Introduction
Bryce Road is a housing development in Dudley comprising 27 houses. It was developed by the Black Country Housing Association between 1997 and 2004 to showcase alternative construction, energy, water and waste technologies. The performance of these technologies is monitored in the Eco-Pod demonstration centre; a basement under four of the houses that also gives visitors an opportunity to find out about how the technologies are applied within the houses through multi-media techniques. The project provides affordable, comfortable and healthy homes for local people and uses local manufactures to develop and trial new processes.
What was involved?
Centred around demonstrations, the project shows the construction industry the building techniques and materials that can be used to incorporate energy efficiency into housing projects. This project also involved the use of “off-site” manufacturing techniques and pre-assembly of building components that make the most efficient use of the materials. This project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund and local companies including Baggeridge Bricks. The housing development demonstrates the following technologies:
Solar Photovoltaic Panels
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are a proven technology that converts daylight into electricity which can then be used to power appliances. Black Country Housing Group has registered solar PV systems for the Feed in Tariff; a national financial incentive scheme and receives a payment for every unit of electricity generated by those systems. These payments are being invested in activities for further community benefit.
Sun pipes
Sun pipes also called light tubes distribute natural daylight into the centre of buildings and avoid the need for artificial lighting thus saving energy and money. Sun pipes consist of a tube lined with a highly reflective material to direct light to otherwise dark spaces. Light tubes are most effective when light is transported a short distance, making them suitable for houses. At the point-of-use, a diffuser distributes light into the room instead of using an electric light.
Ground-Source Heat Pumps
Ground-source heat pumps transfer the heat of the Sun, captured in the ground, and coverts it to hot water for space heating. A special fluid is circulated through a network of pipes laid in the ground where it absorbs the heat and is then passed through a heat-pump, like that in a ‘fridge.
Water Conservation
Grey-water is water that has been used for functions in the house that is recycled on site, replacing the need to use mains water. Grey water recycling systems collect water that has already been used in the house, treated and stored it in a subterranean water tank. This stored water is then reused for activities that do not require clean water such as flushing WCs or watering plants.
Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
A CHP system has an electrical generator that is turned by a heat-engine, e.g. a car engine or gas-turbine. The heat that would be “thrown away” from a car engine is, instead, circulated in the building to heat water for the taps and the heating system. In this way the fuel used not only produces the electricity but also the heat for the building; unlike at the power-station where you just get electricity generated and the heat is wasted by going up the cooling towers.
Other Technologies
Super-insulation, air-tight (draught-free) construction, heat-recovery, heat stores, rainwater harvesting, grey-water recycling, composting toilets, solar electricity-generating and solar heating systems, wind turbine electricity generators, Structural Insulated Panel Systems (SIPS), timber- and steel-frame building systems, pod and module construction systems, natural materials, domestic refuse recycling systems.
Outcomes
Bryce Road was awarded official demonstration status by the Housing Forum; a government construction task force and won the Sustainable Homes 2000 Award. The combined conservation measures are predicted to reduce water use by 33%, fuel costs by 90% and be constructed 20% quicker than a conventional home.
For further information
- Contact Richard Baines at the Black Country Housing Association on bainesr@bcha.co.uk or telephone 0121 561 1969
- Black Country Housing Association at www.bcha.co.uk
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