Sigma prototype home challenges current thinking on sustainable homes
Next week, at Insite 09, Stewart Milne Group will share the learnings and outcomes of the evaluation of its Sigma prototype home. Sigma is a pair of four-storey, four bedroom townhouses that are rated 5-star, near zero carbon and meet the new code for sustainable housing regulations in England.
One home has been completed, decorated and furnished to illustrate how well suited it is to modern day family living and the second home has deliberately been left empty to enable visitors to see the technology, features and flexibility of design of the SIGMA prototype home.
The two year research project, carried out in partnership with Oxford Brookes University and the Energy Savings Trust, included a real-life family living in the house in four separate tranches. Outcomes have challenged current thinking and informed Stewart Milne Group’s plans for developing sustainable homes for the future.
Theresearch project includes ’real-life’ evaluation of the prototype home. The experience of living in the home provided Stewart Milne Group with vital feedback to improve the sustainable design of their homes and to consider the usability of the new technologies.
With zero carbon homes requiring more technology than current UK homes, the Group are keen to understand how technologies need to be simplified to meet the expectations of consumers and ensure that the operation of the home is simple, straightforward and practical.
John Slater, MD of Stewart Milne Homes, said: “The prototype Sigma Home is to be operated as a fully functioning family home and researchers at Oxford Brookes University will analyse the results as part of our ongoing drive to bring these environmentally friendly homes to market. We are working to understand how consumers use technology and how we can simplify the new technologies so every member of the family can use them with confidence.”
Oxford Brookes researchers carried out a number of evaluations on the Sigma Home including:
Building Performance Monitoring: To evaluate air temperature, air quality, air movement, relative humidity and water consumption.
Co-Heating Test: To assess the actual fabric performance of the home compared to the design performance.
Post Occupancy Evaluation: To evaluate the occupancy behaviour within the house and correlate these with the building performance characteristics.
The Sigma Home utilises renewable energy by heating hot water from solar panels and generates electricity from roof-mounted turbines and photovoltaics. It achieves 100 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from space and water heating and lighting needs, through excellent thermal performance, air tightness, good solar design and the integration of solar thermal, photovoltaic - 'PV' - and micro-wind generation, renewable technologies.
A passive cooling stack and 'whole house' mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system controls temperature by sucking in warm air as its rises. A heat sensor opens and closes a window at the top of the stack to manage the optimum temperature, of the home. Superior high performance timber windows and high levels of insulation through the wall, floor and roof elements provide a thermal performance, ten times better than current Building Regulation requirements.
Water consumption is also low- just 80 litres per person per day. This is achieved through an in-built internal grey water recycling system and water conserving features. All the timber and timber products are from managed sustainable sources and all lighting is low energy.
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Related categories: Environmental technologies for Residential and Green homes Insulation Solar power and photovoltaics Waste water recycling Water conservation and supply Wind power
