The zero-carbon modular homes completed in Greenwich are set to be among the greenest homes ever built in the UK
Modular housing company ilke Homes collaborated with ENGIE to complete Greenwich’s first zero-carbon homes.
The completion comes as the Royal Borough prepares to meet its dual pledges of delivering 750 new council homes and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
The four council eco-homes were built offsite at a factory in Knaresborough then safely craned into place and installed in Robert Street, Woolwich.
As the homes were manufactured offsite, minimal work was required when they arrived on-site. This allowed the homes to be delivered faster than if traditional construction methods were used. It also meant work could be finished safely and in line with government guidelines on social distancing at work.
Energy efficient technology
The eco-homes exceed zero-carbon standards in the UK, and are the most efficient homes ilke Homes has produced to date. Each home is capable of producing energy back to the grid, showing the potential for mass-market roll out using modern methods of construction (MMC) and technology.
Precision-engineering techniques and digital design have allowed all four homes to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating well-above the highest category of ‘A’. In the UK, only one percent of new builds are ‘A’ rated, while the average rating is ‘D’.
Due to high levels of energy-efficiency, the new modular homes, which were delivered in half the time of traditional methods, will be able to be heated on as little as £1-a-day thanks to the installation of solar panels and air source heat pumps.
Meeting carbon reduction targets in Greenwich
The modular housing development comes as Royal Borough of Greenwich, which recently declared a local climate emergency, recently announced the huge task ahead in meeting its carbon reduction targets.
The council estimates that its 21,000 homes are responsible for 20% of emissions in the borough, with the cost of retrofitting buildings to come close to the £1bn mark.
Using MMC to manufacture and install homes will be key to meet the Mayor of London’s zero-carbon homes standard, which supports the Mayor’s aspiration to make the capital carbon neutral by 2030.
Using the latest digital technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) will allow manufacturers to create a digital copy of homes so that their energy performance can be modelled. ilke Homes is able to vastly improve the airtightness and quality of its homes using BIM. This ensures all homes can be manufactured to net-zero carbon standards and allows residents to save huge sums of money on energy bills.
Matthew Bench, executive director of partnerships at ilke Homes, said: “These are some of the most energy-efficient homes on the market.
“Rather than using carbon offsetting schemes, which is a common occurrence when the industry talks about net-zero, all the carbon savings are achieved by the technologies of the homes themselves.
“Climate change is accelerating and unless we act soon it will run out of control. With more than 250 councils across the UK declaring an emergency, there has never been a more important time for central and local government to look towards innovative methods of housebuilding as a means of delivering new, energy-efficient homes.”
Royal Borough of Greenwich cabinet member, Anthony Okereke, added: “These high-quality and sustainable council homes are the first of 750 we’ll be delivering across the borough as part of our Greenwich Builds programme.
“That we’ve been able to complete these much needed new homes on schedule speaks to the hard work of the Greenwich Builds team and our partners at Engie and ilke Homes.
“Addressing the shortage of social housing is a top priority for the Council and we’re delighted that Robert Street, our pilot Greenwich Builds development, is now ready for local families to move in.”
