New solar batteries will help North Lanarkshire Council tackle fuel poverty

That is the view of Arc-Tech (Scotland) Managing Director, john Gallacher, whose company is responsible for the installation of north Lanarkshire Council’s first solar battery storage units at the Holehills Regeneration in Airdrie.

Located on Dykehead Road northeast of the town centre, 150 two- and threebedroom homes for social rent are replacing a series of multi-storey flatted blocks as part of the Council’s target to build 5,000 new homes across the local authority region by 2035.

Of the 150 homes, 19 are being delivered to a piloted net zero carbon standard of build that has been developed by main contractor, CCG (Scotland), with the support of Arc-Tech who specialise in the delivery of Mechanical & electrical (M&e) services and the design and installation of renewable energy systems. each net zero home has its own battery storage unit; known as the ‘Powerwall’, it is supplied by the world-renowned car-maker and clean energy company, Tesla. john Gallacher, Arc-Tech (Scotland) Managing Director, says: “Arc-Tech is one of the few companies that are certified to install these hugely innovative solar battery storage units, alongside eV connector points, on behalf of Tesla in Scotland. It is an exciting time for renewable tech; the system in place here is incredibly intuitive and, when combined with excellent fabric performance characteristics, it will go a long way to supporting residents during this prevailing cost-of-living crisis.” north Lanarkshire Council, Housing Convener, Councillor Heather BrannanMcVey, adds: “I’m delighted to see our first net zero homes available for tenants here in north Lanarkshire. These homes reaffirm our commitment to embracing and investing in new technology that improves energy efficiency and comforts for our tenants, reduces emissions and consumption while minimising fuel poverty.”

The battery links to solar PV panels installed on the roof, which capture energy from the sun during daylight hours. under normal circumstances, the occupier will only benefit if the energy is used at the time of generation, however, if it is not, the energy is exported to the national Grid.

Rather than losing out on energy being lost, the battery retains energy for later use, even during a power outage, which allows the occupier to benefit from variable tariffs during the evening.

The combination of the renewable energy system and the enhanced built form delivers a minimum energy Performance Rating of 104 (A) — the average rating in Scotland is 61 (D) — representing significant betterment for the occupier and the environment.

Dykehead Road is supported by a grant funding contribution of £9.7m from the Scottish Government and is due for completion later this year.

Bromford secures planning permission

Housing association Bromford has secured planning permission for its biggest-ever land led site in Gloucestershire. Tewkesbury Borough Council finalised its approval for the construction of 100 new homes at Bromford’s 16.8 acre site at Delavale Road in Winchcombe.

The development will comprise 50 affordable homes for rent and shared ownership, and 50 homes for outright sale. Homes will range in size from one-bedroom flats to five-bedroom houses, some of which will have dedicated home office space to encourage flexible working. A number of new trees will be planted across the site, which also includes a play area, while a new pedestrian and cycle link will be created to link the new homes to nearby Mercia Road.

Matt Batham, Head of Pre-Construction at Bromford says: “By providing 50% affordable housing on the site, this development will give more local people the opportunity to stay living in the area who otherwise couldn’t afford to live in the town. This is the biggest site we have purchased so far and forms part of our strategy of increasing the amount of land we buy and develop ourselves.”

Energy-efficient retirement living scheme

Good progress is being made on the development of a new energy-efficient retirement living scheme in the Northumberland village of Ponteland.Karbon Homes’ £5.5m ‘Athol House’ scheme on Callerton Lane will provide 34, much-needed affordable apartments for over 55s, with one- and two-bed homes available for a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership.

The scheme is being constructed by EQUANS and will benefit from a communal green heating system, powered by commercial air source heat pumps, which will supply the communal areas of the scheme and each apartment with underfloor heating and hot water.

Zoey Hawthorne, Assistant Director of Development Delivery at Karbon Homes, says: “We’re delighted to bring these much-needed apartments to Ponteland and have worked hard to create a scheme which meets the needs of the local community. We’re particularly excited about the inclusion of a low carbon heating system, which will not only help residents save money on their energy bills but will also significantly reduce carbon emissions produced by the scheme.”