We're proud to launch a zero carbon ready homes trial of five prototypes on a ‘live’ development site.
We are proud to announce the launch of our flagship zero carbon ready homes trial, the industry’s first research concept testing low carbon technologies through multi-specification prototype homes on a live development site. The innovative trial seeks to demonstrate how the industry can deliver homes compliant with the incoming Future Home Standard (‘FHS’) in different ways through varying combinations of technologies. The launch is a major milestone following the recent publication of Taylor Wimpey’s Net Zero Transition Plan.
The five trial prototype homes, located at Taylor Wimpey’s development site in Sudbury, Suffolk, combine an array of innovative, low carbon technologies. The homes have been expertly designed to ensure they can be sold and lived in, and that the new technologies work seamlessly for customers’ living requirements.
Zero carbon ready
Reaching the UK’s target to be net zero carbon by 2050 requires big changes across the economy, including the nation’s homes and developments. Ahead of implementation of the FHS from 2025, the prototype homes trial aims to find solutions that will enable Taylor Wimpey to build high quality, zero carbon ready homes that are deliverable at scale. Taylor Wimpey will collate customer feedback on the new homes, ensuring the business maintains its high standards of build quality and that the green technologies are easy and efficient to use in everyday living.
As part of the trial, Taylor Wimpey is challenging itself as well as its supply chain partners, and working closely with engineers and energy experts, to introduce the most cutting-edge products into the homes to meet the requirements of FHS. The five homes will be 100% electric with triple glazing and enhanced building fabric to reduce heat loss. Inside, Taylor Wimpey is testing a range of energy-efficient and low carbon technologies including various air source heat pumps, heat pump cylinders, electric panel heating, smart cylinders, Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR), Waste Water Heat Recovery (WWHR), underfloor heating, ‘thermaskirt’ heated skirting boards, infrared radiant heating, sleek photovoltaic solar systems, innovative battery storage and EV Charging. These measures will radically reduce the carbon emissions and footprint of the homes.
Building zero carbon ready homes at scale will require a generational step change in the way homes are built as well as the way people use their homes to ensure. The launch of the trial on a live site is a critical part of accurately assessing performance criteria through the full development lifecycle: from concept to customer experience. Completion of the five trial plots is expected in the coming weeks. The site will include a dedicated educational hub, which will showcase the approach, low carbon technologies and materials used as part of the pilot.
“The launch of our zero carbon ready homes at Sudbury marks an important milestone in helping us identify the best ways to reduce the energy intensity of our homes as well as identifying the challenges that will need to be overcome to do so at scale. This is a critical step in our journey to ensure we deliver on the UK’s net zero ambitions as well as deliver the new homes the country desperately needs. The introduction of the Future Homes Standard and the UK’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2050 requires big changes across the economy, including to our homes and developments. We have set out our Net Zero roadmap, which will ensure Taylor Wimpey reaches net zero five year ahead of the government’s target. We are proud to be collaborating with our supply chain partners through the full lifecycle of this trial development - from concept to customer experience - to create a sustainable blueprint for delivering customer-focused, zero carbon ready homes that are deliverable at scale. The learning outcomes for our business through the early stages of this trial have already been huge from a design, technical and production perspective and are rapidly advancing the skills and knowledge required to design, build and sell these next generation homes.”
Jennie Daly, Chief Executive
