Construction is underway on the first major housing development in the UK to use the futuristic “Active Buildings” solar power concept.
The 16 homes, on the site of a former care home off Wenham Place in Neath, have been designed to maximise solar gain and will use a combination of innovative technologies to allow the homes to generate, store and release their own energy.
The Active Homes Neath project is a partnership between Neath Port Talbot Borough Council, housing organisation Pobl Group and Swansea University’s SPECIFIC Innovation & Knowledge Centre based at the Baglan Energy Park.
The scheme – comprising eight apartments and eight houses - is also designed as a pathfinder project for a much bigger “Homes as Power Stations” regional programme of activity that’s due to be part funded subject to business case approval by the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Deal.
The Homes as Power Stations project will enable homes and other buildings to generate, store and release their own energy, thanks to an extensive planned programme of new-build, hi-tech homes along with retrofitting works that can make conventional homes self-powering.
The ‘Active Buildings’ concept, developed by SPECIFIC, includes integrated photovoltaic panels on the roofs and a solar heat collector on south-facing walls for water heating. Batteries will store excess energy for subsequent use, while waste heat will be captured and recycled within the home’s ventilation system.
Councillor Rob Jones, the Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said: ”The construction of these self-powering homes is fantastic for this region as it puts us at the cutting edge of new green energy technologies and uses local skills, local workers and is linked to locally based businesses like Tata Steel.
“It is also aimed at kick-starting the wider Homes as Power Stations project which could make the Swansea Bay region a key player in developing self-powering homes, offices and other buildings.”
The development is being funded by the Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme and Social Housing Grant as well as private finance.
Once completed, the performance of the Active Homes in Neath will be monitored by the Department of Business, Energy, Industrial Strategy (BEIS) monitoring programme.
Elfed Roberts, Head of Development (West) at Pobl explained how the technologies could benefit the lives of the residents: “As a low carbon development Active Homes Neath will explore how reduced energy consumption can have a positive impact on consumers’ health and wellbeing; through the decrease in numbers of people experiencing fuel poverty, for example.”
Kevin Bygate, CEO of SPECIFIC added “Homes like these, if built in large numbers, could play a significant part in combatting Britain’s predicted energy crisis by both reducing household energy bills and taking the pressure off the energy system.”
The new homes in Neath are being built by South Wales-based construction company TRJ.
Video tour link: http://specific.eu.com/assets/animation/POBL-AHN/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mae gwaith adeiladu yn dechrau ar gartrefi a fydd yn cynhyrchu, storio a rhyddhau eu hynni eu hunain
Mae gwaith adeiladu ar y gweill yng Nghastell-nedd ar y datblygiad tai mawr cyntaf yn y DU i ddefnyddio'r cysyniad ynni haul 'Adeiladau Gweithredol'.
Mae'r 16 cartref, ar safle cartref gofal blaenorol, wedi'u cynllunio i wneud y mwyaf o ynni haul a byddant yn defnyddio cyfuniad o dechnolegau arloesol i ganiatáu i'r cartrefi gynhyrchu, storio a rhyddhau eu hynni eu hunain.
Mae'r prosiect Adeiladau Gweithredol Castell-Nedd yn bartneriaeth rhwng y sefydliad tai Grwp Pobl, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Castell-nedd Port Talbot a Chanolfan Arloesi a Gwybodaeth SPECIFIC Prifysgol Abertawe.
Mae'r cysyniad 'Adeiladau Actif', a ddatblygwyd gan SPECIFIC, yn cynnwys paneli ffotofoltäig integredig ar y toeau a chasglydd gwres solar ar waliau sy'n wynebu'r de ar gyfer gwresogi dwr. Bydd batris yn storio ynni dros ben i'w ddefnyddio wedyn, tra bydd gwres gwastraff yn cael ei gipio a'i ailgylchu o fewn system awyru'r cartref.
Esboniodd Elfed Roberts, Pennaeth Datblygu (Gorllewin) ym Mhobl sut y gallai'r technolegau fod o fudd i fywydau'r trigolion: "Fel datblygiad carbon isel, bydd Cartrefi Gweithredol Castell Nedd yn archwilio sut y gall llai o ddefnydd o ynni gael effaith gadarnhaol ar iechyd a lles defnyddwyr; trwy'r gostyngiad yn nifer y bobl sy'n dioddef tlodi tanwydd, er enghraifft."
Ychwanegodd Kevin Bygate, Prif Swyddog Gweithredol SPECIFIC "Gallai cartrefi fel y rhain, os bydant yn cael eu hadeiladu mewn niferoedd mawr, chwarae rhan sylweddol o ran brwydro yn erbyn yr argyfwng ynni a ragwelir ym Mhrydain trwy leihau biliau ynni cartrefi a chymryd y pwysau oddi ar y system ynni. Cartrefi Gweithredol Castell Nedd fydd y datblygiad cyntaf i gyflwyno'r dyluniad hwn i gartrefi, gan ddefnyddio model y gellir ei ailadrodd a'i ddatblygu mewn mannau eraill."
Mae'r wyth ty ac wyth fflat ar y datblygiad hefyd wedi'u cynllunio i fod yn fenter fraenaru ar gyfer y prosiect llawer mwy Cartrefi fel Gorsafoedd Pwer ar draws Dinas Ranbarth Bae Abertawe sydd i gael ei ariannu'n rhannol, yn amodol ar gymeradwyaeth achos busnes, gan y Fargen Ddinesig Bae Abertawe werth £1.3 biliwn.
Mae'r cartrefi newydd yn cael eu hadeiladu gan y cwmni adeiladu o dde Cymru, TRJ.
Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Rob Jones, Arweinydd Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot: "Mae adeiladu'r cartrefi hunan-bweru hyn yn wych i'r rhanbarth hon gan ei fod yn ein gosod ar flaen y gad ar gyfer technolegau ynni gwyrdd newydd a mae'n defnyddio sgiliau lleol, gweithwyr lleol ac mae'n gysylltiedig â busnesau lleol megis Tata Steel.
"Hefyd mae wedi'i anelu at gychwyn y prosiect ehangach Cartrefi fel Gorsafoedd Pwer a allai wneud rhanbarth Bae Abertawe yn chwaraewr allweddol o ran datblygu cartrefi, swyddfeydd ac adeiladau eraill sy'n hunan-bweru."
Mae'r datblygiad yn cael ei gyllido gan Raglen Tai Arloesol Llywodraeth Cymru a Grant Tai Cymdeithasol yn ogystal â chyllid preifat.
Ar ôl ei gwblhau, bydd perfformiad y Cartrefi Gweithredol yng Nghastell-nedd yn cael ei fonitro gan raglen fonitro'r Yr Adran Busnes, Ynni, Strategaeth Ddiwydiannol (BEIS).
http://specific.eu.com/assets/animation/POBL-AHN/
More stories