The Lighthouse: UK’s First Zero Emission Home June 13, 2007
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Hats off to all those green-aware people that have made their own efforts to create greener homes. As a tech-head, gadgets and green are not often the most comfortable bedfellows in my house but I try my best.
Now, big business is embracing the green with builder Kingspan showing off what it claims is the first zero emission home. A striking two and a half-storey, two bedroom house, The Lighthouse loses 60% less heat than a regular home and is the first to attain level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. As expected there are solar panels - the whole rook actually - and a biomass boiler at the heart of the home. There's also a rainwater collection system as standard. The downside is that will cost 40% more to build than regular home.
On the energy front though the annual electricity bill will be just £31 – as opposed to the current average of £500. I like it already. Check out the photo blog journal of the real thing here. -Martin Lynch
Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
Comments
It's great, but the chance of houses like these gaining planning permission in the UK is?
It seems if you're surrounded by ugly buildings, the planners would rather you build another ugly building than anything slightly different which might also be good for the environment.