The Zero Bills Home has been developed by Zedfactory, a design firm that specialises in reducing carbon consumption.
Zero Bills comes as a kit of parts – a steel frame with timber wall panels – most of which is manufactured in the UK. The system costs £1350 per square metre.
Energy requirements are minimised by a roof-integrated PV and energy storage system thst can also generate enough power to service a small electric vehicle, it is said.
The home is heated by a small air source heat pump that recycles heat recovered from stale air that has been processed by a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system.
Zedfactory founder Bill Dunster said: “SME builders are key to delivering the 250,000 homes per annum we need across the UK – the Zero Bills system is an off the shelf solution for SMEs that could really drive the market in the right direction. With its integrated energy generation facility it shows how we could actually reduce the investment needed for centralised national infrastructure by becoming net exporters of renewable energy.”
The Zero Bills Home has already been commissioned for use on a development in Newport, Essex, for the Sir Arthur Ellis Trust, subject to planning permission.
According to Zedfactory, features include:
- Superinsulated concrete foundation slab with optional additional piles to match most ground conditions.
- Laser cut galvanised steelpowder coated structural ring beam with C16 UK timber studs. UK fabricated OSB structural boards enables one floor to be built every two days
- Superinsulated cladding with heat recovery ventilation and triple glazing reduces heat demand to the point where a tiny heat pump can provide comfort and hot water
- BIPV solar roofing system and optional solar loft conservatory
- Water saving appliances and LED lighting
- A smart LIPO4 Fitcraft battery system, under the stairs, to store solar electricity. This minimises grid imports and limits grid export to 3kw maximum, avoiding the need to upgrade the existing mains grid infrastructure.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
