Housing Project Sees Electricity Generated By Solar Panels And Cooking Oil
A zero carbon housing development is close to completion in Derby where electricity is generated from solar panels and cooking oil to help cut energy bills and increase efficiency.
Some of the most advanced technology has been used in a new housing project due to be completed in Derby. The project has cost over £1 million and is the city’s most environmentally sustainable building.
The development of nine flats is able to collect over 9,000 litres of waste water so that it can be re-used and also features hard-core heat storage. The electricity for the houses is generated from cooking oil and solar panels.
Half of the funding for the project came from East Midlands Development Agency while developer Chris Perkins of East Midlands Renewable Energy put up the remainder. The project is a partnership of a number of organisations including East Midlands Renewable Energy, Aggregate Industries, the Litchfield Group and Loughborough University.
Mr Perkins said the project had been a challenge and a number of difficulties had to be overcome. He said “Limits on the amount of water that can be used made baths impractical, so there are wetrooms instead”.
Not only that but in order to ensure wheelchair access bathrooms had to be made bigger and as much of the project was funded by public money work had to go out to tender which slowed the development down.
Once tenants move into the buildings (homes will be available to let or buy) energy usage will be monitored using a building management system.
Mr Perkins said the main aim of the project was to see if the technology used in the building worked as well in practice as it did in theory.
At a time when both domestic and business electricity prices are rising it’s good to see new developments using technology to cut energy bills and re-use resources such as water. This technology could be adapted for use in businesses as well as other housing projects. It will be interesting to see whether or not the technology used in the project works as well in practice as it does in theory.