MANAGEMENT / PLANNING
regulated energy use ” by 2016 . While most companies will state that they are “ working toward ” going green , few will set a precedent like this company has . Through its work on the ‘ Green House ’ Barratt is pooling the knowledge of industry suppliers in order to create models for the future . Its Green House is designed to achieve a zero carbon Level 6 rating and , under the current government system , would also avoid stamp duty , incentivising buyers .
The Green House certainly has an array of gadgets that all function together to make the structure , fixtures , and fittings perform as efficiently as possible . The house is heavily insulated using triple glazing an external wall block system , 180mm high-performance wraps and automatic shutters . The heat saved by these features is absorbed by an air source heat pump and then used for either ambient heating or to produce domestic hot water ; heavy concrete floors help reduce loss of heat . The house is mounted with photovoltaic panels that provide a significant contribution to its power supply .
Another challenge that Barratt has had to address is making its home sustainably aesthetic , which
has resulted in the use of some novel solutions . For example , the bath towels are made from an unusual combination of organically sourced bamboo and cotton .
Any wood used in the makeup of the house is FSC certified and has also had its custody chain recorded from the forest to the final product , which further ensures that the material is as sustainable as possible . Barratt moved off the beaten track when it came to designing its Green House ,
8 April 2015