technical work - sustainability & energy

Minimising the development’s impact on the environment and reducing the CO2 emissions generated across its lifetime is an important consideration for us. 

The first stage of achieving this is to ensure that sustainable building techniques and low-impact materials will be used where possible. Also, the design of the dwellings will also play an important role in determining their future energy requirements. To secure this, the planning application will set out a construction checklist that will seek the following be delivered as part of future detailed proposals for the site:

 •  Plot layout and fenestration for solar gain and control

 •  Maximising opportunities for natural ventilation

 •  Efficient fabric performance

 •  On-plot electrical vehicle charging points

 •  Range of electric vehicle charging points including reversible charging   capability

 •  On-plot renewable heat generation opportunities, such as heat pumps

 •  LED lighting and smart controls

 •  Climate change adaptation measures where required (e.g. thermal mass)

 •  Low impact materials for construction

 •  Facilities for working from home in each dwelling

 •  Construction waste recycling

 •  Water efficient appliances and fittings

 •  Garden planting for biodiversity

 •  Habitat integration including bat and bird boxes, bug hotels etc.

 •  Recycling facilities internally and externally

 •  Cycle storage facilities for sustainable transport

 •  Innovative construction standards to be tested in innovation areas

These construction related measures will secure improvements over standard housing. 

Further substantial CO2 emissions savings will be sought through off-plot renewable energy generation. Options considered include:

•  Communal Heating – Communal heating has no business case at this density and other schemes where this has been adopted (such as Cranbrook near Exeter) have experienced problems with this technology; 

•  Wind – the complexities of delivering wind power at scale on a suitable site is beyond what SGC can achieve. However, wind power is being considered separately by Frome Renewable Energy Co-op (on an unrelated basis to these proposals)

•  Solar – the site orientation, with large areas of sloping ground facing in a southerly direction, lends itself to harnessing renewable energy via this option

•  Hydro – given the size of the River Frome any such scheme could only be micro in scale with negligible impact respect to delivering energy to meet the majority of the proposed schemes needs, and has a poor economic business model due to limited flow rates; and

•  Microgrid – this technology limited by regulatory complexities to a solution of circa 300 dwellings, so whilst it may have a role to play, would only cover a small part of the site, such as the community hub.