Another Energy Efficient Home

July 15, 2019 in Private Housing

We hope to get this lovely new home in Eynsham started up on site in the coming months! It is the latest in a series of private energy efficient homes which gcp has been creating for some very happy clients, thanks to the expertise of our qualified PassivHaus Designer Colin Powell.

The home is designed to be flexible to ensure the residents can enjoy it for many years to come, even as their needs change. To ensure high thermal performance, the house will be built using an Insulated Concrete Formwork system which we have used before at Church Road and Dundry. Keep your eyes peeled for site progress photos in the coming year!

6 Very Low Energy Homes completed for South Western Housing Society

January 24, 2018 in Public Housing

Our project for 6 new family homes at Othery Somerset, was handed over in December and is now occupied. A rural exception scheme located adjacent to a busy road on the edge of the village, the development was granted planning in July 2016 after extensive consultation with the Parish Council and Local Planning Authority. An innovative construction method was used in the construction and following completion of highway improvements, the houses were constructed swiftly to a high standard by Man Green Solutions.

gcp developed early energy modelling and assisted in developing an innovative solution to energy efficiency in the new homes which include high performing building fabric combined with simple systems for heating and hot water. The innovative ‘Velox’ Insulated Concrete Formwork construction system means the homes are highly insulated and achieve an airtightness of 0.99 m3/m2/h – well above the standards of conventional construction. As a result, heating demand is minimised, making simple electric heating efficient and cost effective.

Each home is provided with a large Photovoltaic array at roof level, providing free electricity for heating and hot water. The house systems include smart energy management and battery storage to ensure all energy generated by the Photovoltaic panels will be used in the home (rather than being exported to grid as is common). This means the tenants will enjoy warm and comfortable homes and should have near zero energy costs for heating and hot water.

South Western Housing Society will monitor costs and performance of the homes and it is hoped this project could be a model for more low energy homes for the future.

https://www.swhs.org.uk/news/upcoming-events/swhs-othery-development-opening

http://www.velox-systems.co.uk/

Sidford Road (Torpoint) gets AECB Silver standard certification

March 07, 2017 in Public Housing

AECB Silver Standard Award received for Torpoint Housing in Bristol

Our Torpoint project for Knightstone Housing has now been certified to meet the AECB Silver standard. This low energy building standard uses PassivHaus methodology and overall energy targets with a some flexibility on airtightness to make the standard more accessible. We would recommend AECB Silver to clients as a really useful first step in the learning process towards delivering PassivHaus levels of energy efficiency.

Achieving the standard on this project was particularly challenging due to the complex building section – necessary on the steeply sloping site – so congratulations should also go to Kier Living for their persistence and hard work in achieving an airtightness of 1.1 ac/hr.

More information on the project is available at the Low Energy Building Database.

Successful pre-completion air-testing

February 09, 2017 in Housing

Successful pre-completion air-testing today at our Stoke Bishop low energy project; achieving 0.68 air change per hour - well below our EnerPHit target of 1.0.

Another success for the Nudura ICF construction method and the care taken installing gcp’s carefully considered air tightness detailing.

Planning Approval for New Self-Build PassivHaus

February 02, 2017 in Housing

Architects image of Passivhaus in Dundry

gcp have obtained planning approval from North Somerset Council for a new home in the village of Dundry to the south of Bristol. Located in green-belt, the project will replace an existing house that was very cold and draughty in the exposed location, with an extra-snug and energy efficient PassivHaus.

gcp’s in-house PassivHaus designer Colin Powell, has modelled the energy performance and optimised the design to enable the client to achieve a certifiable building on completion. We are now working with the client on construction design to ensure the home will be easy and efficient for the self-build team to construct to meet the exacting PassivHaus standards.