With the Government all set to scrap stamp duty this October on homes that meet the carbon neutral standard, the drive towards eco homes is well and truly underway.
The stamp duty exemption is a major incentive (it could save you £7,500 on a home worth £250,000 or more) -- but it's just as motivating to be able to make huge energy savings and reductions in pollution, without the difficulty of designing or renovating a property yourself. Says Claire Valentine, a new resident of the Great Bow Yard in Somerset: "I'd always wanted to live in an environmentally friendly home, but was too scared to build one. Moving into a development cuts down the risk. It seems less daunting".
Here, we highlight our Top 5 sustainable home developments to give you some ideas...
1. BedZED
Beddington Zero Energy Development is probably Britain's best-known eco-home development. It was certainly one of the pioneers, opening in 2002 with the promise to be the largest carbon-neutral community in the UK.
Located in Sutton, Surrey, BedZED consists of 82 residential homes (some to buy, some to rent) along with community facilities such as a nursery and an exhibition centre. Its design aim is to use zero fossil energy for residents' heating, generating its own heat and power from renewable sources on site. A key part of this is energy efficiency: buildings are constructed from materials that store heat during warm conditions and release heat at cooler times. The south-facing terraces also help homes to get a boost from the sun's warmth, known as passive solar gain.
Progress towards 'zero carbon' has not been entirely trouble-free. For example, among the new technology that keeps the development sustainable is a combined heat and power plant designed to use wood from local tree prunings which would have otherwise gone to waste. The prototype plant is currently out of order, meaning residents can only obtain their energy supplies from the national grid.
Despite these niggles, BedZED has been a successful and popular development, setting the trend for others. A 2003 study showed that residents acheived a drastic 88% reduction in space heating rqruirements over the average UK home, along with a 25% reduction in electricity use and up to 65% savings on mains water. And they've not given up on the zero carbon ideal: another renewable power plant design is planned.
For more information on BedZED, contact the Peabody Trust.
2. Sherwood Energy Village
Fancy living in SEVille? Not the city in Spain -- but the housing development at the core of Sherwood Energy Village in New Ollerton, Nottinghamshire. Its development has been driven by a committee set up by the former coal mining community as a response to the closure of the Ollerton Colliery in 1994.
SEVille will consist of 196 homes, built to 11 different designs with a high degree of environmental performance built in. Each dwelling is based on the Eco Homes "Excellent" standard, incorporating energy and water efficiency. But there's more to Sherwood Energy Village than housing. The overall redevelopment includes workplaces, shopping, recreational space – and a great deal of consideration has been given to transport, safety and quality of life.
Rather than an "eco-community" on the fringe, this is a sensitive and forward-thinking commercial redevelopment of industrial land. It represents a practical commitment to the belief that mainstream housing should incorporate environmental standards by design.
Construction is underway and you can learn more about the scheme via the organisation's website.
3. Great Bow Yard, Somerset
Small but beautiful, these 12 homes on the River Parrett near Langport in Somerset are part of a mixed development centred on a restored warehouse.
Its timber frames and cladding are locally sourced and sustainable, whilst its high performance insulation means a radical drop in energy requirements. The buildings also gather rainwater to flush the toilets. Best of all, current residents rate it as "simply a great place to live".
Developer Ecos Homes can be contacted on 01458 259 400.
4. Queens Gate, Croydon
Fairview New Homes is developing this large scale, low carbon development of 360 residential units. It's designed to demonstrate that low carbon, high density housing can be achieved with relative simplicity.
Its key feature is its "Complete Solar Roof". The roof uses hundreds of solar-electric and solar-thermal panels, designed by Solarcentury to be installed in place of concrete roof tiles. They will provide 44,000kWh of electricity and 60,000 kWh for water heating per year.
This innovation won't just save 36 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions -- residents will also enjoy lower energy bills for life.
5. Dongtan, China
Finally, if you fancy a move to the Far East, how about living in the brand new eco-city planned for Chongming Island near Shanghai?
This colossal development is scheduled to accomodate 50,000 when it opens to coincide with Expo2010 in Shanghai. Over the next thirty years it could grow to accommodate up to half a million residents.
The city is designed to be completely energy self-sufficient and permit only zero-greenhouse-emission transport within its boundaries. Buildings themselves will feature a combination of traditional Chinese design and the latest low-energy building techniques.
No dwellings are yet complete but the high profile scheme has attracted a lot of attention, with Mayor of London Ken Livingstone one of its fans. Here's a very detailed PDF article on the Dongtan project.
These five developments are just a glimpse of the rapid progress being made with eco home building. Small developments like these are probably just a taste of what's to come. With homebuyers' confidence in sustainable homes, and planning regulations turning in favour, developers are putting more and more eco homes on the drawing board. For example: London mayor Ken Livingstone recently described proposals for a vast 1000-home sustainable development in the capital. Once a site is selected and plans go ahead, this will be the UK's biggest eco home development.
For further information, return to WelcomeHome in the future as we profile other environmentally friendly homes and property tips.