Home in on new technology to solve housing crisis
New green technology should be used to help solve the housing crisis in the Midlands, says energy expert Ron Fox.
He advises local builders, developers and council to follow the example of South Wales which is putting up affordable and highly sustainable zero carbon homes with energy costs as low as £50 a year.
The Welsh Future Homes project are building on the site of the old steel works at Ebbw Vale in a partnership between BRE Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government, Blaenau Gwent Council and United Welsh Housing Association.
The aim of the project is to stimulate the development a low carbon built environment in Wales as well as kick-starting a ‘green’ economy in the country.
One of the homes has been designed to meet Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, making it a zero carbon home – the first to be achieved in Wales.
Each of the buildings has been built of locally sourced materials that are highly sustainable with low energy costs and are ideal for solar panels and solar thermal units.
Ron Fox said the advantages were that the homes were built of steel frames with no bricks, breeze blocks nor plasterboard so weighing less than a third of ordinary homes.
With less weight they do not need such deep foundations so cutting costs on houses which can be sold for as little as £119,995.
They are built of steel frames which are insulated with Icynene foam round the floors, walls and roof so all gaps, crevices and hard to reach places ensuring the home is wrapped in an envelope of air tightness.
Instead of plasterboard Dragonboard have manufactured a high quality magnesium oxide building board in the Welsh project. The boards are breathable and pre-finished ready for decoration so do not require an application of skim finishes saving time and labour.
Dragonboard is also used as an outdoor layer as it is weather proof and will never decay and can be used with paint and tiles.
Ron said another big advantage was that the whole house can be assembled in two days and water tight in less than ten.
Greg Barton, managing director of Dragonboard, said: “One of the key requirements was that the insulation had to be eco-friendly expanding foam insulation that was stable, long lasting, water resistant yet both air tight and breathable which Icynene is. In the event of flooding, should water get into the fabric then it will quickly drain out of Icynene and once dry it will perform as originally designed.”
He said in the past, steel frame houses had been difficult to insulate with conventional insulations, especially when air change requirements were low. But Icynene has proved to be an effective air barrier and meets target specifications for thermal insulation and air tightness. It also reduces draughts, external noise and promotes better indoor air quality.
For more details call Ron on 01782 756995.
