Barratt Developments has unveiled a flagship zero carbon home concepted dubbed the Z House, developed alongside partners including Eco2Solar, Lightsource Labs and Octopus Energy.
It will be the first new home built by a major developer in the UK to deliver a carbon reduction of 125%, going beyond the Future Homes Standard.
Over 40 industry partners are involved in the Z House project, all working to broaden knowledge of zero carbon living.
New technologies utilised in the house will include overhead infrared panels providing zero carbon heat, air powered showers and heated skirting boards that deliver 10% more heat than traditional radiators.
Additionally, the house will include an air source heat pump, EV charging points, PV solar panels and battery storage. Lightsource Labs’ intelligent home energy management platform, Tribe, is being used to optimise devises in the home, while a smart electricity tariff will automatically shift energy usage to access the cheapest rates.
An initial Z House has been built on the main campus at the University of Salford, and based on Barratt’s Alderney housetype. In order to give a ‘real-world’ understanding of its energy consumption, an academic from the university is moving in.
Their consumption will be measured and displayed in the Knowledge Hub, which has been built into the garage space to showcase the products and technologies being used within.
“We want to showcase what can be done to deliver zero carbon living using the latest technologies and working with the best industry partners,” said David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt Developments.
“Ultimately, the aim is to find solutions to enable the industry to build high quality, zero carbon homes that customers love, at scale. We can then share this knowledge to help the industry deliver the future of sustainable housing.”