The application is the first step in delivering a significant City Deal project in Neath Port Talbot.
“Homes as Power Stations” is being led by Neath Port Talbot Council and is one of the biggest Swansea Bay City Deal projects which could kick start a construction programme with a projected investment of over £500m when the concept is operational across the region.
A site in Neath has been chosen to demonstrate this innovative housing project - a concept where buildings can generate, store and release their own energy, helping to reduce fuel poverty and its impact on health and wellbeing.
The aim is to eventually roll out the concept across the Swansea Bay City Region area to both new housing projects and retrofitting existing homes.
If approved by Councillors, the proposed development will provide 16 new homes on the site of the former Hafod Care Home, Neath, with easy access to shops and local amenities.
There will be eight 2 and 3 bedroom homes and eight 1 bedroom apartments.
Designed to be an exemplar low cost energy positive pilot project, the aim is to show how applying innovative technology including integrated renewable technologies and energy efficient materials to the design, building and operating of such homes can reduce energy consumption and provide a healthier home environment for people.
The application has been made by the Council’s partners Pobl Group supported by SPECIFIC who developed the innovative technology here in Neath Port Talbot, putting Wales at the forefront of global renewable energy technology.
Based on Baglan Energy Park, SPECIFIC is a national Innovation and Knowledge Centre, led by Swansea University with strategic industrial partners including Tata Steel. SPECIFIC works with a wide range of partners from academia, industry and government to turn ‘buildings into power stations’ that can generate, store and release solar energy.
If approved, work on the pilot development is expected to start at the end of 2017 / early 2018.
Councillor Rob Jones, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said:
“One of the key drivers of the Swansea Bay City Deal and an energising Valley Taskforce priority is to establish our region as a pioneer and leader in energy, health, manufacturing and creative technologies
“The “Homes as Power Stations” concept has the potential to make a huge contribution to addressing energy efficiency and fuel poverty, and in turn improve the wellbeing of the people in our communities.
“We also want to see the benefits of what is developed locally exploited locally and this project in particular would not only safeguard and create thousands of jobs in our construction industry, but develop a highly technologically advanced and skilled large scale supply chain.
“City Deals are long term plans but I am very pleased to see that our partners have worked quickly to get to this first step in delivering what is one of the biggest city deal projects.”
Elfed Roberts, Head of Projects Pobl Group said:
“Pobl is very pleased and excited to be working on this innovative housing project in Neath. The project would enable us for the first time to demonstrate the benefits that the latest technologies can bring to affordable housing developments, and to drastically reduce Fuel Poverty and Carbon emissions.
“We are aiming to achieve homes that feel homely and pleasant to live in, but that also generate most of their energy needs from the roof and wall coverings; thus dramatically reducing the bills for our tenants. The latest solar power technologies will be seamlessly integrated into the external walls and roofs of the homes, along with the latest battery technologies for storing electricity. Much of our design work is being informed by our partnership with SPECIFIC, based in nearby Baglan, who have considerable expertise in the latest building technologies.
“Ultimately Pobl wants this type of project to become the norm for both rented and owner-occupied housing. Crucially, we are aiming for a future where the manufacturing of the materials and components for these homes will be sourced locally from within the County of Neath Port Talbot and South Wales.”
Kevin Bygate, Chief Executive Officer, at SPECIFIC said:
“We are proud to have supported Pobl in the development of this landmark housing development. Not only will these houses be comfortable and affordable to run, but collectively they have the potential to reduce stress on the local electricity grid. Building thousands of houses like this removes the need to build new power stations.”
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Y cais yw'r cam cyntaf i gyflwyno prosiect Bargen Ddinesig o bwys yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot.
Arweinir "Cartrefi fel Pwerdai" gan Gyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot fel un o brosiectau mwyaf Bargen Ddinesig Bae Abertawe a allai roi hwb i raglen adeiladu gyda buddsoddiad arfaethedig o dros £500m pan fydd y cysyniad ar waith yn y rhanbarth.
Mae safle yng Nghastell-nedd wedi cael ei ddewis i ddangos y prosiect cartrefi arloesol hwn - cysyniad lle gall adeiladau gynhyrchu, storio a rhyddhau eu hynni eu hunain, gan helpu i leihau tlodi tanwydd a'i effaith ar iechyd a lles.
Y nod yn y pen draw fydd estyn y cysyniad ar draws ardal Dinas-ranbarth Bae Abertawe ar gyfer prosiectau tai newydd yn ogystal ag ôl-ffitio tai presennol.
Os caiff ei gymeradwyo gan gynghorwyr, bydd y datblygiad arfaethedig yn darparu 16 cartref newydd ar safle hen Gartref Gofal yr Hafod, Castell-nedd, gyda mynediad hwylus i'r siopau a chyfleusterau lleol.
Bydd wyth ty 2 a 3 ystafell wely ac wyth fflat 1 ystafell wely.
Wedi'i ddylunio i fod yn enghraifft dda o brosiect peilot ynni cadarnhaol, rhad, y bwriad yw dangos sut mae defnyddio technoleg arloesol gan gynnwys technolegau adnewyddadwy integredig a deunyddiau ynni effeithlon i ddylunio, adeiladu a gweithredu'r cartrefi hyn, yn gallu lleihau'r defnydd o ynni a darparu amgylchedd iachach i bobl yn y cartref.
Cyflwynwyd y cais gan bartneriaid y cyngor 'Pobl Group' gyda chefnogaeth SPECIFIC a ddatblygodd y dechnoleg arloesol yma yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot, gan roi Cymru ar flaen y gad o ran technoleg ynni adnewyddadwy byd-eang.
Yn seiliedig ym Mharc Ynni Baglan, mae SPECIFIC yn Ganolfan Arloesedd a Gwybodaeth genedlaethol, a arweinir gan Brifysgol Abertawe gyda phartneriaid strategol diwydiannol yn cynnwys Tata Steel. Mae SPECIFIC yn gweithio gydag ystod eang o bartneriaid o'r byd academaidd, diwydiant a'r llywodraeth i droi adeiladau'n bwerdai sy'n gallu cynhyrchu, storio a rhyddhau ynni solar.
Os caiff ei gymeradwyo, mae disgwyl i waith ar y datblygiad peilot ddechrau ar ddiwedd 2017/ddechrau 2018.
Meddai'r Cynghorydd Rob Jones, Arweinydd Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot,
"Un o ysgogwyr allweddol Bargen Ddinesig Bae Abertawe a blaenoriaeth bywiogi Tasglu'r Cymoedd yw sefydlu ein rhanbarth fel arloeswr ac arweinydd ym meysydd ynni, iechyd, gweithgynhyrchu a thechnolegau creadigol.
Mae gan y cysyniad "Cartrefi fel Pwerdai" y potensial i wneud cyfraniad enfawr wrth fynd i'r afael ag effeithlonrwydd ynni a thlodi tanwydd, ac o ganlyniad, wella lles y bobl yn ein cymunedau.
"Rydym hefyd eisiau gweld y gymuned leol yn manteisio ar y buddion lleol hyn, a byddai'r prosiect hwn nid yn unig diogelu ac yn creu miloedd o swyddi yn ein diwydiant adeiladu, ond byddai'n datblygu cadwyn gyflenwi enfawr sydd ar flaen y gad yn dechnolegol.
"Mae Bargeinion Dinesig yn gynlluniau tymor hir ond rwy'n falch gweld bod ein partneriaid wedi gweithio'n gyflym i gyrraedd y cam cyntaf hwn wrth gyflawni un o brosiectau mwyaf y fargen ddinesig."
Meddai Elfed Roberts, Pennaeth Prosiectau Pobl Group,
"Mae Pobl yn falch ac yn edrych ymlaen at weithio ar y prosiect cartrefi arloesol hwn yng Nghastell-nedd. Am y tro cyntaf byddai'r prosiect yn ein galluogi i ddangos y buddion y gall y technolegau diweddaraf roi i ddatblygiadau tai fforddiadwy, ac i leihau tlodi tanwydd ac allyriadau carbon yn sylweddol.
"Rydym yn ceisio cael cartrefi sy'n teimlo'n gartrefol ac yn bleserus i fyw ynddynt, ond sydd hefyd yn cynhyrchu'r rhan fwyaf o'u hanghenion ynni o'r to a'r gorchuddion wal; felly mae'n lleihau biliau ein tenantiaid yn aruthrol. Bydd y technolegau ynni solar diweddaraf yn cael eu hintegreiddio'n berffaith yn waliau allanol a thoeon y cartrefi, yn ogystal â'r technolegau batri diweddaraf ar gyfer storio trydan. Mae llawer o'n gwaith dylunio'n cael ei gyfeirio gan ein partneriaeth â SPECIFIC, sydd ym Maglan gerllaw, y mae ganddynt arbenigedd sylweddol yn y technolegau adeiladu diweddaraf.
"Yn y pen draw mae Pobl eisiau'r math hwn o brosiect i fod yn gyffredin i gartrefi sy'n cael eu rhentu neu sydd â pherchnogion preswyl. Yn y bôn, rydym yn bwriadu cael dyfodol lle byddwn yn cynhyrchu'r deunyddiau a'r cydrannau ar gyfer y cartrefi hyn yn lleol yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot a de Cymru."
Meddai Kevin Bygate, Prif Weithredwr SPECIFIC,
"Rydym yn falch o gefnogi Pobl wrth ddatblygu'r cynllun cartrefi arloesol hwn. Bydd y tai hyn yn gyfforddus ac yn fforddiadwy i'w cynnal, ond ar y cyd gallant leihau straen ar y grid trydan.Mae adeiladu miloedd o dai fel hyn yn cael gwared ar yr angen i adeiladu pwerdai newydd."
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