Innovation delivers net zero carbon homes
IN 2014 MAKAR completed four homes at Flodderty, near Strathpeffer, for the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust. The homes consisted of two semi-detached blocks of three bedroomed homes, built using MAKAR’S offsite manufactured low impact sustainable N-SIP closed panels system.
To benchmark the environmental impact of the development a lifecycle assessment was implemented. Working with researchers at the University of East Anglia, with funding from the TSB Innovation Voucher Scheme, a study of the carbon footprint of the development was undertaken. The carbon footprint included embodied carbon and carbon sequestered in the homes.
Working collaboratively throughout the build process a comprehensive body of data was collated that formed the basis of this embodied carbon study. Main findings showed the MAKAR homes at Fodderty were found to have a total embodied carbon of 26.5tco2e per home.
This was lower than comparable studies which suggested the embodied carbon of a new home to be approximately 35 – 50 tco2e.
The development at Fodderty was found to have an embodied carbon of 309kgco2e m2 and 89 per cent of carbon associated with the development construction was derived from the materials used. Interestingly the 309 kg Co2 / SQM total embodied carbon is almost at the original RIBA Climate Challenge 2030 target of 300 kg Co2 – which has since been watered down as it was deemed unachievable!
According to MAKAR’S Neil Sutherland, nowadays it is possible to deliver carbon-negative energy positive homes – homes remove carbon from the biosphere while generating more energy than they use.
THE CARBON CONUNDRUM
House building involves embodied carbon and operational carbon. The former,
referred to usefully as ‘up-front carbon’ refers to the carbon dioxide (CO2) which is released during the sourcing, manufacture, and transport of materials: operational carbon refers to the level of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses released during the life of the building, for example through heating, lighting, and maintenance.
Net zero carbon is about balancing
carbon emissions with carbon removal – or simply eliminating carbon emissions altogether from sequestrated carbon locked up for at least seven generations in timber-rich homes.
MAKAR delivers net zero carbon homes with timber-based systems and off-site construction. No alternative construction methods can meet this net zero carbon requirement.