having
completed the process however, they are now very positive about the experience, and the
EcoHomes ‘ Very Good’rating has been achieved in a similar fashion at their Earlswood
development on what used to be the site of the Sherwood Colliery. Bellway Homes have
also since received approaches from other housing organisations, with regard to generating
further developments to a similar high standard.
Built form A mixture of semi-detached and detached two-storey dwellings.
Greenfield/ The site is a former recreation sports-ground.

Brownfield
Construction The construction is brick and block insulated cavity walls, with timber rafter
Type and tile roofs. The floors are concrete slab and the windows are double-
glazed uPVC units. The U-values exceed the 2002 Part L of the Building
Regulations by an average of 19 per cent, giving an average carbon dioxide
emission for the development of 29.5kg/m2/yr.
All insulation materials used in the development have an ozone depletion

potential (ODP) of zero. Timber for the basic building elements came from
sources that are certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) as being
from sustainable sources.
Heating Gas condensing boilers are fitted in all dwellings as standard, and
meet the European Class 5 standard for NOx emissions. The listed
SEDBUK figure for the model used is 90.2 per cent.
Lighting Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are installed in all habitable rooms
within the dwellings. All external lighting is provided by CFLs or
fluorescent strip lighting.
Reasonable daylighting levels are achieved in most of the habitable

rooms, which in turn helps to offset the cost of artificial lighting and its
associated CO2 emissions.
Resident Training White goods are provided as an optional extra for residents within the
development. When this option is chosen, the contractor provides
white goods that have an energy rating of ‘
A’. Alternatively, advice is
given to the residents that encourages them to purchase items that
have a rating of ‘
A’.

SAP / Eco-ratings Achieved EcoHomes rating of ‘

Very Good’
.
Recycling Facilities Space is provided within each dwelling for three recycling bins to be
installed either in the kitchen or the under-stair storage area, to
encourage residents to sort and recycle their waste. Additional space
is provided within the grounds of each dwelling that facilitates storage
of recycled waste awaiting transport to a local recycling amenity.
Transport
The development is within a safe walking distance of nearby shops and amenities. All
dwellings within the development are within 200m of a local bus stop, which operates a
service into the nearby town centre at least once an hour between 07:30 and 20:00hrs.
Well-Being
Health and By providing a well-insulated structure and an efficient central heating
Affordability boiler, the risk of the occupants suffering from the effects of fuel
poverty has been reduced.
Economic Aspects
At the time of writing, over 50 per cent of the dwellings had been built, with many being sold
in advance.
Suitable space for a home office is provided in all dwellings in the development. This
provides residents the opportunity to work from home and reduce the energy they expend on
commuting
The Council has put considerable effort into educating and influencing house builders in the
local area. A survey was carried out among residents in new housing schemes within the
area, as part of the planning department’s‘ Best Value’programme. One of the questions it
asked was “would residents have been prepared to pay five to ten per cent more for their
dwellings if they had contained sustainable features, particularly those that would have
resulted in lower running costs?” Over 60 per cent of the respondents said they would have
been prepared to pay such a premium for more sustainable features. In sharp contrast to
this however, the developer has found that sustainability falls low down on their own
customers’agendas, and that actual prospective homebuyers are much more concerned
with the capital cost of the home and qualities such as location and aesthetics. In fact, the
developer has been unable to place a premium on the homes to recoup the additional costs
incurred in the project.
The UK Government’ s “By Design”project2, that aims to inform local planners and architects
about the benefits of improved layout in urban design, has actually proved to be much more
difficult for the District Council to implement and understand than the issues of housing
sustainability. The Council’ s planning department believes that regulation will be crucial to
achieving the aims of sustainable housing at a national level.
2
For further information see Better places to live: by design. A companion guide to PPG 3. The Stationary Office, London,
2001.

Barriers Encountered During the Development

Problems have been encountered with the BRE EcoHomes accreditation system. The
project lost potential points because it is built on a greenfield site. The EcoHomes rating
system gives higher scores to projects that are developed on brownfield sites. The District
Council had very few brownfield sites at its disposal however, due to the effectiveness with
which it has utilised these over the last ten years. It had no other sites available which were
suitable for this type of development, and has therefore become a victim of its own success.
It is felt that the rating system needs to be a little more flexible in situations such as these.
A conflict between the EcoHomes rating system and the Council’ s planning department
came about when the Council looked at the issue of how best to deal with the surface
rainwater run-off from the site in a sustainable manner. The Environment Agency wanted
the surface water to run into the nearby reservoir in order to increase the flow rate of the
water passing through it. A greater throughput of rainwater would help to reduce the growth
of algae that was becoming a problem to the agency, and help to keep the reservoir in better
condition. This was believed by all partners to be the most environmentally sustainable
method, however potential points were lost with the EcoHomes rating system because the
rainwater was not stored and utilised on-site.
Project Partners
Sutton in Ashfield District Council
Bellway Homes PLC

Millennium Green, Gusto Construction
Location Collingham,
Nottinghamshire
Type of Area Village
Tenure Owner-occupied
Built Form Various
Contact Name Gusto Construction Ltd.
Phone/e-mail (01636) 894 900
[email protected]
Visiting Possible By prior arrangement
Summary
This was the first development of its kind in the UK. A commercial housing developer, albeit
a small one, building conventionally-styled housing for the mass market that incorporates
environmentally beneficial features including:
• Solar water heating

• Rainwater collection for use in toilets, washing machines and garden irrigation
• Very high thermal specification (three times the level of the UK 1995 building regulations)
• Mechanical heat recovery ventilation
• High-specification glazing
• Gas condensing boilers and intelligent boiler management systems fitted as standard
• ISDN compatible telephone and Internet connections throughout
A business centre has also been developed onsite, providing serviced office space for
residents of the development who wish to work from home. The developers provide
continuous support to residents who are also asked to give feedback about living in the
dwellings at annual evening gatherings.
The project has been a commercial success, with all 24 dwellings that form the development
being sold.
The company has won the following awards as a result of its project at Millennium Green:
• Daily Express House Builder of the Year 2000 Cert Winner

• Parcelforce Worldwide Small Business Awards, 2000
• Nottingham Environmental Business of the Year, 1999
• Nottingham Evening Post Award for Innovation, 1999
• Henry, Home Energy Rater of the Year, 1999
• Building magazine ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’finalist
• Overall and category winners of the 2003 Environment Agency Water Efficiency Awards.

Project Objectives
To build high-quality environmentally friendly homes for sale on the commercial property
market.
History of Concept
Gusto Construction initially commenced business as a small construction company building
conventional dwellings for sale on the commercial property market. In 1998 the company
purchased 3.6 acres of land in Collingham, Nottinghamshire.
The company’ s chief executive, Stephen Wright, wanted the organisation to change direction
and had been inspired by local housing projects such as the Autonomous House in
Southwell and the earth-sheltered dwellings at Hockerton, and by David Pickles, manager for
energy & eco-renovation at Newark & Sherwood District Council.
Initially the group hoped to attract some subsidy from national government or from the
European Union that would assist them to experiment with different building types on the
site. All such applications were rejected, but the company pressed ahead with its ideals of
creating more sustainable housing in a way that would be commercially viable in today’ s
property market.
The organisation realised that it had to find a balance between the achievements of the
Hockerton Housing Project and housing built to the current building standards. Thus the
concept for Millennium Green was born; housing that would be built to high quality
standards, incorporating many of the technologies and techniques of ‘ green’building, but
also architecturally acceptable to the ordinary house purchaser.
A majority of the dwellings are detached or link-attached and are situated on what was
formally a greenfield site. The site layout ensures that a majority of the dwellings have good
solar access on their southern elevation. A high proportion of the glazing is installed on this
elevation to enhance the contribution that solar gain makes towards heating the dwellings.
Heat loss from the individual building elements is half or less than half of that specified under
the 1995 Building Regulations.
Walls The external walls are of standard brick and block construction, but with a
150mm cavity filled with Drytherm insulation. These are sited upon 350mm-
wide insulating trench blocks. Internal load bearing walls are 100mm clinker
block.
Roof Clay or clay-faced concrete tiles sit above a breather membrane upon a roof
structure constructed from engineered timber I-beams. The roofs are
insulated with 240mm Warmcel recycled cellulose insulation, which is held
behind a 12.7mm foil-backed plasterboard internal lining.
Floor The ground floors of the dwellings are constructed from 100mm concrete sited
upon 150mm of extruded polystyrene or 80mm polyurethane Thermo floor.
This sits on top of a polythene damp proof membrane.

Windows High performance, double-glazed, timber-framed Scandinavian windows are

fitted as standard. They have a low-emissivity coating and are argon gas
filled. The company worked with local suppliers to achieve the supply of
glazing that met their specifications.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.20
Floor: 0.15
Roof: 0.15
Windows: 1.60
Air Infiltration: 3 ac/h @ 50 Pa
A great deal of effort has been made during the design stage to reduce the amount of non-
renewable resources consumed by the dwellings during occupation. In addition to the high
levels of insulation already mentioned, the following measures have been installed into each
property as standard features.
Heating Condensing gas boilers are fitted in all dwellings and are coupled to an
intelligent heating control system. In addition to an intelligent whole
house temperature control system, all radiators are fitted with
thermostatic valve controls.
Hot water is provided by a combination of these boilers and a roof-

mounted solar water heating system fitted to each house. The site
demonstrates a mixture of flat plate collectors and evacuated tube
units. Water heated by these units is stored in a 250 litre thermal
store. This system aims to offset 60% of the fossil fuel energy usually
needed to heat the hot water supply.
Lighting Compact fluorescent tubes are fitted as standard throughout the

dwellings, although the developer has noted that some residents have
replaced these with chandeliers. A master switch by the front door
allows all internal lights to be extinguished when exiting.
Ventilation A great deal of attention to detail was taken regarding air-tightness

during the construction phase to reduce the heat loss due to cold air
ingress through the building fabric. A positive pressure test revealed
an air-change rate of 3ac/h at 50Pa.
Two ventilation options are demonstrated onsite to provide the

residents with a supply of fresh air and remove moisture from the
dwellings.
The first option is a whole house heat recovery ventilation system,

which vents air out of the bathroom and kitchen and replaces it with
fresh air, preheated by the exhaust air, into the main living areas. An
efficiency of 70% reclaimed heat is claimed by the unit manufacturer.
The second option is the fitting of humidity controlled passive stack
ventilation (PSV) units in the kitchen and bathroom to remove moist air

from these locations. The rest of the property is ventilated through

trickle air vents fitted into the window casements. These allow the
property to be ventilated to an adequate level throughout the day and
night without compromising the security of the property.
Water Every property is fitted with a rainwater recovery system that collects
Conservation and stores rainwater in a collection tank to be used for flushing toilets,
providing water to washing machines and for irrigating the garden.
The developers tried several ‘ off the shelf’systems. Each presented
its own unique set of complications, which resulted in Gusto
developing its own “Freerain”system that is now installed as standard.
This system incorporates an underground storage tank, self-cleaning
in-tank filters and a submersible pump. The system is not designed to
provide drinking quality water but rather to provide water for the above
purposes with minimal maintenance. Overflow water from the system
passes into the local storm drains
.
The company offers three sizes of tank, with the standard unit capable
of holding 3,500 litres. The filters used are cleaned whenever the unit
overflows, and correct sizing of the storage tank ensures that this
occurs at least three times a year.
The systems have performed well and relatively rarely run dry during
periods of low rainfall. The homes’consumption of domestic mains
water has been cut by roughly 50 percent.
Aerated taps and showers are also fitted as standard to reduce water
consumption.
Resident Resident training in the use and environmental benefits of the energy
Training and water systems in the dwellings takes place when they move in.
This aims to optimise the benefits of these systems by ensuring the
residents are capable of operating them efficiently.
Recycling Facilities are provided in the garages to encourage the residents to

Facilities recycle glass, paper, cardboard, tins, aluminium, etc. No organic
waste recycling facilities are provided as standard.
SAP/Eco-rating The dwellings have been rated by a variety of recognised schemes

and achieve a SAP rating of 100, an NHER of 10 and a BRE rating of
Excellent.
Landscaping
A communal green has been developed in the centre of the site for the residents’use. This
has been landscaped to include varieties of fruiting trees and shrubs. The stream that
adjoins the northern perimeter of the site has created a protected area. Water voles have
been spotted in this area and the developer has issued a leaflet informing residents about
this rare and disappearing species.
Stewardship of the common areas of the site rests with the developer. This ensures that
these areas are properly managed, and demonstrates the on-going commitment that the
developer has in the site. This has also allowed for a more exotic landscape than would
have been possible had responsibility been passed to the local authority in the conventional
way.
Transport
The development is close to local shops, schools, a railway station and leisure facilities.
There are no specific measures to encourage people to walk or cycle; however, charging
points for electric vehicles can be provided as an option, and this has been taken up by a
number of residents.
Social Aspects
As part of the developer’ s commitment to continuous improvement, regular feedback
sessions are held with the residents to obtain information on the pros and cons of the various
systems installed in the dwellings. These are also seen as essential in developing a sense
of community, which is enhanced by the fact that all of the residents are living in a unique
development.
Communal Facilities
A business centre has been built onsite, with the intention of providing serviced office space
to residents who wish to work from home. The developer is actively seeking ways in which
this centre can provide a range of services to residents. Services such as key-holding,
parcel drop-off, etc. are being explored to ensure that they are useful to the community as
well as financially viable.
Well-Being
Health and The development of aspirational dwellings that can be heated and
Affordability lit at an affordable cost to the residents reduces the possibility of them
suffering from the negative effects of fuel poverty. The rainwater
recycling system ensures that none of the residents will suffer from
water poverty. The provision of a good ventilation strategy in all
dwellings should reduce the occurrence of damp and mould, as well
as reducing the cost of maintenance on the buildings. A pollen filter is
fitted as standard on the heat recovery ventilation units.
Accessibility Extra-wide doorways and low door thresholds on ground floor doors
makes the dwellings accessible to wheelchair users. These designs
pre-dated this requirement under Building Regulations.
Adaptability All dwellings are wired for ISDN and Internet connection as standard,
ensuring that all residents can access these communication
technologies.
Crime The layout of the site has incorporated good practice with regard to
crime reduction and multi-point locking. Pre-wired alarm systems are
fitted to all dwellings. The sense of community that the site inspires
also adds to the sense of security about living there.
Economic Aspects
The developer has found that a premium of approximately ten per cent has been added to
the cost of the development due to the additional features incorporated into the dwellings.
Twenty four dwellings have been built on the site and all costs were met by the developer.
There have been no external subsidies for this project.

Subsequent Developments
The commercial success of Millennium Green has allowed Gusto Construction to expand on
their ethos of providing homes that include many environmentally friendly technologies to the
upper end of the market. Three new projects have been developed:
 The Beefield, Hawthorn Road, Lincoln is a nine house development on the outskirts of
Lincoln, with a similar specification to Millennium Green. Sustainable drainage was an
issue on this particular site, which led to the installation of a storm-water run-off
attenuation system, to complement the rainwater harvesting system.
 West Meadows, Allington, Nr Grantham is a five house development in Allington,

overlooking the Vale of Belvoir. In addition to the features of Millennium Green, all of the
Allignton properties benefit from underfloor heating, supplied by the solar water-heating
panels. The relatively low circulation temperature required by an underfloor heating
system makes it particularly suitable for integration with solar thermal. One of the
properties is also being used to pilot a, roof-integrated array of interlocking, photovoltaic
tiles. The 10m2, southern-facing array of C21 solar tiles from Solar Century can generate
up to 1kWp for the home, and feeds any surplus electricity into the national grid. As a
result of the Allington development, Gusto Homes have been awarded the Sustainability
Standard in the first ever Sustainable New Homes Awards.
 Gusto is also to build 9 homes in the village of Reepham, close to Lincoln, where the
technologies introduced at Millennium Green will continue to be applied. A more
consultative approach with local residents has been taken by Gusto during the planning
stage of this development.
The developer encountered various regulatory problems during the development of
Millennium Green. These included conflicts with the Highways Agency with regard to the
design of the storm drains and resistance from the parish council with regard to setting a
precedent for a different style of development.
Resistance within the industry was also encountered with trade-people being unwilling to
adopt different working methods or to use different materials.
The massive shortage of skilled labour within the industry presented Gusto Construction with
problems of staffing the development. The developer invested heavily in staff training and
development and, through retaining these staff, a greater understanding of the technology
being employed has been achieved. This has led to reduced snagging during the design
stage of subsequent developments and more efficient problem resolution and maintenance
once the buildings are occupied and in use.
The trade-people have become more involved with the development of the projects and feel
that they have a vested interest in the success of the company. They often suggest new
methods and technologies themselves. Stephen Wright, the chief executive of Gusto
Construction believes that this type of approach is essential if the industry is to attract new
people. He sees it as part of giving people a sense of satisfaction and pride in the industry
that he feels is lacking in the UK when compared to countries such as Germany, Holland or
Australia, where being a builder has a higher social status.
The developer believes that legislation must drive the construction industry towards more
sustainable building methods, and cites the need for an aspirational set of Building
Regulations that the industry can work to over the next ten years. “Ten years is easily
enough time for this industry to change”(Stephen Wright, in interview 2001).
The success of Gusto’s‘ Freerain’water harvesting system has led to the formation of a spin-
off company with the same name. In addition to receiving the Environment Agency 2003
Water Efficiency award, Freerain was a founding member of the UK Rainwater Harvesting
Association (UK-RHA).

Beaconsfield Street, Nottingham
Location Hyson Green, Nottingham

Type of Area Urban
Tenure Social Housing Rental
Built Form Terrace
Contact Name Nottingham Community
Housing Association
Phone / e-mail (0115) 910 4444
Web Address www.ncha.org.uk
Visiting Possible By arrangement only
Summary
Beaconsfield Street is a group of seven terrace dwellings providing energy efficient
accommodation to single people, couples and larger households.
The project incorporates a highly insulated timber frame construction, using timber from
sustainable sources, high-specification glazing, and passive stack ventilation to the kitchen
and bathroom, and the use of recycled insulation materials.
The Housing Association teamed up with a local training provider, Nottingham Environmental
Construction Training for All (NECTA), who employ local labour and provide training in
construction trades for long-term unemployed people. This was funded by the ‘ New Deal for
Communities’scheme.
Project Objectives
To create a group of energy efficient, 1 and 4-bed properties on an infill site in Nottingham.
Summary
Beaconsfield Street is a group of seven terrace dwellings providing energy efficient
accommodation to single people, couples and larger households.
The project incorporates a highly insulated timber frame construction, using timber from
sustainable sources, high-specification glazing, and passive stack ventilation to the kitchen
and bathroom, and the use of recycled insulation materials.
The housing association teamed up with a local training provider, Nottingham Environmental
Construction Training for All (NECTA), who employ local labour and provide training in
construction trades for long-term unemployed people. This was funded by the ‘ New Deal for
Communities’scheme.
Built form An ‘L’-shaped, two-storey terrace development that provides three one-
bedroom units and three four-bedroom units. The development took place on
an urban infill site between a school and a highway.

Walls Timber frame, breathing wall construction, using Masonite ‘ I’

-beam studs to
provide a 150mm cavity that is filled with recycled cellulose (paper) slabs.
Roof Concrete tiles upon prefabricated timber trusses. The loft floor is insulated
with 200mm of mineral wool.
Floors Suspended timber insulated floors.
Windows Timber framed, double-glazed units of Swedish origin incorporating a low-

emissivity coating and timber from sustainable sources.
Doors Insulated timber construction.
Interior To reduce the environmental impact of the interior furnishings, the association
finishes used low-solvent paints and varnishes throughout the scheme. Linoleum was
used in place of vinyl floor coverings in some areas of the scheme.
Impact of The soil removed for the foundations of the development remained onsite and
Construction was used to form a grassed over earth bank. This significantly reduced the
amount of waste that went to landfill as a result of the development.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.21
Floor: 0.35
Roof: 0.18
Windows: 2.50
Doors: 0.35
Heating Each dwelling within the development is fitted with a condensing gas
combination boiler controlled by a programmer, room thermostat and
thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs).
Lighting Compact florescent lights (CFLs) are provided to reduce the cost and
energy use of artificial lighting.
Ventilation Passive stack ventilation is used in the kitchen and bathroom.

Elsewhere, standard trickle ventilation is incorporated into the window
surrounds.
Resident Training It is the policy of the housing association that all residents receive
training in energy awareness to help them to reduce their fuel costs.
SAP / Eco-ratings NHER = 10
Transport
The development is already within an established residential area and is close to schools, a
supermarket, and public transport links, including the new Nottingham tram system.

Landscaping
Trees that were present at the site were maintained as part of the development.
Well-Being
Health and The low fuel costs incurred by the residents of this scheme will ensure
Affordability that they are at a greatly reduced risk of suffering from fuel poverty.
Accessibility All units have level access to facilitate entry for people with mobility
problems.
Crime All dwellings within the scheme meet the national ‘

Secure by Design’
standard.
NECTA, the contractors chosen for this scheme, bid for and received European funding to
provide training in various building trades to local, unemployed people. The organisation
was very involved at the early stages of the project and with developing the specification.
Although this is a very worthy way of working and is to be encouraged, large delays were
experienced by the project due to the continuous onsite training of the workforce and the
workforce’s transience. Quite often the trainees would drift away from the project, leaving
the project manager with the responsibility of finding and training a replacement at very short
notice.
The following comments also relate to the other projects undertaken by Nottingham Community Housing
Association (NCHA) featured within this publication at Garendon Road (Eco-Life), Green Lane, and the Fosse
Estate.
Barriers encountered by the developers (NCHA)

The main barriers encountered by the association fall into three categories:
1. The increased financial cost of producing dwellings with a high thermal efficiency. The
average premium experienced by the Housing Association for this type of construction is
about five per cent per development.
2. Education of project partners and associated professionals. The project experienced

delays due to the contractor’ s unfamiliarity with the Masonite stud system and working
with wide cavities. Contractors also had to receive onsite training regarding the correct
positioning and installation of the passive ventilation system, although the manufacturer
very willingly and efficiently provided this.
The housing association finds that many contractors require further education when
developing projects that are not of a traditional construction nature, which can be costly
in time and money.
3. Due to the increasing demand for ‘ green’products such as the Masonite stud wall
system, delays were experienced when attempting to get quotations and purchasing
such systems. This is mainly due to the few manufacturers producing them being unable
to supply their increasing demand.
Project Partners
Nottingham Community Housing Association
Nottingham Environmental Construction Training for All (NECTA)

Corncroft, Green Lane, Clifton
Location Clifton, Nottingham

Type of Area Urban
Built Form Semi-detached
bungalows
Housing Association.
Phone / e-mail (0115) 910 4444
Summary
The Corncroft development is one of the largest concentrations of PV in the UK, and
potentially the largest installation in social housing. It features 44 semi-detached bungalows
for older persons and young, disabled residents. 22 of the dwellings incorporate photovoltaic
panels on the south-facing roofs.
This £265,000 installation project was designed by Energy for Sustainable Development Ltd
(ESD), who helped to secure £238,000 from the DTI’ s Domestic Roof Trial funding
programme, launched in 2000. The project was co-funded by Powergen (£30,000). The
development was built by Westleigh Homes.
A total rating of 34 kWp has been installed on the site using BP 585L mono-crystalline units
attached to mounting frames from PV Systems Ltd that can accommodate up to six panels
each. The frames and panels replace the tiles that would normally form the rooftop, and lead
flashing provides a watertight seal.
The panels are linked to the national grid, allowing energy to be imported and exported
depending on the resident’
s demands and the panels’supply. It has been estimated that the
panels will reduce each dwelling’
s electricity demand by 30 per cent, saving the residents
about £60 per year.
A 24 month monitoring exercise of the development has been undertaken by ESD and the
results are to be made publicly available via their website.
Project Objectives
To investigate the potential of using rooftop integrated photovoltaic panels, as a means of
progressing towards sustainability in community housing development.
History of Concept
Nottingham Community Housing Association operates with a core philosophy of maximising
the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of its affordable housing
developments. In 2000, the housing association used their planned development at
Corncroft to bid for funding from the DTI for a domestic photovoltaic field trial. This funding
was secured with the help of Energy for Sustainable Development Ltd (ESD), and the project
began onsite in late 2001.

Project Partners
Energy for Sustainable Development Ltd
Powergen
Westleigh Homes

Fosse Estate, Newark
Location Newark,
Nottinghamshire
Type of Area Urban
Built Form Terrace Bungalows
Contact Name Nottingham
Community
Housing Association
Phone / e-mail (0115) 910 4444
Visiting Possible By prior arrangement
Summary
This project was built in 1999 on a brownfield site and incorporates high levels of thermal
insulation, a covered street, level access to all properties and four units built for residents
with higher needs as a result of physical disabilities.
The construction incorporates the Masonite ‘ I’

-beam system. This is sourced from
sustainable Scandinavian wood, reduces waste onsite and incorporates element recycled
wood waste. This system also allows for the easy construction of wide cavities, providing for
high levels of insulation, and reduces the amount of heat lost through thermal bridging via
the studs when compared to traditional timber frame systems.
The dwellings are orientated to maximise solar gains and are arranged internally so that the
main living areas face south.
Communal space is provided internally by the covered street, and externally by communal
gardens.
Project Objectives
To create a group of energy efficient bungalows for older persons.
History of Concept
The Housing Association wished to use a covered street design to provide a communal
space in which residents could socialise. This would have the additional benefit of reducing
the residents’ space heating energy usage, due to the street’ s buffering effect on the
envelope of each dwelling, and its ability to store solar thermal gains. It was felt that this
type of design would be particularly appropriate for older people, who generally prefer higher
room temperatures and would benefit from the potentially lower fuel bills.
The buildings were designed as part of a competition to achieve weekly fuel bills of less than
£1 per week. These buildings achieved this when modelled by computer software using the
Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) algorithms. From the actual fuel bills, the average
energy costs for the first 38 months from the date of construction of a sample of eight
properties on the site were found to be:
Gas £1.44 per week (£74.88 per annum)

Electric £3.80 per week (£197.60 per annum)
Figure 1.
Showing the
layout of
terrace rows
on either side
of the
covered
Built form This was a brownfield site, formerly occupied by three 5-storey blocks of flats
that were demolished. The development consists of 33 terrace dwellings
arranged in five groups around the site. The largest group consists of 20 units
while others contain three or four units each. The units are orientated to
maximise passive solar thermal gain, thereby reducing heating costs and
greenhouse gas emissions.
Figure 1 shows how the terraces are arranged on either side of a glazed
covered street. The use of a mono-pitched roof on the southern dwellings
provides shading to the covered street and prevents it from overheating
during the summer. The covered street encloses a peripheral wall of the
dwellings, thereby reducing heat loss by buffering this element from external
weather conditions. In the case of the largest group of dwellings, the covered
street is nearly 50 metres long and provides a valuable circulation space for
the residents.
Walls Timber frame, breathing wall construction, using Masonite ‘ I’

-beam studs to
provide a 150mm cavity that is filled with recycled cellulose (paper) slabs.
Roof Concrete tiles upon prefabricated timber trusses. The loft floor is insulated
with 200mm of mineral wool insulation.
Floors Timber raft floor above insulated concrete base

.
Windows uPVC double-glazed units.
Rainwater Rainwater drainage from the site is achieved by the use of soakaways.
Internal The lounges are on the southern side of the dwellings, to maximise the
benefits
Layout of solar thermal gains.
The windows, walls and doors facing onto the covered street are of the same
construction as the external facade. This causes the covered street to be
thermally isolated from the dwellings, which is important for when the external
temperature falls particularly low during the winter.

Heating Each dwelling within the development is fitted with a condensing gas
combination boiler controlled by a programmer, room thermostat and
thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs).
Lighting Compact florescent lights (CFLs) are provided to reduce the energy
use and cost of artificial lighting.
Ventilation Passive-stack ventilation is used in the kitchen and bathroom.

Elsewhere, standard trickle ventilation is incorporated into the window
surrounds.
Resident Training It is the policy of the Housing Association that all residents receive
training in energy awareness, to help them reduce their fuel costs.
SAP / Eco-ratings NHER = 10
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.21
Floor: 0.35
Roof: 0.18
Windows: 2.50
Doors: 0.35
Transport
The project is within an existing housing estate. There are shopping facilities nearby and
good public transport links to the main town centre.
Communal Facilities
Figure 2. Covered, glazed street

between two terraces

The glazed, covered street (see Figure 2) provides an area where tenants have the
opportunity to engage with each another and generate a sense of community. Many of the
residents have adopted the areas directly outside their homes and planted ornamental
plants, contributing to the aesthetics of the scheme.
The scheme also provides a mixture of communal garden/allotment space and a private
garden for each dwelling.
Well-Being
Special support Support is provided by the Housing Association to the residents
and integration of the four dwellings that are specially adapted for the needs of
registered disabled persons.
Health and The low fuel costs incurred by the residents ensure that they are at a
affordability greatly reduced risk of suffering from the symptoms of fuel poverty.
Accessibility All of the dwellings have level access from the covered street and four
units have been built to accommodate residents with high disability
needs.
Crime Access to all dwellings is via a lockable entrance into the covered
street. Each dwelling is then individually accessed via a conventional
front door. An intercom system is provided in each dwelling to enable
residents to question visitors before letting them into the covered
street area. This provides the residents with a greater sense of
security, as the only people who should be in the covered street are
other residents or their guests.
All dwellings within the scheme meet the national ‘

Secure by Design’
standard.
Details of barriers and other issues relating to NCHA’ s experience of developing a more
sustainable form of housing are included in the entry for “Beaconsfield Street”.

Garendon Road, Loughborough
Location Loughborough
Type of Area Urban
Built Form Terrace bungalows and semi-
detached, two-storey housing
Housing Association
Phone / e-mail (0115) 910 4444
Visiting Possible By arrangement only
Summary
The sustainability features of the project include estate layout and internal building
arrangements that maximise passive solar gain to reduce the heating load. Rainwater
harvesting and storage for use in toilet flushing is included and car parking standards are set
at 50 per cent below local authority recommendations.
Project Objectives
To create a scheme of seventeen energy efficient dwellings incorporating ‘
Lifetime Homes’
standards.
History of Concept
Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) has been working with low-energy
design since 1997. It was requested by Charnwood Borough Council to incorporate the
methodology of low-energy design with the features of ‘
Lifetime Homes’
.
Built form Seventeen dwellings have been built on this Greenfield site as a mixture of
terraced bungalows for elderly clients and semi-detached family houses.
Roof Concrete tiles on prefabricated timber rafters. The loft floor is insulated with
200mm of mineral wool.
Walls Timber frame construction with 100mm of mineral wool insulation and clad
with bricks.
Floors Suspended concrete ground floor with 75mm of expanded polystyrene

insulation underneath.
Windows Timber framed, double-glazed units, with low-emissivity glazing.
Other The layout of the development follows the guidelines laid out in GIR027
“Passive Solar Estate Layout”published by BRECSU. The principles of this
are to orientate as many houses as possible so that the elevation containing
the most glazing faces within 30° of south, whilst avoiding obstructions to
solar access through the windows. In addition to the layout of the housing
estate, maximising the benefits of passive solar layout also requires an
internal house design that places the main living areas to the south of the
dwelling. Approximately half the potential energy saving from passive solar
design comes from correct estate layout and the other half from appropriate
internal layout. When combined, these two design methodologies can
produce energy savings of approximately 10 per cent over conventional
methods at no additional cost to the developer.3
Heating Gas condensing-combination boilers with room thermostats,
programmers and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs).
Lighting Low-energy lighting is used throughout the development
Ventilation Humidity-controlled passive-stack ventilation is fitted in the kitchen and

bathrooms of the dwellings. Standard trickle ventilation is fitted into
the window frames in all other rooms.
Water Conservation Rainwater is collected from the roof, stored and used for flushing
toilets. All toilets fitted in the dwellings will consume four-litres or less
of water per flush.
Water butts are also provided as standard for residents to use to

irrigate their gardens.
Resident Training It is the policy of Nottingham Community Housing Association for all
tenants to receive training in energy efficiency awareness.
SAP / Eco-ratings NHER 10
Transport
The development is in an urban area close to schools and with easy access to public
transport facilities. A cycle lane already passes next to the land where the development is
situated and is linked to it. Car parking provision within the development has been reduced to
25 per cent below local authority recommended standards.
Landscaping
The cycle lane that adjoins the development site contains verges that are home to a large
range of species of flora and fauna. The housing association is attempting to maintain and
enhance this area during the development of the project and is working with the borough
council’
s landscaping and wildlife departments to achieve this aim.
Well-Being
Health and The low-energy design of the dwellings in conjunction with rainwater
Affordability toilets should reduce the utility costs and protect the residents from
fuel and water poverty.
3
Figures from GIR027: Passive Solar Estate Layout, BRECSU, London, 1997.

Crime The homes all comply with the national ‘Secure by Design’standard.
Adaptability The dwellings all comply with the national ‘
Lifetime Homes’standard.
Details of barriers and other issues relating to NCHA’ s experience of developing a more
sustainable form of housing are included under the entry for “Beaconsfield Street”.
Project Partners
Charnwood Borough Council

The Nottingham Eco-Home
Location West Bridgford, Nottingham

Type of Area Urban
Tenure Owner Occupied
Built Form Semi-Detached
Status Fully Occupied
Contact Name Gil Schalom & Penny Poyzer
Phone / e-mail (0115) 9143893
[email protected]
Web Address www.msarch.co.uk/ecohome
Visiting Possible By appointment only
Fee Charged Contact for details
Summary
This is an owner-led project to renovate an Edwardian semi-detached property, which was
initially in very poor condition, in an environmentally friendly manner. The project is still in
progress, but to date includes features such as high levels of internal insulation, rainwater
harvesting, whole house composting toilets, low flush toilets, energy efficient white goods,
environmentally friendly construction materials, use of recycled construction materials, solar
water heating, heat recovery ventilation and a large range of environmentally benign
decorative finishes.
The need for a conventional central heating system has been avoided and the dwelling is
virtually CO2 neutral in use through the purchase of electricity from a company specialising in
renewable energy.
The owners have tackled the issue of housing density and converted their loft to provide
additional self-contained space for lodgers. The property is currently home to 3 family
members and two lodgers. This has the added positive effect of increasing the affordability
of the dwelling for everyone. Transport issues have also been taken onboard and a home
office has been created for one resident who works fulltime from home.
The dwelling is an expression of its owners’philosophy to minimise their impact upon the
environment and to assist others to do the same. To date it has featured in numerous
magazine and press articles, and local TV and radio reports. The owners have provided
tours to hundreds of interested individuals and groups, and their expertise is often sought
with regard to the performance of many of the products they have installed.
Project Objectives
To renovate an Edwardian semi-detached property using environmentally friendly materials,
improve its sustainability in use and increase the density of its occupancy whilst providing a
home that is comfortable and suitable to a modern lifestyle.

Built form Refurbishment of an Edwardian semi-detached property.
Walls The walls are of traditional 9-inch solid brick construction. The entire exterior
of the house, except the front wall, has been clad in 6 inches of ‘ Sto’rigid
polystyrene insulation board. This is reinforced with a glass fibre mesh and
acrylic rendered to provide weather protection and a better appearance. The
front wall of the dwelling has been insulated internally using two-layers of
‘Knauf’dry-lining board. This comprises a 40mm layer of rigid, zero ozone
depleting, phenolic foam bonded to 12.5mm of plasterboard. This approach
was chosen to ensure that the appearance of the house was in keeping with
neighbouring properties.
Roof Traditional Edwardian slate that has been completely overhauled, re-using the
original slate wherever possible and using reclaimed slate tiles where
replacement was necessary. A breather membrane was used as an
alternative to sarking felt, and the roof eaves were extended over the gable
wall to create an overhang that will accommodate the planned external wall
insulation. The roof is insulated with 300mm of recycled cellulose insulation in
the sloping sections and 400mm on the flat sections.
Floors The suspended timber ground floor has been insulated between the joists
using 75-100mm thick slabs of ‘ Thermafleece’ , made from British sheep’ s
wool, which is underdrawn using a ‘ Tyvek’breathing membrane, and held in
place by ‘Gutex’wood fibre insulation board, fastened to the underside of the
joists. This reduces the amount of thermal bridging through the joists. This
work was relatively easy to carry out due to the large basement that runs
under the main part of the house.
The solid ground floors were excavated and replaced with 150mm concrete
slabs upon 150mm Jablite polystyrene slab, insulated at the edges with 50mm
polystyrene to avoid thermal bridging between the floor and the walls. The
floor was then top dressed in Cornish slate.
Windows The previous owner had replaced the original wooden sash windows with
double-glazed uPVC units. As the finances become available, these will be
replaced with double or triple glazed units that incorporate a low-emissivity
coating and gas fill.
The present external door will be replaced with a non-pressure treated

softwood unit that includes Iplus glazing. Iplus uses a bismuth-based low-
emissivity coating that is more thermally efficient than the conventional
Pilkington low-e coating. This door will form the inner door of a draught lobby.
It is hoped that the external door of the lobby will be of English Oak.
Triple-glazed ‘
French’windows have been installed at the rear of the dwelling.
These are wooden framed, sealed units using the Iplus system, with two
bismuth-based low-e coatings giving a performance about five times better
than conventional double-glazing.
Rainwater All rainwater goods are made from copper, as it has better environmental
performance than PVC, and because the rainwater is harvested and stored
for later use. Copper has a mild disinfecting effect on water, which improves
the quality of the stored rainwater.

Plumbing All replacement and new plumbing used in the dwelling is made from 100%
recycled polyethylene.
Wiring All replacement wiring within the dwelling is PVC free, low smoke - low fume,
rubberised sheathed cable.
Internal All paints, varnishes, floor coverings, etc. have been chosen for their low
Decoration impact, with regard to the internal and global environments. The owners have
chosen to experiment with as many different products as possible; including
Cornish slate (in preference to more expensive Welsh slate), low volatile
organic compound (low VOC) paint, mineral based paints, hardwax oil (in
preference to traditional varnishes), linseed oil, borate wood preservative (in
preference to pressure treated wood), zero formaldehyde MDF, etc.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.23
Roof: 0.10
Floor: 0.21
Windows: (double glass) 1.20
(triple glass) 0.60
Heating The heating demand was initially met using incidental heat gains
provided by the residents’activities, such as washing and cooking,
topped up by portable electric heaters using ‘ green electricity’from
Unit(e). Due to the poor electrical efficiency of these heaters however,
a 29kW wood-burning central heating system boiler has been installed
in the cellar with the help of two grants; from the New Energy
Foundation and the Clear Skies scheme. The boiler heats a super-
insulated, 1100 litre drum of water and has, to date, been fuelled using
softwood obtained for free from local timber merchants. Hardwood
logs would burn slower and therefore permit less frequent refuelling.
The water flow distribution around the house is controlled by a digital
thermostat and programmable timer.
Water heating is provided by a combination of solar water heating,

topped up by an electric dual immersion heater during the summer,
and off-peak electricity during the winter months when the solar
contribution is less. A 4m2 flat plate collector is fitted to the south-
facing roof of the dwelling. Heat from the collector is stored in a highly
insulated hot water cylinder situated in the roof-space.
Lighting Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are used throughout the dwelling.
Ventilation Individual ‘
through-the-wall’heat recovery fans are provided in the
kitchens and bathrooms. These are controlled by humidity sensors
and have a manual override, enabling them to be turned off during the
summer months, when ventilation is provided by opening windows.
Water Water use within the dwelling is reduced through a combination of

Conservation rainwater harvesting and storage for use in toilets, washing machines
and garden irrigation, as well as low-flush toilets (2-4 litres per flush),
low flow showerheads and aerating taps. The bath is only 1.2m in
length thereby reducing the amount of water needed to fill it and the
amount of space needed to accommodate it.
The dwelling also incorporates a ‘ whole-house’ toilet composting
system that separates the water from the solid waste for the dwelling’
s
three toilets. Water from the toilets passes through an Aquatron
Separator situated upon a bespoke composting chamber in the
basement (see Figure 1). The separator acts as a centrifuge;
separating the liquid portion of the waste, which passes into the main
drain, from the solid, which falls into the compost chamber. Once
inside the chamber, the solids lay on a raft composed of 150mm of
plastic pellets, netting and 50mm of coir compost. Efoetida worms
were introduced into the chamber to help speed up the digestion
process. They also reduce the volume of the solids by 90 percent so
that the chamber only needs emptying every 7 years (estimated,
based on 5 adults).
Figure 1. The bespoke

composting chamber
constructed from
engineering brick and
concrete. The white
Aquatron Separator is
visible on top of the
chamber
A standard soil-vent pipe ventilates the chamber. The only other

maintenance that the system requires is for excess liquid to be
pumped out every three weeks. This is achieved through the use of a
standard marine bilge pump and takes just fifteen minutes. The output
can be diverted directly out to the main drain, or used as fertiliser in
the garden.
Rainwater collected from the roof of the dwelling is initially filtered,
again using a centrifugal separator but this time the much smaller
‘WISY’units, and then stored in two 100 litre polypropylene tanks
situated in the basement (see Figure 2). A sensor activates a pump
when demand for water is made by turning on the outside tap, the
washing machine or by flushing one of the toilets. Supply is
automatically switched to the mains water system if the water level in
the tanks falls too low. Water meters are fitted to both the rainwater
outlet pipes and the incoming mains
Figure 2. The
rainwater storage tanks
in the dwelling
basement.

water pipe. From

these it can be seen that the system is providing approximately 25 per
cent of the household’s needs.
Communal Facilities
The owners rent out the top floor of the dwelling, which has been converted into a self-
contained area for two lodgers. In this way the house and its facilities become shared
resources for a greater number of people. This ultimately saves resources compared to the
potential three households, with individual household goods, that may otherwise exist. It
also contributes to diversifying the economic base of the dwelling’
s owners and offsets some
of the costs of the renovation work.
Transport
The location of the dwelling is close to the city centre of Nottingham. Therefore its residents
enjoy easy access to all of the centre’ s facilities, and access to public transport including a
mainline station.
In keeping with the owners’philosophy, one member of the household works from home and
another has a three-minute walk to their place of work.
A bike shed will be provided in the backyard of the dwelling to enable safe and convenient
storage of bicycles. The residents are part of a large bike-trailer share scheme that operates
in the local area. This grant-funded scheme owns over 50 trailers, of various types, for
transporting children or other loads.
Landscaping
Resource Crops Although the garden belonging to the dwelling is relatively small, the
(food/fuel) owners have been growing as much of their own food as possible.
There is a particular emphasis on winter salad crops and this will
reduce the amount of energy expended on obtaining ‘ out of season’
vitamins.
Well-Being
Health and The reduced energy and water costs of the dwelling will reduce the
risk
Affordability of the owners suffering from the effects of fuel or water poverty. In
addition, the use of relatively environmentally benign materials during

the refurbishment will result in a better indoor environment for the

residents. Both these factors are further improved by the use of the
mechanical heat recovery ventilation units fitted in the ‘
wet’rooms of
the property. These will provide a constant source of fresh air to these
areas, reducing the relative humidity to a point where dust mites can
no longer survive.
Due to the shared nature of the house, and its proximity to local
facilities, residents should find it easily affordable to live in.
Crime The shared nature of the dwelling, and the fact that one resident works
from home, means that the dwelling is almost continuously occupied.
Therefore the risks of crime to the property are reduced.
Economic Aspects
The cost of the refurbishment to date is £100,000; this includes the renovation work that was
necessary to the structure of the dwelling as well as the environmental features. The amount
is higher than a traditional renovation, but should save the owners over £1000 per year in
utility costs, as they will be paying only for the electricity required to run the appliances in the
home.
One resident works from home as the co-ordinator for the local ‘ Eco-teams’project that
works with groups of households to educate them about reducing the environmental impact
of their lives.
Some members of the household actively support the Local Exchange and Trading System
(LETS).

Plane Tree Court, Nottingham
Location Nottingham City

Type of Area Urban
Built Form Terrace
Contact Name Philip Wright
Senior Contracts Manager,
Metropolitan Housing Association
Phone / e-mail (0845) 601 5042
Visiting Possible By appointment only
Summary
Plane Tree Court is a group of ten bungalows for elderly people constructed using timber
frame techniques and providing energy-efficient dwellings for their residents. The dwellings
have been occupied since June 2002.
Apart from high levels of insulation, the main innovative feature of the development is the
use of geothermal energy to provide heating and hot water to the dwellings. By working in
partnership with a UK based heat-pump manufacturer, an affordable bespoke heat pump
system that is capable of delivering enough heating and hot water for the residents’needs
has been developed. This aspect of the project has been very successful and has been
replicated in developments since undertaken by the Association. Four of the dwellings are
currently being monitored by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), and the results of
this are to be disseminated to the wider housing community.
The Association wished to create a sense of community within the development. They
created a ‘ covered street’
, which provides a link between the dwellings and surrounds the
communal gardens that are maintained by the Association. The ten terraced dwellings are
set out in a U-shape, with the covered street following the internal edge of the ‘
U’, enclosing
the communal gardens on three sides.
Both of these innovations have proved popular with the residents, who enjoy the
opportunities for interaction that the design offers and the lower fuel bills that the heating and
construction systems deliver.
Project Objectives
To create a group of ten low-energy bungalows for older residents that creates a sense of
community through the use of communal space.
History of Concept
Metropolitan Housing Association (MHA) wanted to build on the experience of other projects
around the country that use communal space to create a sense of community within the
development.
They also wished to trial the use of geothermal energy as the main heating source for the
development. This was mainly driven by personal interest and experience of some of the
Association’s managers.
Built Form The development of ten dwellings is on a brownfield site. Each dwelling has
two-bedrooms and is 65m2 in size.
Walls Timber frame construction with a 147mm cavity filled with mineral wool. The
outer leaf consists of a brick skin and internally the walls are lined with
plasterboard.
Roof Warm roof construction that extends from the dwelling on one side to form the
roof of the covered street. Motorised Velux rooflights are fitted into the roof of
the covered street to provide ventilation to and prevent overheating of this
area during the summer
.
Floors Suspended timber floor with ‘ Kingspan’phenolic foam board laid on top of the
joists. The pipes for the under-floor heating system are laid on top of this and
set into a 50mm screed.
Windows The windows are all uPVC units with a 20mm air gap and a single low-
emissivity coating to the inner surface of the outer pane. The use of uPVC
was dictated by the Association’ s maintenance policies; however, a review is
currently underway of alternative frame types (e.g. wood) as the Association
wishes to move away from the use of uPVC as its production involves no less
than six of the fifteen chemicals listed by European Governments for priority
elimination.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.27
Floor: 0.25
Roof: 0.19
Windows: 1.70
Doors: 0.60
Air Infiltration: 6.5 ac/h @ 50 Pa
Heating A bespoke geothermal heat pump system, developed and
manufactured for the Association by ‘ Calorex Heat Pumps’ , feeds an
under-floor heating system and provides domestic hot water. The
heat pump, which is the size of a conventional fridge, is situated in its
own plant room within the bungalow. Water is pumped into a 70m
borehole under the property where it is heated naturally by geothermal
energy to 12°C. The heat pump extracts and upgrades this heat
before storing it in a thermal store. The heat for the central heating
system and the domestic hot water is drawn directly from this store.
The resident adjusts a room thermostat to set the internal building

temperature to their requirements. The rest of the system is set up
and managed by the Housing Association, which tries to achieve the
optimum settings for each household.
The under-floor heating system uses a German ‘ Thermalfloor’pipe.
This comprises of a layer of aluminium set between two layers of
plastic. This gives the pipe extra rigidity and prevents it from kinking.
It also prevents air seeping into the pipe, a problem that may occur in
more porous, plastic pipes.
Lighting Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) are used throughout the

development. The ‘ Lampholder 2000 Series’is used and prevents
low-energy lights being substituted by conventional light bulbs. The
system works in the same way as a conventional ‘ strip’fluorescent
tube in that the light fitting incorporates the ballast for the lamp. The
resident can replace the compact tube when necessary at a cost of
less than £2 per unit. This is also the most cost effective option from
the resident’s point of view.
Water Dual-flush (four litre and two litre) toilets are fitted as standard to
Conservation reduce water use, and showers have been fitted in the dwellings in
preference to baths. The residents have not reacted negatively to this
approach to water conservation.
Resident Training All residents are given basic energy efficiency information from the
Housing Association that helps them to reduce their energy costs.
SAP / Eco-ratings The bungalows achieve a SAP rating of 100 and NHER rating of 10.
Transport
The development is located in an urban area close to shops and recreational facilities. A bus
route passes close to the development and provides easy access to the city centre and other
transport connections.
Landscaping
The landscaping of the development includes outside seating areas, a water feature and the
use of bamboos and herbs to create a pleasant and low maintenance environment for the
residents.
Social Aspects
Post-occupancy tenant surveys are used by the Association to gain feedback on the design.
Issues that arise from these surveys are fed into the design of future projects.
Communal Facilities
Communal areas have been provided for all residents in the form of the covered street and a
Japanese-style low maintenance garden. In addition, small private front gardens are also
provided for each dwelling. All the external space is managed on the residents’behalf by the
Housing Association.
The windowsills within the covered street have been designed to be wide enough to allow
the residents the opportunity of growing their own plants inside the covered space.
Well-Being
Health and The high levels of insulation, efficient heating system and the use of
Affordability low-water toilets and showers has reduced the utility costs for the
residents, and therefore reduced the likelihood of them suffering from
fuel poverty. CS

Accessibility All the dwellings within the development are built to the ‘
Lifetime
Homes’standard and have full disability access.
Communication The ‘Life-Line’warden call system is fitted as standard to all

Systems dwellings in the development.
Crime ‘
Secure by Design’ techniques were used throughout the
development.
Economic Issues
The cost of development was £900,000 for a total of ten dwellings
One of the key features in the success of this project, and others undertaken by MHA, is the
ability to form long-term partnerships with building contractors. This is largely due to the
Association’ s implementation of the recommendations set out in the Egan report. The
methodology allows developers such as MHA to share the risks and uncertainties associated
with innovation with their partners.
One of the restrictive features of being a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) is having to work
within the development costs set down by the Housing Corporation. There is no doubt that
the increased costs of development and land acquisition, in conjunction with a Social
Housing Grant (SHG) regime which seeks to deliver the lowest amount of grant possible,
inhibits the ability of RSLs to be more innovative.
MHA also identified two other issues that have arisen directly from their experience with
highly-insulated buildings. The first is the need to fit external doors that have a high thermal
resistance. Some of the first developments undertaken by the Association using highly
insulated timber frame buildings resulted in condensation, and consequently mould, forming
on the door panel as this was the coolest exterior surface.
Secondly, the Association have abandoned the use of individual heat recovery fans in the
kitchen due to overheating problems. This is due to the combination of a highly insulated
envelope and high internal heat gains in the kitchen area. The Association now specifies
standard extract fans.
Project Partners
Metropolitan Housing Trust (Owners & Designers)
Westleigh Developments Ltd. (Builders)
Powergen / Calorex (Heat-pump design)

River Crescent, Nottingham Waterside
Location: Trent River Park, Nottingham

Type of Area: Urban riverside regeneration
Tenure: Mixed
Built Form: Apartment block
Status: Construction to start autumn 2004
Contact Name: Trent Park Developments
Phone / e-mail: (0115) 912 3456
[email protected]
Visiting Possible: By appointment only
Fee Charged: No
Summary
River Crescent will be an important first step towards the regeneration of the Riverside area
as a major waterfront urban quarter for the city.
Trent Park Developments have proposed a 128 luxury apartment scheme that incorporates a
number of well-proven eco-technologies. A solar photovoltaic roofing system and vertical
axis wind turbines will generate electricity to heat and light all the communal areas. The
River Trent is to be used as a heat source for a heat pump system that will provide the warm
water for the complex swimming pool. Landscaped terraces will reduce the rainwater runoff
from the rooftop. Most unique of the sustainable proposals however, is a fleet of
compressed air powered cars that are to be provided for residents to either hire or buy. The
air compressors will be powered using electricity generated by the PV roof, making this a
true fleet of eco-friendly vehicles.
The proposal followed consultation with Nottingham University’ s School of the Built
Environment and is seen by Trent Park Developments as the most effective means of
illustrating how seriously they accept the responsibility of tackling both global warming and
the UK’ s increasing dependence on imported energy. Their intention is to embrace the best
of the proven eco-technologies, in a way that will make the Riverside regeneration one of
real international prominence.

Project Objectives
To build a scheme of 128 luxury apartments, as part of the Riverside regeneration strategy,
that incorporates many of the best and well-proven eco-technologies.
History of Concept
The success of Nottingham City’ s economy during recent decades has led to the
transformation of many of its parts, particularly in the City Centre; however, not all parts have
fared equally well. The 100 hectare Riverside area, which currently serves industrial and
commercial uses, has suffered from being essentially isolated from its surrounding urban
areas by the heavily trafficked roads, the rail and canal networks and the River Trent. This
has led to a reduced quality and high level of vacancy in many of the existing buildings, and
an environment that is very much poorer than appropriate for this potentially prestigious
location.
In 1999, the British Waterways Board and Nottingham Regeneration Ltd established
Nottingham Waterside Limited (NWL) as a joint venture with the aims of:
• developing a detailed masterplan and regeneration strategy to bring about the
redevelopment of the Riverside area;
• formulating the strategic framework that would establish the long-term regeneration of
the wider Trent River Park region.
A series of consultations with local businesses, residents and landowners were held in July
2000, with the purpose of identifying the issues of greatest importance to them, and the
“Nottingham Riverside Masterplan”was published in March 2001.
The vision contained within the masterplan is one of a mixed-use, waterfront, urban quarter
that will provide an exceptional living and working urban environment in a desirable riverside
setting. One objective is to link the City Centre back to the River Trent, in a way that
encourages its use as a destination for waterfront and water-based activities, as it was until
the latter half of the 1900s. It is recognised that the extensive mix of residential, commercial,
office and leisure facilities proposed should fit around the major land uses that the Riverside
is home to at present, such as the Notts County Football Club stadium, the Lady Bay Retail
Park and the Eastcroft waste-to-energy incinerator.
A number of new waterside neighbourhoods are suggested, comprising over 4,000 homes in
total, each with the facilities required to support a sustainable community and with good links
to its neighbours, the river front and the City Centre. One such neighbourhood will be in the
Trent Basin area, which includes the existing Park Yacht Club site at the end of Trent Lane.
The masterplan suggests that residential development in this area should consist
predominantly of apartments at a minimum of 4 storeys high and a density of 200 units per
hectare. The developers, Trent Park Developments, are hopeful that the construction of
“River Crescent”will commence at this site in the autumn of 2004, with a 20 month build
program.
Built form 128 luxury apartments each with 2-4 bedrooms, in a 7-storey
scheme built around an in-situ concrete and lightweight steel
frame.

Greenfield/Brownfield Although River Crescent is to be on greenfield land, 70 percent of

Trent Park Developments’regeneration plan for the Riverside
area is on brownfield land.
Walls The external cavity walls will consist of 102mm of facing brick, a
75mm air cavity, 50mm of Celotex insulation board, 100mm for a
lightweight steel inner leaf frame, and two 12.5mm layers of
Fermacell boarding for internal lining. Fermacell is a sound and
thermal insulation board consisting 80 percent of gypsum
recovered from desulphurisation plants and 20 percent of
recycled paper.
Fermacell boarding is also to be used on the internal metal stud
walls for improved insulation properties. Sound insulation is to be
100 percent above what is required in the Building Regulations.
Roof The Corus Kalzip aluminium rooftop will contain up to 210mm of

insulation to achieve the required U-value. The curved,
aluminium, standing seam is to incorporate a Solar Century
photovoltaic laminate for electrical energy generation.
The two uppermost floors of the scheme are to be set back from
the floors below in a way that creates terraces rather than
balconies. These terraces shall be landscaped using low
maintenance plantings and synthetic grass.
The health centre and swimming pool is to be in a semi-basement
area; offset from the main building in such a way that its rooftop
can be landscaped over. This “green roof”will provide additional
insulation and reduce the energy necessary to maintain the
facility at the elevated temperature that it requires.
Floors The floor between the underground car park and the ground floor
of the scheme will consist of 300mm of reinforced concrete,
100mm of heavy duty, closed cell, thermal insulation, 100mm of
reinforced screed, and 19mm of upper surface finish.
Upper floors will consist of reinforced concrete with 50mm of
acoustic insulation.
Windows Double glazed units featuring solar reflective glass with a low-
emissivity coating and argon gas fill. The frames will be of
aluminium with thermal breaks.
The terraces of the two uppermost floors will not be shaded, as
the floors below are, by balconies above. Instead louvered,
aluminium, brise soleil will prevent overheating of the living area.
Internal Layout The apartments will been arranged so that the living spaces are
on the southern side, to take advantage of passive solar heat
gain as well as providing a view overlooking the river. The
bedrooms and bathrooms of most apartments will be on the
cooler, northern side.

Heating The apartments will be heated using electric panel heaters.
Lighting Large areas of glazing on the south facing facade of all

apartments will ensure good natural lighting levels.
Energy efficient lighting and appliances will be used throughout
the scheme.
Ventilation Natural ventilation is to be used throughout the building except in

the top floor penthouse suites where air conditioning units will be
provided.
Energy Generation The developers wish to demonstrate the seriousness with which
they view both global warming and the UK’ s increasing
dependence on imported energy, both of which will have the
effect of rising energy prices in the years to come. A variety of
sustainable systems are therefore to be integrated into the
scheme to generate energy for communal use.
A flexible PV laminate roofing system from Kalzip, in association
with Solar Century, will be integrated into the scheme’
s rooftop. It
is predicted that the 47.7kWp rated array will prevent the release
of approximately 17 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Five vertical axis wind turbines from Windside will line the rooftop
to give a visually striking roofscape. Each will be positioned
directly above one of the glass fronted stairwells on the northern
side of the building.
A heat pump system that uses coil pipes positioned in the River
Tent will provide free heating for the communal health centre and
swimming pool.
Research has also been conducted into the possibility of the
developers running their own biomass fuelled Combined Heat
and Power (CHP) plant. The plant would provide heat and power
to dwellings and businesses in the development area, using
locally sourced fuels such as waste wood and energy crops. The
developers are confident that this aspect of the regeneration plan
will progress once the end users of the generated heat and
electricity are established.
Water Conservation Rainwater is to be collected for irrigation purposes.
Recycling Facilities Two external bin areas are designated recycling zones.
Resident Training Written information shall be provided to the residents on the

technological features within the scheme and how they are
affected. In addition, there will be a 24 hour concierge service,
which will be fully trained and able to instruct and assist the
residents with any problems they may have.
SAP / Eco-ratings The intention is that the scheme shall achieve an EcoHomes
rating of Good.

Transport
One of the more unique sustainability features of the River Crescent scheme will be the
provision of seven vehicles from French firm Moteur Developpment International (MDI),
powered by compressed air and emitting nothing from the exhaust except chilled, clean air.
These cars carry two onboard air compressor tanks that enable them to travel a distance of
120miles at speeds of up to 68mph before refuelling is required. Refuelling of the tanks is
achieved by simply plugging the vehicle into a standard electrical power socket and a full
recharge takes approximately 4 hours from empty. By running the cars off the green
electricity produced by the solar roof and wind turbines, the residents will have access to a
truly environmentally friendly fleet of cars that they will be able to hire or buy for their own
use.
Twenty bicycles are to be provided free of charge for the residents. This will encourage
recreational use of the new cycle and foot paths that the developers are creating along the
riverfront to connect the development to Colwick Park and the City Centre.
Basement parking will exist for 165 cars, with approximately 10 percent of the spaces being
allocated for disabled drivers. Two cycle storage areas are also to be provided as part of this
scheme.
The need for commuting will be lessened by the provision onsite of a business centre,
featuring a meeting room, and a health club with swimming pool.
Placement to local facilities The masterplan repeatedly contains the aspiration of

providing sustainable, mixed use neighbourhoods, with
their own basic local facilities, to minimise the need for
travel outside of the area.
Access to public transport The masterplan includes a section devoted to improving

public transport. River Crescent should be served by
several bus services on a new road link to be created on
the north side of the development. On the south side, a
riverside walkway that will link the existing and proposed
bridges across the River Trent will provide a safe route for
pedestrians and cyclists.
In the longer term, it is planned that the Nottingham
Express Transit tram system will provide a link from the
Midland Train Station to the nearby Racecourse Park &
Ride site. The possibility is also raised of river taxis using
the Trent Basin area as a mooring point.
Landscaping
Encouragement of Biodiversity Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has been consulted on

the most suitable plantings for the development area.
They have suggested a range of submergent plants
appropriate for planting in the river, reeds and rushes for
the marginals, attractive plants for the river bank, and
meadows along the pathways.
Most of the trees that presently exist on the development
site will be maintained and more will be planted to line
the new east-west access road.

Resource crops (food/fuel) It is hoped that local and national farmers will be able to
provide the bio fuel for the proposed CHP plant.
Economics
Onsite projects The development will include a business centre with a

meeting room on the ground floor. This will facilitate
working from home practices.
Integration with existing economy An arrangement has been made with a local bakery to
supply the team during the construction phase, which
should continue once the residents move in. In
addition, it is hoped that agreements will be reached
with local farmers to regularly supply the residents with
fresh produce.
Communal Facilities
There will be a 24 hour concierge service available to all residents, on top of standard room
service. The concierge will obtain information and make bookings for local events for the
residents, assisting them to plan their leisure time however they can. The 24 hour presence
of these employees will also provide additional security to the scheme.
Well-Being
Health and affordability By lighting the communal areas, heating the complex
swimming pool and refuelling the fleet of air powered
vehicles using free energy from the sustainable
technologies, the developers will be able to reduce the
fees charged to all the residents.
Accessibility It is intended that the scheme will provide homes suitable

for middle aged persons to occupy through to old age,
even if their health should deteriorate. The entire
scheme is designed for full disability access, with wide
doors and low thresholds throughout.
Crime The developers are working with the local police force in
order to achieve the ‘
Secure by Design’standard.
It is intended that the scheme shall make use of radio
chipped access cards for enhanced security. The cards,
which the residents shall carry on their persons, will act
as a key to open the security gates and doors on the
development, without the residents having to physically
turn a key or punch in a code. Access to the
development will be automatically denied to anyone
without a card, unless they are invited in by a resident
via the intercom system provided every room. The use
of such radio cards will also permit the automation of
other manual processes, such as selecting the floor
when entering the lift, or adjusting the entertainment

system to the resident’

s favourite settings upon entry of
the apartment.
On top of the video intercom to the development gates,
all apartments will have a direct call line to the concierge
and security staff.
Economic Issues
This luxury scheme of 128 apartments shall have a gross development value of £40 million.
It has been funded with a loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland.
The 47.7kWp rated photovoltaic array is being funded with a 40 percent grant from the DTI’
s
Photovoltaic Demonstration Programme.
Project Partners
Trent Park Developments Ltd

Franklin Ellis Architects
Gaskell Associates, Quantity Surveyors
BWB Consulting Engineers
Hoare Lea, M&E Consultants
Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd
Nottingham University
School of the Built Environment
Sony Professional Solutions UK
Royal Bank of Scotland

The Autonomous House, Southwell
Location Southwell, Notts

Type of area Rural
Tenure Privately rented
Built Form Detached
Contact Robert Vale
E-mail [email protected]
Visiting possible By appointment only
Fee charged Check with contact
Summary
The autonomous house was the first of its kind in the UK. It is free from the needs of mains
water and sewerage services and generates much of its own electrical energy needs onsite,
using the national grid as a storage system to compensate for differences in supply and
demand. The house incorporates high levels of thermal mass and insulation to offset the
need for a conventional heating system. Rainwater collection, onsite sewerage treatment,
photovoltaics and low energy lighting form the main elements of the building services
equipment.
The house was designed and lived in by architects Dr. Brenda and Robert Vale who already
had previous experience of low-energy building design and went on to design the earth-
sheltered dwellings at Hockerton a few miles away. The builder of the autonomous house
was Nick Martin who also constructed and now lives in the Hockerton Housing Project, which
incorporates many of the lessons learned from the Autonomous House.
Project Objectives
To create an environmentally friendly four-bedroom residence that is neither exotic in
appearance nor difficult to maintain.
History of Concept
The concept behind the development of the project has its roots in the writings of many
authors whose work concerned utopian, socialistic, environmental and ‘ future technology’
themes. The idea is that equity of global resources could, on some level, be achieved by
harnessing the appropriate household systems technology to provide for the residents a
‘sufficient’quota of warmth, water and waste disposal.
“An autonomous house has to depend on the resources that can be collected on its site, and
the technology that it uses to harvest these resources needs to be simple, robust and
controllable by the occupants. Only in this way will the inhabitants of the home gain that
sense of control which will allow them to use their share of the Earth’
s resources sensibly”
(Vale, 2000, p41). The house was also designed to complement the architecture of the area
in which it sits and to be easily perceived as desirable by a “non-architecturally trained
public”(Vale, 2000, p48).

The property is 15m long and 6m wide and orientated roughly north - south on its longest
axis. The internal layout of the dwelling comprises of a series of four repeated bays, each
spanning 3.5m of the length of the house and separated by 150mm load bearing wall. The
orientation of the house was imposed by the constraints of the site upon which it stands.
Whilst an orientation more in keeping with the ideals of passive solar design was possible,
the designers believed that the energy saving benefits did not outweigh the benefits that the
final orientation brings to ‘
fitting’the dwelling into the area that surrounds it. A conservatory
is fitted to the west side of the dwelling and covers the external wall for three bay-lengths.
The house has three real floors; a cellar, ground and first floor and a fourth mezzanine floor
forming the attic, which spans the most northern bay and the two most southern bays. It
does not cross the bay that contains the wood fuel heater on the ground floor.
The main living areas of the house are on the top floor with the bedrooms and bathrooms
underneath. This layout takes advantage of the thermal stratification within the building, with
the living areas kept slightly warmer than the sleeping and bathing areas. This strategy also
provides a greater amount of natural light to the living rooms, kitchen and study / studio and
avoids the overshadowing that the lower floor is exposed to from vegetation that screens the
property from the adjoining busy road. Additional natural light is provided to the main areas
by the use of skylights inserted into the roof.
Walls The walls are of cavity construction with a 100mm dense concrete block inner
leaf, a 250mm cavity filled with resin bonded glass fibre and a brick outer leaf.
The wall ties used to join the inner and outer leaves are made of glass-
reinforced plastic, which reduces thermal bridging between the elements. The
bricks for the outer leaf were sourced from a supplier who uses methane gas
obtained from landfill to fire their kilns, reducing the need for North Sea gas.
The cellar walls are composed of two leaves of Thermalite aerated concrete
block with a 100mm cavity, which was filled with reinforced concrete and in
turn tied into the reinforcing of the floor slab. The Thermalite is made from
pulverised fuel ash from a nearby coal-fired power station and is therefore a
recycled product. A damp-proof membrane of polyethylene reinforced with
nylon mesh lines the exterior of the cellar walls to avoid water penetration.
The cellar walls were not insulated as it was not designed to be heated or
used for habitation. The seasonal temperature variation of the external soil
was predicted to be only a few degrees around an average of 10°C, this
would make the area appropriate for the siting of the water storage containers
which need to be kept in a cool, dark area.
Floors The cellar floor is a 300mm thick flat-slab of reinforced concrete. It is under-
drawn by the same damp-proof membrane as used on the walls to avoid
water penetration. Again, no insulation is used underneath the slab, which
sits on a 50mm blinding layer of concrete. The remaining floors within the
dwelling are formed of pre-stressed inverted T-beams with standard concrete
blocks used to infill between them. The underside of the ground floor (cellar
roof) is insulated with 50mm of spray-on cellulose insulation to reduce heat
loss from the house to the unheated cellar.
Roof The roof is pitched at an angle of 55°. The inner surface is lined with
structural wooden decking which is untreated and exposed to the interior of
the dwelling. This is covered with a vapour barrier, above which sits 500mm
of cellulose fibre insulation followed by a breather layer (rigid bituminised
fibreboard) to reduce airflow through the insulation. The roof is finished with

handmade clay pantiles, which is in keeping with housing in the surrounding

area.
Windows In order to provide good internal natural lighting the house is fitted with a
considerable number of windows, forming 21% of the area of the ground and
first floor walls and 5.6% of the attic wall surface area. All windows are triple
glazed with two low-emissivity coatings and filled with krypton gas.
Doors External doors are composite units insulated with CFC-free polyurethane and
glazed to the same standards as the windows. The Velux units fitted into the
roof are double-glazed with a single low-emissivity coating.
Conservatory The conservatory covers three of the four bays of the house and is on two
levels. The lower floor of the conservatory shares the same floor slab as the
cellar. This is used as a storage area and for growing tender plants. The
upper floor is at ground level and is formed of decking placed above the lower
floor. The decking does not span the entire length of the conservatory and
contains two gaps approx. 2.4m in width which allow daylight from the
conservatory to penetrate into the lower area. Stairs lead from the ground
floor level and provide access to the under-house cellar. The roof of the
conservatory is pitched at such an angle that it runs from ground floor ceiling
height to just below the eaves of the first floor (see Figure 1). All glazing
incorporated into the first and ground floor facades covered by the
conservatory can be opened to allow the air warmed by the conservatory to
circulate into the house.
Figure 1
Conservatory roof running from
ground floor ceiling level to just
under the roof eaves.
Perimeter ventilation is provided to the conservatory through manually controlled

vents set in the 600mm brick wall that rises from the cellar level. When used in
conjunction with the opening lights set into the conservatory roof, they were designed
to provide enough ventilation to prevent the area from over-heating during sunny
periods without compromising the security of the dwelling (see Figure 2).

Figure 2
Perimeter vents in conservatory wall at
ground floor level, taken from the cellar
level.
The sides and roof of the conservatory are composed of double-glazed units with a single
low-emissivity coating set onto a softwood frame.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls 0.14 (Main house external)

0.31 (Cellar, not taking account of the surrounding soil)
Floor 0.63 (Between house and cellar)
Roof 0.065
Windows 1.1 (Main house, triple glazed)
2.1 (Conservatory, double glazed)
Rooflights 1.8 (Velum’ s figure)
Doors 0.55
Space heating The levels of insulation built into the house were designed to allow the
property to be heated purely from internal incidental gains (heat from
people, appliances and lighting) and from passive solar gains. It was
therefore unnecessary to install a central-heating system within the
building. However, as a back up on particularly dull and cold days, a
4kW wood-burning stove was installed on the ground-floor hallway
between the main entrance door and the stairs. This is only used for
around 8 hours per week for fourteen weeks a year and is commonly
fuelled by scrap or windfall wood.
Water heating At present the water is heated by electrical energy either generated by
the photovoltaic panels or imported from the National Grid. This was
intended to be only a temporary measure. A heat-pump system was
to be developed that extracted heat from the ventilation system and
transferred it to the hot water cylinder.
Electricity The house is fitted with low-energy lighting and appliances to reduce
the electrical demand. Additional demand is incurred, however, by the
use of electric pumps to pressurise the water system and a 5W fan
that forms part of the sewerage system and operates continuously for
24-hours a day.
Ventilation The house makes use of heat-recovery ventilation for the kitchen and
bathrooms on an ‘as necessary’ basis. Otherwise, the house is

ventilated by natural leakage and trickle vents positioned above the

windows.
Energy Generation A 2.16kW photovoltaic system comprising of 36 Solarex MSX-60

polycrystalline panels is fitted to a pergola in the garden and
connected to the National Grid via an import/export inverter. The use
of the pergola allowed the panels to be erected facing due south
independent of the orientation of the main building. The pergola and
the inverter have the capacity to support a further 12 panels should
need or opportunity arise.
The output from the panels for the year 28th July 1994 - 28th July 1995
was recorded by a data-logger built into the inverter and showed that
1,616 kWh was generated during this period. A predicted
consumption for the house, based on the first six months of recorded
consumption, was 3,073 kWh of which 1,886 kWh is for water heating,
leaving 1,187 kWh for all other uses4. The PV system would therefore
have been capable of providing enough electricity for all lights,
appliances, cooking, etc. on its own during this period.
Water conservation The dwelling has no mains water connection and relies purely on
rainwater captured from the roof to supply all its needs. 20 ex-orange
juice concentrate shipping containers that are situated within the cellar
provide 30,000 litres of storage. This, at a rate of 2005 litres per day,
would provide the family with 150 days of water without the need for
further rain.
Water is pumped from these tanks and initially filtered by a homemade

sand filter. This is then stored in one of the twenty storage tanks and
pumped on demand to a header tank located in the ‘ attic’
. This is then
fed by gravity to all the taps in the house with the exception of an extra
tap positioned by the kitchen sink. Water from this tap is provided
from the sand filtered storage tank but is subjected to additional
filtering to ensure that it is fit to drink.
Wastewater is exported to an onsite soak-away where it leaches into

the ground. As the amount of water exported is never greater than the
amount of rainfall that would have naturally fallen upon the site, the
local area is capable of absorbing this quantity of water.
The toilet fitted within the dwelling is a waterless composting unit. The
main composting chamber of the unit is situated within the cellar. Two
chutes from the two bathrooms located directly above the cellar feed
into the top of the chamber. The two bathrooms are back to back on
the ground floor, one is an en-suite accessible from the parents’
bedroom and the other, separated from the first by a 70mm wooden
partition, is for the children and guests. The two toilets are back to
4
Figures from Vale, 2000, p226.
5
Based on the Vale’ s own tests and calculations for their family of five (39ltrs/head/day). Average consumption
for UK residents is 160ltrs/head/day (Vale, 2000, p178).

back within their respective bathroom, which allows their waste chutes
to drop directly to the composting chamber below.
A small 5W extractor fan continuously draws air through the toilet and
prevents odours from the compost chamber re-entering the property.
This airflow also aids the digestion process within the chamber and
carries away evaporated liquids. The products of the digestion
process are used to fertilise the fruit trees and bushes in the garden.
Landscaping
Great care has been taken to fit the property into the local environment both architecturally,
with respect to its effect on its neighbours’privacy, etc. and to provide as large a garden area
as possible. Care was also taken to maintain the tree plantings that were already present.
The house is situated behind a large hedge that was already in place. This screens the
house from the noise and visual intrusion of the road that runs parallel to the property. In
addition, an organic vegetable garden has been formed in one part of what is a fairly small
plot.
Transport
The site was initially chosen for its convenience to local amenities. Shops, schools,
recreational facilities and potential employment are all close by.
Well-Being
By eliminating the costs associated with the supply of services such a fuel and water, the
autonomous house will provide affordable warmth and water to its residents. In addition, by
selecting decorative finishes based on low toxicity materials and a well designed ventilation
system, the house provides a healthy internal environment.
A reasonable degree of manual labour is required for the house to function correctly. This
includes the chopping and storing of firewood in the cellar, transporting this to the ground
floor fire, manually emptying both liquids and solids from the composting toilet situated in the
cellar (60 litres of liquids every 3 - 4 weeks and about 200 litres of solids every 6 months for
a family of five), etc. Older or physically disabled residents may find it difficult to negotiate
the stairs to and from the cellar where most of the services are located.
Costs
The total cost of the development was £145,000. The land upon which the development is
situated cost £69,000. If the whole floor area of the house, including the conservatory and
the cellar are taken into account this equates to a cost of £500/m2. Subtracting these areas
and counting just the main internal living areas, the cost rises to £824/m 2.6 All funding for the
project was provided by Brenda and Robert Vale who designed and lived in the property.
They also undertook the internal decoration, for which the labour costs are not included in
the figures above.
Additional Information and credits

Several comments were made by the current residents with regard to the performance of
some of the dwelling’
s features.
• The damp-proof membrane in the cellar is known to fail during bouts of heavy rainfall.
This has occurred twice in the last three years leading to water penetration into the cellar.
6
Figures from Vale, 2000, p229.

• The amount of ventilation / shading / thermal mass incorporated into the conservatory is
inadequate to prevent overheating in this area. Temperatures in excess of 40°C are not
uncommon during the afternoon of a summer’ s day even when all the vents, windows
and doors are left open.
• The success of the compost toilet system is dependent on the continuous operation of
the small fan that ventilates the system. If this fan fails for any reason, as it has done
three times in the past three years, odours from the composting pit seep into the
dwelling.
None of the problems above are insurmountable, and the residents still wish to record that
the house is a very pleasant, sunny and spacious dwelling that they have enjoyed living in.
They feel that it achieves its aims as an energy-efficient dwelling, with running costs much
lower than previous dwellings they have rented.
Bibliography
A full and detailed account of the construction of the house, the reasons behind some of the
decisions made and afterthoughts of the designers / residents several years after its
completion are available in the book: “The NEW Autonomous House”, written by Brenda &
Robert Vale, published in 2000 by Thames & Hudson. This report has drawn extensively
upon the information contained in this publication and the authors are duly recognised.

Underhill Avenue Eco-Houses

Location Austin Estate, Derby
Type of Area Urban
Tenure Local authority rental
Built Form Semi-detached
Status Tenant occupied
Contact Name Shaun Bennett
Phone / e-mail (01332) 711012
[email protected]
Visiting Possible No
Summary
Both dwellings are of highly-insulated masonry construction and incorporate different
examples of heating and ventilation strategies, including gas and electric heating systems
and solar water heating. Ventilation is achieved by mechanical whole-house heat recovery
in one unit and passive stack ventilation in the other. The dwellings also demonstrate water
conservation and rainwater harvesting techniques.
The wall construction of the dwellings differs between the ground and first floors in order to
demonstrate different insulation strategies for both cavity wall and solid wall constructions.
The dwellings have been used to inspire and inform both developers and residents within the
city as to the financial and social benefits of energy efficiency, and they are being used in an
attempt to set the standard for housing across the city.
Project Objectives
The project set out to replace existing social housing that had been damaged due to a gas
explosion. In addition, Derby City Council wanted to use the opportunity to:
• Demonstrate Good Practice with regard to energy-efficient design

• Raise awareness of domestic energy efficiency across Derby
• Set the standard for cost-effective energy efficient design and encourage other housing
providers to meet this standard
• Address other environmental issues such as water conservation and material use
History of Concept
The two eco-houses replace existing properties that were severely damaged by a gas
explosion in July 1995. The Council took this opportunity to replace them with something out
of the ordinary that demonstrated their commitment to energy efficiency, and from which
other house builders and residents could learn. The properties have been tenant occupied
since April 1997.
Built form Two semi-detached, four-bedroom dwellings.
Walls The ground floor wall (see Figure 1) consists of a brick outer leaf and 125mm
Durox Supabloc 400 inner leaf, with a 50mm cavity that is filled with a
Gypglas mineral wool slab. The inner leaf is lined internally with a 50mm
phenolic foam backed plasterboard.

Brick outer leaf

Figure 1:
50mm mineral Construction of
wool slab ground floor
wall
Block inner leaf
50mm insulated
plasterboard
The first floor wall (see Figure 2) construction consists of a 150mm Durox
block externally insulated with a 50mm layer of Structherm phenolic foam
insulation finished with a scratch texture render. The wall is internally lined
with 9.5mm duplex plasterboard.
External render
50mm phenolic Figure 2:

foam insulation Construction of
first floor wall
150mm block
9.5mm duplex
plasterboard
These two systems were employed to demonstrate different insulation

strategies for both solid and cavity wall systems.
Roof Concrete tiles upon pre-fabricated timber roof trusses, and insulated with
250mm phenolic foam.
Floors The ground floor is comprised of concrete slab upon a polystyrene insulation
slab.
Windows The windows are uPVC framed, double-glazed units with a low-emissivity
coating for heat loss reduction.
Doors Fibreglass composite doors insulated with CFC-free polyurethane were fitted
to reduce heat loss and ensure adequate draught-proofing, as they do not
warp when exposed to varying external temperatures.
Other The damp-proof course used in the construction is made from recycled
plastic, thereby reducing the amount of material going into landfill and
reducing demand for virgin materials.
Linoleum was used in place of vinyl floor coverings as it has a lower impact on
the environment in both its production and disposal.

Impact of Local manufacturers and suppliers of materials were used wherever possible,
Construction which reduced the project’
s embodied energy from transportation mileage.
U-Values ( W/m2.K )
Walls: 0.2
Floor: 0.2
Roof: 0.1
Windows: 2.0
Heating Two different heating systems have been used, one in each house, to
demonstrate good practice with both gas and electric heating.
One dwelling is heated by a gas condensing boiler complemented by a

full controls package. This includes thermostatic radiator valves, hot
water cylinder thermostat, room thermostat, programmer and a boiler
management system that incorporates weather compensation. The
boiler management system varies the start-up and shutdown times of
the boiler in response to external weather conditions. If the weather is
mild, the system will shorten the initial ‘ heat-up’ cycle and save
energy.
The other dwelling is heated by an electric ‘ Credanet’system. This

system uses a central programmer, which allows the dwelling to be
zoned, providing heat to different areas of the house at different times
of day. Off-peak storage and weather compensation are incorporated
into the system which, when used correctly, can be as economical as
gas central heating.
Water Heating Hot water is provided by an off-peak, dual immersion heater that
operates in tandem with an evacuated tube solar water heating
collector. These two systems are used to heat water stored in a 210-
litre insulated cylinder. In the summer months, the solar collector will
provide all of the hot water requirements of the dwelling but can be
topped up, if necessary, using the electric immersion system. In
winter, the majority of hot water will be provided by the immersion
system, using off-peak electricity. A mixing valve is installed to
prevent scalding if the water temperature gets too high during the
summer.
Lighting Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) with standard fittings are used
throughout the properties to reduce the amount of energy used for
artificial lighting.
Ventilation Again, two different strategies were employed, one for each house.
The electrically heated dwelling is fitted with whole-house mechanical
heat recovery ventilation, whilst the gas heated dwelling is fitted with
passive stack ventilation units in the kitchen and bathroom, and
traditional trickle ventilation in the window frames of all other rooms.
Water Conservation The dwellings are fitted with a rainwater harvesting system that stores
the water in a bulkhead behind the bathroom wall. The collected water

is used in the toilets. The system is backed-up automatically by a

mains system in times of low rainfall. The toilets are low water-use
units, requiring 6 litres per flush.
Rainwater collection butts are fitted to the outside downpipes for

residents to use to irrigate the garden. A porous material made from
recycled plastic was used to surface the driveways of the properties.
In addition, aerating taps are fitted in both the kitchen and the
bathroom to reduce the amount of water used by the dwelling’ s
residents.
Resident Training Residents are given training in the operation of the heating and
ventilation systems.
SAP / Eco-ratings The dwellings achieve an NHER rating of 10.
Recycling Facilities Compost bins are provided to reduce the amount of organic waste
going to landfill, and provide a useful resource of compost to the
residents.
Transport
The houses are in an existing neighbourhood already on an established bus route.
Well-Being
Health and By reducing energy and water demand within the dwellings, the
Affordability residents are protected from the negative effects of fuel and water
poverty.
Adaptability Both of the dwellings meet the criteria of the national ‘

Lifetime Homes’
standard.
Crime Both of the dwellings meet the criteria of the national ‘

Secure by
Design’standard.
Economic Aspects
Cost of development £115,000 for two semi detached two storey dwellings
The additional construction costs came to £1,500 for each house,

although this would be reduced for a larger development, due to
economies of scale.
Subsidy Element Some product manufacturers offered discounts on their products to be

of Costs part of the project.
The properties were constructed by the Council’ s Direct Labour

Organisation at a higher cost than for a traditional new build. It may
have been possible for an alternative contractor to have carried out the
work at lower cost, but the Council felt that by using the DLO they
would have greater control of the project.

Project Partners
Derby Homes Ltd.
Derby City Council
Derby City DLO

Wellingborough East Urban Extension
Location: Wellingborough East (WEAST)

Type of Area: Urban Extension
Tenure: Mixed
Built Form: Mixed
Status: Adoption of Development Briefs
Contact Name: Victoria Phillipson
Phone / e-mail: (01933) 231 985
wellingborougheast@wellingborough.
gov.uk
Summary
Wellingborough East is, at the time of writing, at the advanced master-planning stage. The
first on-site development is due to take place in 2005 and, over the next eleven years, the
project will deliver approximately 3000 new dwellings.
The total area of the site is 361 hectares. 82ha of this has been designated for housing,
110ha for employment, 14ha for community facilities, 9ha for leisure and 63ha for the town
park which is located in the flood plain.
The project is a partnership between a consortium of landowners, Bovis Homes Ltd and the
Council as the Community Leader. The Council has directed a lot of effort towards
maintaining a successful relationship with the consortium and developer, as well as
members of the existing community of Wellingborough. The aim of Council is to establish a
sustainable form of development upon the site and provide valuable guidance tools for this
and all future developments.
The scheme will potentially include: the provision of highly insulated dwellings, the use of
reclaimed and sustainable building materials, the on-site generation of heat and electrical
power, a Sustainable Urban Drainage System, and an integrated transport system with good
facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. The scheme will also incorporate
methodologies such as Home Zones, rainwater and grey water recycling schemes, and
water conservation systems.
Project Objectives
To create a sustainable urban extension, linking into the existing town of Wellingborough in a
complementary manner.
History of Concept
The Northamptonshire County Structure Plan for 1996 to 2016 was adopted in 2001. It
provides a framework for a more sustainable Northamptonshire, taking account of national
and regional policies and the need to balance social, economic and environmental
considerations. This Structure Plan indicates Development / Growth Objectives of 6500
dwellings and 160 hectares of employment land during the plan period. A significant
proportion of both the housing and employment development is proposed in the Local Plan in
Wellingborough East.
The Local Plan sets out proposals and policies for the development and use of land and
buildings in the Borough. It is the starting point for all planning matters and explains what
type of development will be allowed and where. It is the Council's responsibility to keep the
Plan up to date, so in December 2000 it began a review to look at the housing and
employment requirements for the future.
The Local Plan, which was adopted in March 2004, was guided by a sustainability appraisal
that assessed, among other things, the most sustainable place for an urban extension in
Wellingborough. The Wellingborough East Site has a number of benefits over the other sites
assessed, which include the presence of brownfield sites and the proximity to the railway and
the town centre. The railway will provide good links to London for commuters and
businesses (45 minutes travel). Railtrack have recently invested in new rail sidings in
Wellingborough, which could potentially attract light rail related industry to the site.
In 1999 the Council began to approach the many varied landowners on the site, which was
partially identified within the Local Plan with an additional allocation provided for in the
County Structure Plan. The Borough Council of Wellingborough at this time commissioned a
feasibility study for the entire site and developed a vision statement.
A landowners' consortium was formed, and in 2000 BCW employed Nortoft Partnerships Ltd,
who are experts in public-private partnerships, to project manage the development on their
behalf. Nortoft have facilitated the link between the Council’ s internal Wellingborough East
Project Team, the landowner consortium and the landowners’preferred developer Bovis
Homes Ltd. The council are working with Bovis Homes Ltd to influence the design process
in order to achieve the planning authority’ s objectives of a sustainable development. The
council itself does not own any of the land within the designated area.
The consortium believes that the marketability of the development will increase if
sustainability issues are incorporated into it, and will improve the quality of life for those living
on the site. Bovis Homes Ltd has experience of working in partnership between landowners,
communities and planning authorities, and has undertaken research into more sustainable
methods of site development.
The local community has been actively involved in developing an illustrative masterplan to
influence the developers. Many individuals and organisations have taken part in a range of
consultation events including workshops, presentations, Technical Planning Events and
consultation in the local shopping centre as well as an “Enquiry by Design”event, held over 3
days and facilitated by the Prince’s Foundation.
The Council has committed resources, including the provision of a Project Manager, Project
Co-ordinator and Project Support Staff, as well as additional staff time, into guiding the
development, to enable the establishment of a more sustainable community, to which they
are fully committed. The Council adopted a Supplementary Planning Guidance in April 2003
entitled “Building Better Places: A Guide to Sustainable Development”. Along with the Local
Plan, this SPG provides advice on good design and improved quality of life achieved by
reducing energy usage and by the use of sustainable materials.
A Wellingborough East Development Framework SPG was adopted by the Council in
November 2003. This document provides a vision and design principles for WEAST and will
be used to coordinate and guide the more detailed Masterplans and individual site or
building-specific Development Briefs that will be prepared in due course. At the time of
writing, three draft Development Briefs were due to be adopted as SPG. The purpose of the
Development Briefs is to supplement the policies of the Local Plan and guidance in the

adopted Development Framework SPG by setting out the detailed planning and urban
design parameters and guidelines.
Other sustainability and development projects have been researched and best practice has
been fed into the masterplanning undertaken to date. The Council also has membership of
organisations such as the Prince’ s Foundation Urban Villages Forum and Forum for the
Future to ensure that current best practice is incorporated into the master planning design.
Built form Mixture.
Greenfield/Brownfield Greenfield (part Brownfield)
Approach Bovis Homes Ltd is researching different housing types for the
development, which will take place in three phases:
 2005 – 2006 construction of 500 dwellings.
It is anticipated that the dwellings built will be constructed to high

standards with regard to energy efficiency, insulation and
sustainable materials etc. The aim of the Borough Council is to
increase the energy standards of the housing in each phase of
the development and provide innovative examples of single
houses to showcase new ideas, technologies and standards.
Materials At the time of writing decisions had still to be made regarding the
types of housing, the materials to be used, etc. for the first phase.
The Building Better Places SPG will be used as a guide and
contains direction on the selection of sustainable building
materials including: the use of recycled materials, using locally
sourced materials, the use of natural materials, embodied energy
and certification schemes. Resource Conservation.
Energy The Building Better Places SPG contains guidance concerning

energy saving issues such as solar access, creating wind shelter,
insulation use in buildings, lighting, appliances, ventilation and
renewable energy. Feasibility studies have also been undertaken
to assess the potential of using an onsite Biomass Combined
Heat and Power (CHP) system to provide heat and power to
dwellings and businesses in the development area as well as
investigating the potential of solar hot water systems, photovoltaic
and wind power. All of this research is being used to develop an
energy saving scheme.
Water Conservation Throughout the development a Sustainable Urban Drainage

System (SUDS) will be installed. This will provide a controlled
route for rainwater to return naturally to the water table within the
boundaries of the site. Further research will be undertaken
regarding rainwater harvesting systems and grey water recycling
systems for both commercial and residential buildings. Ways to

reduce water consumption are covered in the Council’

s Building
Better Places SPG.
Communal Facilities Two new primary schools will be developed in the site to cater for
children growing up within the development and to provide
greater choice for children from Wellingborough, with a site
allocated for a secondary school or other facility if required.
Research is being undertaken into the type of community facility
and multi-faith centre for worship that is needed by the
community of Wellingborough East.
Recycling Facilities The existing recyclable goods roadside collection scheme that
operates within Wellingborough will be extended to cover the new
development. This covers all recyclable material except glass,
which needs to be taken by the residents to one of the Council’ s
local ‘
bring’centres. The Council is currently piloting a garden
waste collection service which, if successful, will eventually be
extended into the Wellingborough East area.
Feasibility Studies have also been undertaken to look at
alternative ways of dealing with waste and the possible
composting facilities that could be developed. Research will
continue into these and other schemes such as provision of
recycling bin provision in houses.
Transport
The development is close to the existing main-line railway service and its sidings; this will
service both the residential and commercial communities. Local bus provision will also be
extended into the site to provide a frequent and accessible bus services. The viability of
these services will be increased by the development of a transport inter-change adjacent to
the railway station to improve transport links into Wellingborough town centre and to other
towns within the region.
The provision of dedicated routes for buses, cyclists and pedestrians is being looked at by
the developers. The layout design itself will follow good-practice guidance, and will give
pedestrians and cyclists priority over the car. It will also follow the ‘
modified’grid-pattern,
rather than the cul-de-sac layout, which allows routes between places to be shorter, provides
a greater choice of routes, allows for higher density and provides more flexibility in
accommodating future change. The layout will also incorporate elements that ‘ naturally’
reduce road speeds and provide schemes such as Home Zones, which will reduce the
impact of private transport upon the residents.
The Council and its partners are currently engaged in an on-going discussion about the
levels of parking provision within the development. Current guidance states that 1.5 spaces
should be provided for each dwelling.
Landscaping
Encouragement of Biodiversity The 63ha Town Park situated on the floodplains on

the western edge of the scheme, and which will also
serve the residents of Wellingborough, is the main
‘green space’feature of the development; although

several more parks and green spaces are planned

for the development.
Feasibility studies have been carried out, which
identified the floodplain area within the development
site as of relatively low ecological importance. Areas
of the river further upstream do, however, have a
high level of biological diversity. The aim is therefore
to increase the biodiversity of the river within the
development area. This will be achieved by creating
the right habitats and conditions within the town park
area to enable species to migrate downstream into
the Wellingborough East area.
The SUDS will also increase the range of potential
wildlife habitats available on the site, through the
creation of swales and balancing ponds that form
part of this natural rainwater handling system.
Landscape structural features The landscape architects will ‘ invite’the surrounding

flora and fauna into Wellingborough East by
providing green areas within the development that
link ‘
like fingers’to the surrounding countryside.
Economics
Onsite projects ‘Work from Home’schemes are being investigated as

part of the development, to make it easier for some
residents to work at home rather than commute.
Broadband internet facilities are also being
considered to provide residents and businesses with
high quality communications.
Integration with existing economy The development will aim to provide both existing
residents and the new community with easy access
to the new facilities provided in Wellingborough East,
reducing the need to travel and strengthening the
local economy. The aim is for the new development
to be complementary to the existing town centre and
to encourage residents from both the old and new
settlements to use facilities in both areas.
Social Aspects
Resident involvement Community consultation work has been an important

part of the development of Wellingborough East and
the master plan for the area. This has involved the
residents of the existing town, residents from the
surrounding villages and relevant local and national
organisations. Attendance at consultation events
and responses to the questionnaires has been good.
Both Bovis Homes Ltd and the Borough Council of
Wellingborough are aware of the national shortage of
skilled construction workers and of the potential difficulty
that they will have in locating sufficiently skilled people to

undertake the development of the site. With this in mind,
they aim to develop a range of training programmes,
targeted at local people with the aim of creating the skilled
workforce that will be needed. This scheme will provide
training and jobs to local people for the period of the
development, potentially twelve years, most of whom will
then be skilled enough to seek similar employment
elsewhere.
Methods of community engagement In addition to the many community consultation and
information events that have taken place over the
preceding years, the Council’s quarterly publication
The Link runs a regular feature entitled Spotlight on
Wellingborough East. The publication is distributed
to all homes within the Borough and aims to inform
all residents about developments related to the
Council’ s work.
Day to day management The Community will continue to play an important

role in the development of Wellingborough East
through consultation and input into matters such as
Section 106 negotiations. Research is also being
undertaken into Community Trusts that could
manage open spaces or community facilities, for
example. These will be formed when there is a
Community living in the Wellingborough East area to
foster community spirit.
Communal Facilities
Communal facilities The Town Park and the community centre will be
amongst the new community facilities provided for
residents of the area. Work is currently being
undertaken to identify the other facilities that the
community will need to thrive.
Well-Being
Special support and integration The community centre will play a major role in
integrating different groups of people from the
original Wellingborough settlement and the new
development.
Health and affordability By building highly energy efficient homes with high
thermal performance, the residents should be
protected against the negative effects of fuel poverty.
Adaptability The aim will be to make as many of the dwellings as

possible adaptable to changes in the residents’lives.
Affordability A Housing Needs Survey commissioned by the

Council concluded that 27% of the new housing will

need to be developed for lower cost ownership to

meet the demand of the region. It will be a
requirement for the development as a whole to
provide this level of affordable housing.
Crime The Building Better Places SPG requires all new

housing developments, over 10 dwellings in size
(including conversions), to provide a provisional
‘Secured by Design’ certificate with the planning
application.
Economic Issues
Cost of development At the time of writing the master plan and

specifications for individual structures had not been
finalised, therefore no costs were available.
Number of dwellings 3000 over the next eleven years.
The main barriers and challenges that The Borough Council of Wellingborough and their
partners have faced thus far in the project include:
• Keeping the key sustainability ideas in the minds of all Stakeholders. The
developers have been keen to be involved in community consultation and
incorporating the issues raised in publications such as Better by Design,
Secure by Design, the WEAST Development Framework and the three
Development Briefs on the Neighbourhood Centre, Station Island and
East of Eastfield Road. It has been more difficult however, to get them to
take onboard issues such as waste minimisation and integrating
renewable energy systems;
• A lot of time and effort is expended on keeping all the interested parties
up to date with developments in the project, often involving the use of
different types of media for different groups;
• Additional time is spent by Council officers in locating, assessing and
applying for funding opportunities that may help to secure a more
sustainable development;
• Appropriate information is not always placed within the most suitable
publications to reach developers and construction companies, and so
they are not always ‘ naturally’aware of the opportunities and issues
pertaining to their particular projects.

West Beacon Energy Farm
Location: Whittle Hill, Leicestershire

Type of Area: Rural
Tenure: Owner occupied
Built Form: Detached home and farmstead
Contact Name: Wendy Carter
Phone / e-mail: 01509 610033
[email protected]
Visiting Possible: By appointment only
Fee Charged: No
Summary
West Beacon Farm presents a real world demonstration of how integrated renewable energy
systems, combined with other sustainable practices, can form a fully functional and reliable
energy network that vastly reduces dependence on fossil fuels and the nationwide
distribution infrastructure. The farmstead is located on an area of approximately 20 hectares
(50 acres) of outstanding rural countryside. It has been adapted with a vision of enhancing
the natural ecology of the area, along with expressing a much more sustainable lifestyle than
is led by the average UK citizen.
Along with being a family home, the farmstead provides local universities with a fully
operational complex for research into future sustainable technologies. The technologies
presently on display include various sustainable means of generating heat and electricity,
hydrogen energy storage, conservation of mains water and the embodied energy it contains,
and sustainable transportation.
Project Objectives
To demonstrate the effectiveness of an integrated sustainable energy generation network in

providing us with independence from fossil fuels and nationwide distribution networks, as
well as enhancing the natural ecology of a 20 hectare rural farmstead.
History of Concept
When the owners moved to the farmstead in 1969, the arable land was very open, with very
few trees or hedgerows. Their initial desire was therefore to improve the ecology of the land,
starting with the ploughing and seeding of 8 hectares of permanent natural pasture. 14,000
broadleaf and evergreen trees were later planted for natural ecology encouragement, carbon
dioxide uptake and to reduce the noise from surrounding roads. The formation of a 2 million
gallon lake was to follow, which has added greatly to the biodiversity of the site, as well as
being a source of drinking water and energy storage for a hydro system.
The farmstead is home to Professor Tony Marmont and his family. The Professor developed
an interest in sustainable energy during the 1980s when, as a pilot, he was able to visibly
recognise the damage that manmade pollution was causing to the environment all around
him. Combined with the growing prominence of environmental groups and the UK’ s reliance

on imported energy, he decided to replace the farmstead’ s oil fired boiler with a ground
source heat pump system. Shortly after, a 4kW wind turbine and a 3kW photovoltaic array
were installed to provide the electricity required to make the heat pump a totally
environmentally friendly and standalone system. From this honourable beginning, the
owner’s interest in sustainable energy grew, along with his involvement with the relevant
departments at several local universities. The Farm has become one of the world's best
examples of sustainable energy utilisation.
Built form A 1960s detached farmhouse with 20 hectares of land.
Greenfield/Brownfield Reuse of an existing building.
Walls The original walls consisted of a brick outer leaf and concrete
breeze block inner leaf with an air cavity between. When the
owners decided to fill the wall cavity with blown insulation, they
discovered that in many places it was filled with construction
rubble and could not be drilled into.
Roof The original roof, featuring steel I-beam trusses, has been
insulated between the timber rafters with 50mm of Kingspan
insulation board and 50mm of plasterboard.
Windows The original timber framed double glazed units are still in place.
Heating The farmhouse is heated via a conventional wet central heating

system and radiators. Rather than a standard oil or natural gas
fuelled boiler however, a Biklim TOTEM Combined Heat and
Power unit provides the best part of the heating requirements.
This propane fuelled CHP unit is approximately 95 percent fuel
efficient and is rated to generate 15kW of electricity and 38kW of
heat. Although propane is a fossil fuel, it burns cleaner than
standard fuels, with relatively low emissions of greenhouse
gases. The unit also allows for the possibility of using gas from a
biomass gasifier or hydrogen from an electric electrolyser.
Additional active heating is generated by a water sourced heat
pump system. The AB Thermia system makes use of the
reasonably stable temperature of the water in the lake to heat a
refrigerant with a low temperature of vapourisation. The heat
pump extracts and upgrades this heat before storing it in the well
insulated thermal storage tank. For every unit of electricity
consumed by the heat pump and compressor, about 4.5 units of
useful heat are produced. At West Beacon Farm, all of the
electricity required is produced by renewable sources, which
makes this heat pump one of the cleanest and most efficient
home heating systems possible.
A large conservatory has been added to the west end of the
house, above the Engineering Plant Room and garage, and even
on a cloudy day the air inside is heated by solar energy. A

system of automatic fans and shutters controls the ducted flow of

this air into the main house, for passive solar heating in
wintertime. The heat pump system also runs through the duct,
which enhances its own heating/cooling performance.
A wood burning stove can provide supplementary heating to the
lounge if required, although this is mainly for decorative purposes.
The owners use fallen timber from the planted trees as fuel.
Water heating is supplied by the heat pump system and
supplemented by a bank of Thermomax evacuated tube solar
collectors situated on the garage roof.
Lighting Daylight is delivered to many areas within the property using

Monodraught lightpipes. These sealed and highly reflective ducts
transfer daylight from a clear dome on the roof to enclosed areas
such as the cloakrooms and hallways. Low energy compact
fluorescent lights are used elsewhere in the property.
Ventilation There is ducted flow of warmed air to and from the conservatory,
as described above.
Energy Generation West Beacon Farm is often described as being one of the world’s
best examples of sustainable energy utilisation, as it features
many different renewable technologies interlinked for maximum
effectiveness.
The primary generators of sustainable energy on the farmstead
are two fixed pitch, stall regulated, 2-bladed wind turbines (see
Figure 1). These are rated at 25kW each and were installed in
1990 at a total cost of £60,000. Over a typical year, these
turbines will generate 40 to 50MWh of electricity. Their
installation was followed in 1992 by the acquisition of their
American manufacturers, Carter Wind Turbines Inc.
Figure 1. The two 25kW 2-bladed wind turbines. Note the

man-made lake in the foreground.
The secondary generators are two photovoltaic cell arrays, rated

at 3kW each. One array features 54 mono-crystalline cells from
ARCO. The other array consists of 81 poly-crystalline cells from
Solarex, and is 50 percent larger in area. Combined, the two
arrays have been generating approximately 4.5MWh of electricity
each year since their installation 20 years ago, with no apparent
degradation in performance.

A further source of energy generation was presented by the

creation of a lake in the grounds of the farmstead. A building
constructed out of local stone sits at the bottom of an adjacent
field, and houses two water turbine systems. The larger, which
makes use of the 20m gross head between the turbine house and
the lake, powers a 2.2kW synchronous generator. The outflow to
the water turbine occurs at a flow rate of 18 litres per second, and
is controlled to occur only when both the water level in the lake
and the farmstead’ s electrical demand are sufficient. The smaller
turbine is powered by the water flowing in a stream outside the
building, and generates up to 850W after rainfall in the summer,
and more constantly during the winter. To prevent any debris or
wildlife in the stream from entering the turbine (such as trout,
crayfish or snails), the water first flows over a Coanda effect
water filter (see Figure 2). This filter draws water from the stream
by passing it over a vertical bank of horizontal steel wires, to
which water clings and flows along into a tank below. Any solid
matter falls by gravity over the bank of wires and back into the
stream.
Figure 2. The Coanda effect water filter.
The lake is topped up by rainfall and with water from a natural

spring 50m below ground. The power to pump the water to the
surface is supplied by three interlinked 1kW photovoltaic arrays
(see Figure 3). The arrays make use of a novel sun tracking
system to maximise their electrical generation as the sun passes
overhead. This has been shown to increase their output by 61
percent. The water is pumped from below ground when the sun
shines, with approximately 4000 gallons being delivered via a
fountain jet each day during the summer, and 2000 gallons in the
winter.

Figure 3. The interlinked, sun-tracking, 1kW photovoltaic arrays.
The electricity generated at the Farm is used in a variety of ways. Some

is used to top-up a bank of series connected, lead-acid battery cells that
are housed in the Engineering Plant Room. The renewable systems can
be intermittent in operation due to their reliance on the correct weather
conditions, and so these 60 cells serve as 200kWhr back-up on the
occasions when generation falls below demand.
It is usual for the wind turbines to generate much more electricity than is
required at the Farm and so the surplus has in the past been exported
offsite. The majority of exported energy goes onto the national grid.
Over the ten years of 1990-99, 317MWhr of wind generated power was
sold to the local electricity provider, which provided an income of almost
£35k. Since December 1999, after the cessation of the Non-Fossil Fuel
Obligation scheme (NFFO), it has been much less cost effective to export
to the local grid.
In 1996, the buildings at the neighbouring Whittle Hill Farm were
restored to provide the office space required for Midlands Renewable
Energy Technology Transfer (MRETT) and Beacon Energy Ltd. The
restoration continues the owners’ philosophy of demonstrating the
benefits of sustainable energy in practice, and use about half the energy of
typical UK offices. The West Beacon wind turbines have supplied all of
the electrical demand of these offices since 1999.
Hydrogen Storage A further use for the surplus energy was found when the
owner chose to pioneer the use of hydrogen as an energy storage
medium in the UK. The development of hydrogen storage has
been heralded by many experts as being ultimately capable of
bringing about a pollution free future. Hydrogen presents a
method of longer-term and larger-scale energy storage than is
possible by batteries, and achievable at lower cost and with a
smaller footprint. It can be used as an intermediate medium that
balances the intermittent electrical generation of renewable
systems and the mismatched but regular pattern of demand on the
grid.
Whenever there is a surplus of electrical generation, water can be
split by electrolysis into its constituents, hydrogen and oxygen, with
the separated gasses being stored safely in pressurised tanks.
The oxygen offers a source of financial income, as it has uses in
many manufacturing industries, water treatment and healthcare.

The hydrogen meanwhile can be fed into a fuel cell at times when
the electrical demand exceeds generation, where it is recombined
with oxygen from ambient air, generating electricity and pure hot
water as a result. When a hydrogen storage system is integrated
into a renewable energy network, such as at the Farm, it
represents a large-scale and dependable electrical generation
solution, with an abundant supply of its primary fuels (solar, wind,
water) and zero CO2 emissions. In the medium to long term, the
‘Hydrogen Economy’ is predicted to revolutionise our energy
infrastructure, make a significant contribution towards greenhouse
gas reduction, and help counter the effects of oil depletion.
The equipment installed at the Farm consists of:
• 34kW alkaline electrolyser, manufactured by Vandenborre
Hydrogen Systems, which produces hydrogen from water at 25bar.
• Forty-eight storage cylinders, each of 475litre capacity (see Figure
4). These were manufactured by BOC and are filled by a
compressor to a total storage capacity of 2856Nm3 at a maximum
pressure of 137bar. This represents around 4MWh of stored
electricity, or three weeks of demand at the farmstead.
• There are two Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells
currently undergoing testing at the farm. The first is manufactured
by a Loughborough University spin-off company, Intelligent
Energy, and is capable of generating 2kW of electricity and 2kW of
heat. This heat is used for space heating, making this a form of
CHP unit. A larger 5kW unit from Plug Power, supplied by SiGEN,
is also under review, and it is intended that this model will also be
converted into a CHP operating unit.
Figure 4. The bank of 48 hydrogen storage cylinders.
Water Conservation The farmstead is completely disconnected from the mains water
network. Supply comes instead from two natural sources. The
first is a natural spring 50 metres below ground and the second is
via rooftop rainwater collection. The rainwater collected in the
original guttering passes through a Wisy/Coanda self-cleaning filter
to remove any coarse dirt before entering the 6,000 litre
underground storage tank. The water is pumped through a series
of 25, 15 and finally 5 micron filters before being delivered to an
intermediate tank. At this stage, the water is suitable for all needs
except drinking. To purify the water further, it circulates through an

ultra-violet filter and a reverse-osmosis membrane purifier, which

operates on mains pressure, before entering the home’ s drinking
supply.
Onsite sewage treatment using septic tanks also conserves water
and energy, with the resulting naturally treated nutrients being
used on the farmland.
Recycling Facilities The owner is actively involved in encouraging the recycling

activities of the Local Council, who supply a second refuse bin for
recyclable household waste.
SAP/Eco-rating The neighbouring Whittle Hill Farm buildings were assessed by the
National Energy Foundation and found to have a negative CO2
footprint under the Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme.
Transport
Two electric cars were purchased during the 1990s from the USA. Both cars are powered by onboard
batteries that are charged overnight from the farm’s sustainable network, and require about 0.5kW of
electric power per mile. The first car bought has a range of 50 miles and a top speed of 70mph. It
features a photovoltaic roof and bonnet, which supplement the battery power by around 10 percent.
The second car has a range of 120 miles and a top speed of 75mph, improvements made possible by
using nickel metal hydride batteries.
The next development planned is to integrate a small 1-2kW fuel cell into a vehicle, which has already
been shown to be technically feasible and increases performance, range and fuel economy.
Placement to local facilities The owner’ s business, Beacon Energy Ltd, is based at
the neighbouring Whittle Hill Farm. The electric cars
provide a truly sustainable means of travelling between
the two properties and to nearby towns. The local village
of Woodhouse Eaves is just 2km away.
Landscaping
Encouragement of Biodiversity When the land was acquired in 1969 it was arable but
very open, with little protection or cultivation. One of the
original aims of the owners was specifically to increase
the natural ecology of the site. They began by ploughing
and seeding 8 hectares of natural grassland pasture,
which provided an income as hay and silage.
Hedgerows were planted to divide the land and permit
cattle and sheep livestock to graze freely. The grasses
and hedgerows provide habitat for many rural species,
such as grey and French partridges and harvest mice.
Very few trees existed on the land when bought, and so
14,000 broadleaf and evergreen trees were planted
around the border for wildlife encouragement, carbon
dioxide uptake and to reduce the noise pollution from
surrounding roads. This was seen to have an immediate
effect, with birdlife activity increasing markedly; including
barn owls, great spotted and green woodpeckers, long
tail tits, crossbills and kestrels. It should be noted that
the pine trees planted are gradually being replaced with

local oaks and ashes.
The formation of the 2 acre lake followed the introduction
of livestock and this greatly benefited the farmstead’ s
biodiversity with a full aquaculture. As well as
introducing fish, frogs, toads and many thousands of
insects, the lake has brought even more birdlife to the
site, including Canadian geese, ducks, coot, moorhen,
little grebe and herons.
Resource crops (food/fuel) Although the owners have ceased to farm the land
themselves, both the hay production and grazing of
livestock continue to this day under contract with a
neighbour farmer.
Dead wood from the planted trees is used as a biomass
resource in the lounge’
s wood burning stove.
Economics
Onsite projects The onsite use of electricity and heat generated by the
sustainable network brings immediate savings to the owners,
estimated as around £3,000 per year.
The exporting of surplus energy to the local electricity
provider supplied a regular stream of income that returned
some of the capital costs involved. Through the 1990s,
317MWh of wind generated power was exported offsite,
which brought in almost £35k.
Social Aspects
Methods of community engagement Much of the research carried out at the Farm is in
conjunction with three local universities, all of which
have benefited from the owners’generosity in the
past.
 The School of the Built Environment at The
University of Nottingham
 The Centre for Renewable Energy Systems
Technology (CREST) at Loughborough
University
 The Institute of Energy and Sustainable
Development (IESD) at De Montfort University
Endowments from the owner have gone towards
establishing the facilities and Master Degree
programmes necessary to promote the growth of
sustainable technologies at home and abroad,
through high quality research and demonstration
projects. In 1996, the owner formed Midlands
Renewable Energy Technology Transfer (MRETT),
with the specific aim of facilitating links and

encouraging the transfer of sustainable

technologies from universities to industry.
The Farm has been a regular focus for many open
days in past years, attracting 100s of visitors
annually from industry worldwide and local school
groups.
Economic Issues
Cost of development An evaluation of the capital costs involved in developing the

sustainable network was made in December 1999. At the
time, it came to over £250k.
Number of dwellings One working farmstead.
Source of Funding The primary source of funding for the various renewable
energy systems in operation at the Farm came from the sale
in 1992 of the family business, Carters Gold Medal Soft
Drink Co. The sale made possible the acquisition of Carter
Wind Turbines Inc, the American manufacturer of the two
turbines erected at the Farm, and operator of a 10 turbine
wind farm near Carlisle. The wind farm was sold to Cumbria
Wind Farms Ltd, by which time Beacon Energy had been
established as a company in its own right, with the aim of
persuading home builders, architects, and industry figures in
general of the benefits and practicality of renewable energy
and sustainability.
The owners have encountered the following problems while bringing the projects to fruition:
• In 1992, the owners had to defend the wind turbines against the local District Council.
The Council were arguing for their dismantling on the grounds that the area is designated
as one of 'particularly attractive countryside' in the statutory County Structure Plan and is
therefore afforded special protection. With the assistance of Leicestershire Friends of
the Earth, the owners succeeded in making their case and the turbines continue to
generate free electricity to this day; however, the owners incurred disruption and
substantial legal fees in the process.
• The cessation of the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation scheme (NFFO) and the introduction of
the New Electricity Trading Arrangements scheme (NETA) largely influenced the owner’ s
decision to cease supplying the national grid with the surplus electricity generated by the
turbines. The NETA requirement for power producers to predict the output for every half
hour in advance, and to buy any shortfall at premium prices, made most forms of
embedded renewable generation economically unfeasible, as the output literally depends
on the weather.



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Section 4: Case Studies

Section 4: Case Studies

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 119

Albert Hall Memorial Housing, Coalville

Location Coalville, Leicestershire

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 120

The internal partition walls are of blockwork construction.

Key to room numbers:

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 121

Air Infiltration ( ac/h )

Heat recovery sealed 0.56

Large and small bedroom: Creda 900W panel heater controlled by a

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 122

largest windows in the building face southeast and southwest and

Lighting The sunspace has made a significant contribution to offsetting the

The natural infiltration rate of the building was calculated to be

Table 1. Results of post-occupation survey of residents after first year

Male Survey II Female Survey II

The standard of thermal comfort in winter 5 5

key 1 = Very dissatisfied

The MHRV system provides adequate ventilation levels to the dwelling

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 124

Barriers and Lessons

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 125

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 126

Ashton Green, Leicester

Location Northwest of Leicester City

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 127

Construction and Layout

Energy efficiency will play an important part in meeting the zero CO 2

The creation of low energy demand by:

• using high levels of insulation;

Meeting this demand by employing sustainable energy technologies

• solar domestic hot water systems;

A CHP plant will only be economically feasible with the cooperation of

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 130

It is hoped that all the dwellings will be able to achieve a water

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 131

• A single doctor’ s surgery and associated health facilities which:

• A community building that:

• Additional nursery-age provision will be provided either at Glebelands primary school or

At least 30 per cent of the housing provided during Phase 1 will be

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 132

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 133

Concept Cottages, Donnington

Location Donnington, Lincolnshire

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 134

Roof Timber W-constructed trusses covered with impregnated fibreboard sarking

Windows Wooden framed triple glazed units.

Walls Ground floor 0.19

Hot water is supplied from an un-vented, 125 litres, and electrically

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 135

approximately 30 kWh per week heating water. Both properties house

SAP / Eco-ratings The properties were rated for a SAP of 97.

• By providing a well-insulated building fabric with a well-controlled and efficient heating

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 136

Sustainable housing in the East Midlands - 137

The David Wilson Millennium Eco-House

Location University Park Campus