Over 50% of carbon emissions in the United Kingdom come from energy use in buildings and 27% from homes.Over 3.5 million people suffer from fuel poverty.
These two facts mean we need to do something to make the homes we provide low carbon and low cost so over the next few years, we are trying some experiments on what is called ‘The Passive House’ concept. Typically, a passive house uses over 80% less energy. This means building new homes or refitting existing homes so they need much less power to heat them.
Orbit Heart of England has its first new passive house scheme on site in north Coventry which will be finished next Spring. We are also testing out this concept on four projects already in management in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Coventry University is working with Orbit Heart of England to evaluate these projects and see how we can roll out this approach to all the homes we build and to our existing homes. The technology is not the problem, finding the money to do it is! And it will take many years to tackle all the homes we own – but we have to start somewhere.
You can find out more and follow our progress on the long term project by logging on to our new micro website at www.orbitinnovation.org.uk.
Stewart Fergusson
