The number of new homes being built in the United Kingdom is on the rise as demand for housing across the country continues to grow. Just over 145,000 homes were registered with the National Housing Building Council (NHBC) in 2014, which marks a 9% increase on 2013 levels and it’s the greatest number of properties to be built since the start of the economic crisis that hit in 2007.
This is clearly great news for those who are currently looking for a place to live, but should we be doing more to ensure that these new homes are built with sustainability in mind? We think so, and in this article we hope to highlight why that is the case.
Environmental Benefits
Naturally, whenever renewable energy is discussed, the first thing that springs to mind is the ever-growing concern over the state of the planet. Barring one or two remaining sceptics, it is now clear that energy usage is affecting our pale blue dot, and attitudes are beginning to change.
Moving over to renewable energy in all new build homes will send a clear signal that both government and building contractors alike are working towards a greener future. Many homes are now being fitted with solar panels as standard, but we believe that things could be taken further.
New housing projects could be fitted with geothermal heating solutions that would serve the whole community, providing heating and hot water in a far more sustainable way than the current gas boiler systems that we see today.
Individual homes too could benefit from geothermal heat pumps, and their inclusion makes for a perfect partner to better heating solutions for the home such as underfloor heating. Underfloor (or radiant, as it is sometimes referred to) heating runs extremely efficiently in conjunction with a heat pump, which means lower energy usage for the family. This leads to our next point
Lower Bills
Including geothermal heat pumps as standard in all new build homes will not only provide them with a better energy rating than their current central heating systems, it will also mean lower energy bills too.
The price that we pay for energy is constantly on the rise as we use up the finite supplies of our planets resources. As oil becomes scarcer, so our fuel prices rise, affecting everybody with standard heating systems in their homes.
Renewable energy does not run out, so we can keep our costs to a minimum and ensure that we have enough energy to maintain our lifestyles, and that of our children’s children too.
Better For The Local Economy
Renewable energy, unlike oil driven heating systems, means more of our money remains in the UK. We will no longer be as dependent on oil from overseas as we are now. This will give our economy a welcome boost and British companies would be more inclined to invest in renewable energy research too, leading to possible income from exported goods as well.
Building for the future is essential if we are going to continue to enjoy the way we live now, but building without vision would be harmful to many generations to come. That’s why we believe that geothermal technology is the way forward for all of Britain’s new build homes.
About The Author
Sean Casey is the director of Terra Therma, a company that specialises in the installation of green energy solutions, such as underfloor heating and heat pumps.
