Zero carbon home sets a model for the future
‘Plot M’, the prototype plot for the prestigious South Bank development, has just been completed and will shortly open to the public as a show home. Upon completion of the development next year, the house will then be occupied and data collected on its ‘in-use’ performance.
South Bank is a development of 295 dwellings of mixed types, all of which must meet the highest level of the Code for Sustainable Homes: Level 6. This indicates that the building is ‘zero carbon’. The development is being delivered by Morris Homes under the Carbon Challenge: the Government’s programme to deliver exemplar, sustainable communities as test beds for the construction industry.
Stroma Technology acted as independent Code for Sustainable Homes Consultant for Plot M, advising on strategies to meet the onerous Code target. We are also taking the dual roles of Code Consultant and Carbon Challenge Inspector for the overall South Bank development.
Plot M employs a number of sustainable and renewable technologies including solar thermal, solar PV, biomass boilers, and rainwater harvesting. It also has an MVHR (mechanical ventilation and heat recovery) system to improve climate control and provide fresh air, while also reducing heating/cooling requirements.
Stroma has also installed post-occupancy evaluation equipment which will monitor both the eventual occupants’ use of the building, and factors such as CO2 emissions, humidity and temperature. This data will be used to inform future Government policy-making and best practice in the construction industry.
For more information on the South Bank development, please see www.homesandcommunities.co.uk
If you need guidance on the Code for Sustainable Homes, please call our Senior Assessor, Lee Stoyles on 0845 621 1111 ext 203, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
