National and award-winning housebuilder, St. Modwen Homes, has launched two brand new carbon-negative homes at its Heathy Wood development in Copthorne. The sustainable leap has made it the first major housebuilder to have developed and completed affordable homes of this kind – and comes at a time where Google searches surrounding ‘sustainability’ and ‘eco houses’ are up by 650%.
Built as part of a trial, the new additions demonstrate the potential to deliver some of the most energy efficient and commercially scalable properties in the world – and will be reviewed by St. Modwen Homes throughout 2022. The stunning 3-bed homes have been cleverly designed to produce more energy than they consume – meaning your family’s total energy bills could reduce by around 76%*. compared to a standard new-build house – a good move for your pocket as well as the planet.
So, how is this all possible? Simple improvements to the building fabric, insulation, and ventilation have transformed the efficiency of the homes compared to traditional builds – with the eco-friendly homes being ten times more airtight than industry standards**. And St. Modwen Homes has gone much further by fitting the homes with additional sustainable features such as photovoltaic solar panels, a battery, an electric vehicle charger, an air-source heat pump, a smart hot water tank, and more!
Plus, thanks to the use of electric-powered technology, the homes are also capable of delivering a 125% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to current standards. And finally, these innovative homes have been built with timber frames, and foundations formed using low-carbon concrete, which means embodied carbon has also been reduced from the outset.
Dave Smith, Managing Director, St. Modwen Homes, commented: “With energy prices continuing to rise, creating energy-efficient homes that are affordable to build is more vital now than it ever has been.
“As an industry leader in using low-carbon modern methods of construction already, we have a responsibility to use this experience to prove that carbon-negative houses can significantly cut energy bills and reduce emissions. Over the course of this year, we will be analysing the results of this latest trial to aid us in our objective to build these new homes at scale for the benefit of homeowners and the environment.”
Working in partnership with British Gas, the homes are fitted with Hive Smart Home technology. This includes a Hive smart thermostat and smart radiator valves to enable the household to control their usage. British Gas has also installed the electric vehicle charger for further energy efficiency outside the home.
Jana Siber, Managing Director at British Gas said: “Partnerships like this are an essential part of the UK’s journey towards a decarbonised future. While on a small scale at this stage, we are exploring how we can help customers lower their carbon emissions using smart technology. The need to provide carbon neutral homes has never been greater. That’s why we are working with companies like St. Modwen Homes and why we’ve committed to training 3,500 apprentices over the next decade, many of whom will gain specialist green skills to support with the demand that’s coming.”
The two carbon-negative homes have been completed with St. Modwen Homes’ trademark floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing light to beam through the property throughout the day. With a large entrance hall and open plan living downstairs, it’s the perfect space to cater for guests. And upstairs is no different with three generous bedrooms, a family bathroom, and a main bedroom featuring fitted wardrobes and its own handy en-suite.
Situated on the leafy outskirts of the historic village of Copthorne, Heathy Wood will offer a range of 2, 3, 4, and 5-bedroom homes once complete. Lying on the border between Surrey and West Sussex and conveniently located near to Gatwick Airport, Heathy Wood is a short walk to the heart of Copthorne village, close to both the towns of Crawley and East Grinstead. This gives residents the opportunity to enjoy beautiful local countryside scenery, whilst also remaining well-connected to the nearby towns.
With only two carbon-negative homes available, you won’t want to miss out! Find out more about the homes today.
*Based on regulated energy costs from the carbon-negative home in comparison to a St. Modwen three-bedroom standard specification home.
**The Heathy Wood carbon-negative homes have been designed to have a maximum air leakage of 0.6m3/m3/h. A standard new-build house would typically have an air leakage of 5 to 6 m3/m2/h, but it is permitted within current Building Regulations to have an air leakage of up to 10m3/m2/h.
