Cardiff Council is soon to complete a new state-of-the-art affordable housing scheme for over-55s, which includes groundbreaking net zero technology.
Addison House is a 44-apartment community living scheme in Cardiff that benefits from an energy management solution provided by net zero technology company Sero, aimed at lowering energy bills for residents and maximising the benefits of low carbon technologies.
All 44 apartments are connected to a communal ground source heat pump system and thermal storage, which provides all of the heating and hot water for the building. PV panels, battery storage and electric vehicle charging points are also included and integrated with the Sero solution.
Working alongside developer Wates, Cardiff Council has implemented the Sero solution meaning customers receive a single bill covering all of their hot water, heating, and electricity use.
The Sero system sub-meters and monitors the building, to maximise self-consumption of solar energy from solar panels and cheaper off-peak energy from the grid. Utilising the building’s own renewable energy sources means residents are less exposed to turbulent energy market prices, whilst also keeping the building’s carbon emissions to a minimum.
The system also allows for surplus energy, captured via the development’s solar panels, to be sold back to the grid. The income generated from the sale of excess energy is then available for Cardiff Council to use and be shared with residents in the form of credit on their bills.
Typically, a large scheme like Addison House would either have one ‘bulk’ meter for the whole block or each apartment would have its own ‘grid’ level meter, limiting the ability for individual apartments to fully benefit from the available renewable energy. The solution at Addison House includes a private network providing sub-metered utilities and therefore accurate bills to each unit, allowing all of the apartments to benefit from the available solar energy sources.
Addison House also benefits from 132 kWh of storage through batteries, allowing the building to store energy and take advantage of off-peak tariffs.
One of the key drivers behind Addison House is to encourage older residents to downsize to smaller, more affordable homes. Having the innovative energy solutions and reduced utilities bills are a key factor in residents making their decision to move. In turn, this is expected to free up larger family homes for those who need them within Cardiff.
James Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Sero, said: “Addison House is a prime example of how reaching net zero benefits both landlords and residents.
“We’re proud to have helped Cardiff Council and Wates to deliver a zero-carbon-ready building, which aligns with the council’s strategy to reach net zero by 2030.
“Landlords are juggling many competing priorities and at Sero, we believe net zero is an opportunity to address many of them together. Addison House is a great example of how implementing the right strategy can help landlords tackle not only Net Zero but fuel poverty and the housing crisis.”
Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cardiff Council, commented: “While it’s crucial that we are building more new council homes across the city to meet unprecedented demand for good quality, affordable housing, it’s also essential that we are building the right sort of homes and here are 44 low carbon, modern council homes that promote independent living and can meet the needs of tenants at every stage of their lives.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from tenants who are looking to downsize from their current property and this would free up some larger homes in the city, that we can allocate to families on the housing waiting list.”
Edward Rees, Regional Managing Director, Wates Residential, said: “We are proud and delighted to have been able to deliver these great new apartments based on a shared vision with Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government to create modern, healthy, low-energy homes that do not compromise on quality.
“The Addison House homes in the Aspen Grove development represent a truly collaborative aim to provide housing for residents at all stage of their lives.
“Older people deserve the same facilities and amenities as everyone else, and it is very rewarding to have built these homes to the highest standards, enabling residents to live an independent life.”
