February 18 2021

Timber construction and off-site manufacturing specialists CCG have launched a new housing standard that aims to reduce carbon emissions to zero by swapping gas for solar panels, battery storage and air-source heat pumps.

Combined with thermally modelled construction the resulting homes should reduce housing-related emissions by up to 98%, as measured by the UK government's Standard Assessment Procedure for calculating energy efficiency.

CCG managing director, David Wylie, commented: “Our capabilities in offsite manufacturing are some of the most advanced in the UK and we wanted to build upon this position to ensure that the Net Zero Home standard could be delivered to a mass market as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

"To do this, we partnered with Carbon Futures to undertake detailed analysis of energy performance and MAST Architects to design a suite of fully optimised house types."

MAST Architects director, Mark Johnstone, added: “Our work with CCG is supported by a suite of preferred construction details, prepared by MAST, that have been optimised to facilitate the delivery of an innovative product which focuses on a thermally modelled fabric first approach, balancing issues of energy-efficient renewable technologies, buildability, capital and costs in use."

Applicable to both houses and flats the construction standard is set to debut in May when North Lanarkshire Council break ground on a 19 home pilot project at the site of three demolished tower blocks at Holehills, Airdrie.

Further projects include Western Villages, a 444 home development at Granton Waterfront and an unspecified private housing development in the east end of Glasgow.

3 Comments

#1 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 19 Feb 2021 at 10:06 AM

Will these units have mechanical ventilation?

Also should ground sourced heat pumps not be trialled in the ground floor units?

Air source based heating units in Scotland will have its days when it turns over to costly electric only operation -- a chance to compare the two styles in the same development?

#2 Posted by Passerby on 21 Feb 2021 at 15:53 PM

#1 FBoT good comment. Any takers from to explain why gshp not trialled here?
Issues with brownfield sites?

#3 Posted by J. on 22 Feb 2021 at 12:31 PM

Would suggest it's extremely likely these would have mechanical ventilation of some sort. GSHP is reliant on suitable ground conditions so can't be assumed for a standardised building system. Although GSHP gets a better return on the renewable heat incentive it costs more up front to install so the longer term payoff would only suit some client groups.

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