From simply turning down the thermostat, to installing new insulation, many of us are trying to make our homes more eco-friendly.
But a new building with solar panels and a heat pump has gone several steps further.
The UKs first smart carbon positive house - which can export more power to the grid than it uses – has been built in Wales
The low-cost three-bedroom family home, designed by experts led by Cardiff University, integrates technology to reduce energy demand while generating and storing renewable energy so it can be used by the occupiers. The house's energy systems combine solar power generation and battery storage to power its combined heating, ventilation, hot water system and its electrical power systems.
The property near Bridgend, has been built to be highly efficient with LED lights, high insulation to reduce air leakage, structural insulated panels, insulated render on the outside and air heating systems that rely on the sun. It's built from low-carbon cement and locally sourced materials such as Welsh timber. The Solcer project building also has solar panels integrated into the south facing roof, which generate power for the property, as well as a heat pump.
The team behind the house says it's capable of exporting more energy to the electricity grid than it uses. Battery storage has also been included in the design so that people living in the house can use the energy it's generated later on. For example, they could use electricity generated by the solar panels in the evening after the sun has set. The house took 16 weeks to build and is low cost, costing £1,000 per square metre, which is comparable to the cost of social housing.
Professor Phil Jones, head of the Solcer project, said the Welsh and UK Governments have set targets for 'nearly zero' energy buildings by 2020. Zero carbon energy performance involves a combination of reduced energy demand and renewable energy supply, using the electricity grid to import and export energy.
Article Sourced from Daily Mail Online
