A zero-carbon concept home launched by Barratt Developments based upon the popular ‘Alderney’ house-type will have its occupants monitored to assess its performance, with guidance from the University of Salford to guarantee the house can function within the real world.

They will be one of the first Housebuilders to produce this type of new home in the country to go alongside their announcement that by 2030 all their new homes will be zero carbon.

Z House will be an industry showcase home to help broaden the understanding and knowledge of how these properties can be built. Infrared panels and new air-powered showers will be featured in the house, alongside electronic taps and plaster that generates cleaner and healthier air, decreasing homeowners’ water and heating bills. The cutting-edge technology also includes a fridge that helps to reduce food wastage by 60%, thanks to its ability to keep the proper humidity. The usage of ready, highly insulated, cladded closed panel timber frames, with factory fitted windows and offsite masonry ground floor wall panels will also cut the construction time by half and reduce labor costs.

The kitchen cabinets are made from 100% recycled chipboards and the house will feature a biodiversity garden that will provide nests for bats, a wildlife pond, hedgehog highways and a green wall. Barratts way of promoting wildlife and nature, with the garden achieving a gold rating from RSPB.

To achieve this next step, the developers are partnering up with a variety of different companies, for example British Gypsum, GTC and Nissan to name a few.

Professor William Swan, Director of Energy House Laboratories at The University of Salford said: “We are pleased to be working with Barratt Developments and their partners on the Z House and continue to expand the University’s ground breaking research and innovation into low carbon technologies within the built environment sector. Our leading Energy House Laboratories are in close proximity to the house and will play a pivotal role in exploring the energy performance of this industry-first home making a vital contribution to the future of housebuilding in the UK.”

David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt, said: “We want to showcase what can be done to deliver zero carbon living using the latest technologies and working with the best industry partners. Ultimately, the aim is to find solutions to enable the industry to build high quality, zero carbon homes that customers love, at scale. We can then share this knowledge to help the industry deliver the future of sustainable housing.”