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Sector
Residential
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Location
South West England
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Commissioned
2020
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Estimated annual output
15,118kWh
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Annual CO2 savings
4,188kg
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Solar Panels
Viridian Solar
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Heat Pump
Mitsubishi Ecodan
Solarsense has recently completed this new-build eco home at their head office site in Backwell, North Somerset. Converting unused warehouse space, the home was designed to blend with the surrounding rural setting, neighbouring buildings and the adjacent Zero Carbon Hub, Solarsense Head Office. The buildings have achieved an ‘A’ rating for both energy efficiency and environmental impact (CO2).
Clad entirely in timber, glass and solar panels, the homes provide open plan, flexible, double height living spaces that open onto private southern gardens. The bedrooms and studies are arranged to have a private connection with the farmland and woods that dot the landscape around.
The new buildings are highly insulated, benefit from passive solar-gain and are naturally ventilated through high-level roof lights. The roof lights and large glazing provide good daylight throughout and all artificial lighting is powered by LED. The homes will require very little energy to run, which will be provided by the large roof integrated solar arrays.
In accordance with North Somerset’s Adopted Core Strategy, policy CS1, the reduction of carbon is a key driving design principle. Timber has been used for cladding, structure, joinery and window and door frames.
The buildings are naturally ventilated. The south facade is shaded by a large overhanging eaves that blocks the summer sun, whilst allowing the winter sun into the building for solar gain. Openable roof lights near the ridge of the building allow stack ventilation. Low water usage fittings have been employed throughout, and micro grey water recycling systems installed to reduce usage by a further 30%. Rainwater butts will ensure capture of water for garden irrigation. A fabric first approach has been adopted for the buildings. Walls, floor and roof will provide extremely high levels of insulation. Air permeability is to be 3.5 m3/m2h.
In regard to energy generation, fully integrated solar, energy storage and heat pump technologies have been combined to create a low carbon house that provides the occupants with a lower cost, eco-friendly lifestyle.
The design engineers opted for a Viridian Clearline Fusion solar roofing system. Each roof integrated 7.2kWp solar array is comprised of 24 PV modules, providing a flush fitting to the surrounding roof, improving aesthetics and offsetting the cost of a standard roof covering. The system is usually used on tiled or slate roofs, but as this was a bespoke installation, the solar panels were integrated into a standing seam roof. The combined systems will generate in excess of 15,118kWh of clean energy per year, mitigating a further 4,188kg of carbon emissions per annum.
As solar panels typically generate more clean energy than your house can immediately use, Solarsense has installed a Tesla Powerwall in each property. The home battery will allow the occupants to store any excess solar power to use in the evening and when needed, maximising their use of clean solar energy and reducing their reliance on buying electricity in from the grid. Each Powerwall has been updated with Island mode, allowing the battery to detect grid outages and become the home’s main energy source in case of a power cut.
The latest Mitsubishi Ecodan air source heat pump was specified to provide heating for each property alongside a 200L thermal store. Ecodan offers an ideal solution for new build properties, where strict building regulations drive down the space heating demand, making the production of hot water the dominant load. The QUHZ model was chosen due to its market leading low noise output and built in energy monitoring as standard, allowing the occupants more visibility and control over their consumption.
Services provided
- Detailed technical design
- Full supply, installation & commissioning
- Operations and maintenance
- Full handover including MCS registration
