Embracing new technology needs to be at the heart of redefining standards for new-build homes, urges Nigel Sedman, Executive Director of Homes at ForHousing.
Despite the amazing potential of innovative technology to reduce carbon emissions as we hurtle towards 2050 and the UK’s net zero target, take-up of new tech in the affordable housing sector is still alarmingly low. For example, we are lagging behind our European neighbours when it comes to installing heat pumps. A recent study(1) showed that around 32,000 heat pumps were installed in the UK in 2020, compared to 394,000 in France.
At ForHousing, we own and manage 24,000 homes across the North-West. We’re passionate about developing high quality homes that improve people’s lives and stand the test of time. We’ve worked hard to redefine the standards of our new-builds and embracing new technology has been central to this.
We take a ‘fabric first’ approach — we believe if we can get the design and specification right, homes won’t need retrofitting later and energy bills will be reduced for tenants. As a result, we have refreshed our new-build specifications in a variety of ways.
Now, not only will our new-build homes be well-designed, adaptable, and suitable for all life stages, they will be EPC Band A and incorporate energy-saving technology as standard. We are currently working on a new affordable development at Hallsworth Road in Salford, which is a great example of this in practice.
Gas free homes
One major contributor to carbon emissions is gas heating, and from 2025, installing gas boilers into new-build homes won’t be allowed. So, from now on, we’re aiming for all our new-builds to be gas free.
The homes at Hallsworth Road will make use of some of the most eco-friendly heat pumps available, which extract heat from the air outside and compress it to heat homes via radiators. The technology uses low levels of energy and has a low ‘Global Warming Potential’, or GWP rating — the measure for how emissions impact the planet.
We will install whole-house ventilation systems with heat recovery technology, making homes more energy-efficient. The system(2) we use recovers around 84% of the heat and helps regulate temperatures in a home, making it consistently comfortable for tenants.
Not only are these new technologies highly efficient and helping tenants save on their bills, further down the track they will produce net zero carbon once the UK’s national electricity grid is decarbonised.
All the homes will feature low-energy lighting, first-rate insulation, and triple-glazed windows, while smart meters will give tenants access to real-time information to help them manage their energy usage. On top of that, the homes support the transition to greener transport with electric vehicle chargers already installed, and more points identified to help future-proof the development.
Embracing innovative technology In the past decade, ForHousing has delivered more than 1,500 affordable homes in the North-West and we aim to build 1,800 new homes by 2026.
Across the housing sector, we understand the need to urgently drive forward the development of new affordable homes to address the housing crisis. But let’s make sure we embrace innovative technology to redefine new-build standards along the way to achieving net zero. That way we can create high-quality homes and places that are environmentally responsible and make more things possible for more people, now and in the future.
1. https://www.placesforpeople.co.uk/media/ztbocixy/net-zero-ready-new-build-housing.pdf
2. https://www.envirovent.com/products/heatrecovery-ventilation-mvhr/
