Designs for the eco friendly home were shown to Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil MSP on Wednesday 20 May.
GHA set about creating models for a home where the water and heating bill is just £100 a year in a bid to tackle fuel poverty head on and to play its part in reducing damage to the environment.
GHA has already - through its multi-million pound investment programme - made a massive contribution towards Glasgow’s 10-year target to cut domestic energy consumption and drive down CO2 emissions by more than 30%. And now the association aims to deliver homes for tenants which are low cost to build and to run.
Teaming up with PRP Architects Ltd a three-bedroom terraced home has been designed which is simple and elegant, built using local materials and proven technologies and costs around £100 a year in heating and hot water bills.
-- Advertisement --
The annual bill of around £100 can be achieved by:
- High levels of insulation including the use of hollow clay blocks for the external walls. These are easy to lay and will add to local training and employment opportunities.
- Masonry external walls which contribute to comfort and 'thermal mass'; the ability of the building to retain heat and cold and to even out changes to the air temperature in winter and summer
- Windows and sun rooms positioned to capture the energy of the sun without overheating
- A simple construction form which is easily built and reduces energy use
- Prefabricated roof and floor panels to speed up construction
- Locally sourced materials including windows and kitchen fittings
- Useable roof space which is well insulated to allow loft extension at minimum cost
- Efficient heating systems and user friendly controls
- Solar thermal panels on the roof to contribute to water heating
- Educating tenants on how best to benefit from special features of their homes
(GK/JM)
