━━ LOW CARBON LIVING ━━

Britain’s housing stock is unfit for the long term. Recent efforts to lessen environmental damage have lagged far behind climate change dangers. 40% of our overall energy consumption, 27% of CO2 emissions, and roughly 14% of all greenhouse gas emissions occur in our homes. We must deal with the problem right away if we are to achieve important environmental goals.

The opportunity to cut energy use while also enhancing the health and comfort of residents is provided by new dwellings. Additionally, they are more affordable to own as a result of the development of more sustainable technologies.

At Horizon Homes, we build houses that have an impact and are built with sustainability in mind. Our strategy incorporates a variety of potential fixes and differs depending on the development and property.

SOLAR ENERGY

Even on overcast days, photovoltaic (PV) panels can catch the sun’s natural energy and transform it into cost-free, eco-friendly electricity to power your home. Your carbon footprint will be reduced if you rely less on the grid. A typical PV system might save 1.3 to 1.6 tonnes of carbon annually. Depending on your energy provider, you may be able to reduce your energy costs and possibly increase your income by selling any unused electricity back to the grid.

AIR SOURCE HEATING

Air source heat is an ultra-efficient, low impact way to heat your home. Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) work by extracting the warmth from outside air to help heat water for underfloor heating, radiators, and hot water systems.

UNDER FLOOR HEATING

You might not think of under floor heating (UFH) as energy efficient, but because it works across a much larger surface area, UFH operates at a far lower temperature than traditional systems. Radiators are heated to between 65-75 Celsius to warm a room, but UFH can run at about 29 degrees, depending on the floor and finish. In fact, UFH is around 25% more efficient than conventional heating, making it more environmentally friendly too.

Heat from the air is absorbed by a liquid refrigerant and passed through a compressor, increasing its temperature before transferring the warmth to the heating and hot water circuits in your home. Heat pumps are carbon neutral, when powered by PV or similar alternative energy sources, delivering up to three times as much thermal energy as the electrical energy used to drive them. They’re so efficient they can still extract heat even when air temperatures are as low as -15°C.

SUPERIOR INSULATION & AIRTIGHTNESS

In a traditional home up to 70% of heat loss occurs through the roof, walls and floor of the building. That’s a lot of wasted energy. Our homes are designed with a more effective thermal envelope, including outstanding insulation and airtightness, to minimise heat loss through the structure of the property, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions. This also makes our homes more durable, minimising dampness caused by moisture-laden air leaking in and condensing.

SMART HEATING CONTROLS

A smart meter allows you to monitor your energy use to see when you’re using the most energy and how much it’s costing you. According to the Energy Saving Trust, for many households, installing a smart meter means they see a reduction in their energy bills immediately.

Pairing your smart meter with an app-based control system on your mobile phone provides an integrated, real-time view of your energy use. You can control your thermostat remotely, meaning you only use energy when you need it, even if your usual routine unexpectedly changes. Smart systems also link to the weather, so if it’s hotter than usual, it will turn your heating down a few degrees.

TIMBER FRAME CONSTRUCTION

Perhaps the most widely known and understood is timber frame. In housebuilding, there is a long history of using this approach. However, its adoption varies in the UK. It accounts for around 24% of new build homes across the whole country but in Scotland around 90% of homes are built using timber frame compared with just 10% in England.

There are broadly two types of timber frame – open and closed panel. Open panel systems are structurally engineered panels that form the inside load-bearing leaf of the external wall, comprising studs, rails, sheathing on one face, and a breather membrane. Closed panel systems have the same basic structure but also include insulation, a vapour control barrier on the warm side and linings on the interior face. Closed panels may also include fitted windows and internal service zone battens for ease of construction.

Strong, light and completely renewable, wood is a carbon neutral material that’s also a great insulator. Timber frame construction has the lowest CO2 cost of any building material: it takes less energy to produce and build with and it’s easily recycled. In fact, every timber frame home saves a potential four tonnes of CO2, approximately equal to that produced by a family car each year.

Benefits of Timber Frame:

>Endless Design Possibilities
>Construction times are reduced using Timber Frame techniques by as much as one third.
>Reduced Site Labour
>Impact of inclement weather is reduced as construction need not stop in periods of rain, frost, snow etc.
>Thermal Efficiency
>Reduction in site waste >Reduction in risk of delays
>Fully sustainable building materials
>Factory controlled Quality Assurance before its sent to site. 

All the timber we use in our timber framed developments is sourced from accredited suppliers in accordance with the requirements of the FSC® – meaning as a homeowner you’re helping to support sustainable, managed European forests that soak up CO2, helping the fight against global warming.

WATER EFFICIENCY

We don’t just design our homes to be energy efficient, but to help reduce water use too. Untapped, we each consume around 150 litres of water every day, but by diluting the water stream on taps and showers with aerators, we can reduce the volume of water wasted. Efficient fixtures in your home could help to reduce average household water use by up to 25% a year, that’s about 550 showers, saving you up to £80 on your annual water bill. 

Rainwater harvesting can make a difference too. Outdoor use accounts for around 7% of water for those with a garden, rising to over 50% on a hot summer day. A rainwater butt reduces your water bills and rainwater is healthier for plants too.

SUPPORTING A CARBON CONSCIOUS LIFESTYLE

Wherever possible, we make it easier for our homeowners to live greener. We build homes in locations that are close to essential amenities, like schools and play areas, parks and open spaces, shops, pubs and restaurants. Our city developments offer easy access to public transport and we provide secure storage for bikes and pre-wire our garages for electric car points and future battery storage. And now that more of us are working from home more often, we integrate Cat-5 cabling and USB charging, with fibre-optic broadband where it’s available.

LOW ENERGY LIGHTING & APPLIANCES

Electricity for lights and appliances can account for a significant proportion of your households total energy demand. We fit all our new homes with energy efficient lighting, like LEDs, which could save you up to £3 a year versus each incandescent bulb, and Energy LabelA-rated or higher appliances, to help you reduce day-to-day energy consumption from the day you move in.

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION

We are committed, throughout our business, to reducing the carbon cost of our work. We aim to recycle a large proportion of all construction-related waste, by segregating waste streams and innovating recovery. We work with local suppliers and tradespeople, using British made products and materials where possible, and encourage all our partners to reduce their use of plastic packaging and recycle their own waste materials.