How are the homes designed to keep warm?
The development has, as one of its main criteria, a requirement for extremely low energy consumption. This has led to a design in which there is an absolutely minimal need for space heating, thus eliminating altogether the need for capital expenditure and ongoing maintenance for a heating system. The houses therefore have no central heating system or any other form of secondary heating. The houses are of a high thermal mass construction, which is able to store and release heat energy over a long period of time, thus maintaining a stable internal temperature somewhat akin to a storage heater. As air temperature drops heat is released. The materials that provide the bulk of the thermal mass are concrete blockwork, concrete beams and clay tiles. The energy to heat the houses comes from the sun, human body heat and electrical appliances. For more detail see HHP Technical Factsheets TF2: Choice of Materials (In construction) & TF3: Thermal Design & Energy Conservation. Copies can be purchas
