Marshalls’ Tegula Priora paving has been selected as the low carbon material of choice for the innovative new concept house, eHome2.
Chosen as a sustainable, SuDs compliant permeable solution, Tegula Priora has now been installed at the world-leading Energy House 2.0 facility at Salford University.
View a time lapse installation video here:
eHome2 is a three-bedroom family home built by Barratt Developments and Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, built inside the Energy House 2.0 facility which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. For the next six months, the house will undergo rigorous whole-building testing to examine thermal performance, energy efficiency, running costs and comfort as well as its ability to cope with extreme climatic events.
eHome2 will be submitted to a range of climatic conditions, including rain, wind, snow and solar radiation, with scientists being able to create constant temperatures ranging from -20 degrees to +40 degrees centigrade. The simulated weather conditions anticipate the future impacts of climate change. By controlling the environment, researchers can gather in just a few weeks, data that would take months, or even years, to collate on a live building site.
Results of tests will help inform how the residential sector will design and build low carbon housing at scale, to meet requirements of the 2025 Future Homes Standards, through the use of sustainable building materials and off-site solutions.
The EPC A-rated eHome2 is operationally net zero carbon and features a range of building materials from Saint-Gobain, Marshalls and several other sustainable building brands.
Tom Cox, Technical and Development Director for Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions, said: “eHome2 is the coming together of industry and academia to provide workable solutions in the fight against climate change and the need to deliver modern, zero carbon homes at scale and at speed. It represents a significant investment in the future of UK housing and reflects Saint-Gobain’s commitment to make the world a better home through light and sustainable construction, addressing the needs of tomorrow, today.”
Professor Will Swan, Director of Energy House Labs at the University of Salford, said: “The growing challenges of climate change and the cost-of-living crisis mean we need to consider how we build and operate our homes. Energy House Labs’ mission is to work with industry and policy makers to provide evidence for what works in meeting these challenges.
“Energy efficient, high performing homes can change people’s lives. The importance of this agenda is one of the main reasons behind the University of Salford’s major investment in Energy House 2.0, which is a critical piece of research infrastructure that can help us find solutions to these problems.”
The built environment accounts for 40% of the UK’s carbon footprint. The Future Homes and Building Standard will require CO2 emissions produced by new homes to be 75-80% lower than those built to current regulations. Projects such as eHome2 help drive innovation and create a blueprint for homes of the future.
Click here to find out more about Tegula Priora paving, or to order a sample.
For further information on the ehome2 project, visit www.saint-gobain.co.uk/eHome2.