ZEDHomes - 100% powered by renewables
ZEDHomes (Zero Energy Developments) do exactly what they say on the tin. By combining innovative design with existing technology, ZED builds self-powered homes and offices that make zero demands on non-renewable energy. All the energy that is required for a ZEDHomes' developments are met by on-site energy sources, which means they produce more energy than they use. Come on – that is spectacular. I’m also impressed that when they say carbon neutral, they don’t mean offsetting a couple of percent of their carbon footprint by some cheap wind farm stunt. This is real carbon neutrality.
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Using some seriously good technology, all heat and electricity are produced from renewables by either Combined Heat and Power Units (CHP) or bio-mass boilers. CHPs are fuelled by waste timber from local tree surgery, tree waste which would normally be dumped in landfill sites. ZED also use solar and are so confident in their efficiency that when the electricity demand is less than the solar array is generating they sell the surplus electricity to the mains electricity company. They also use ground source heating, a neat trick using the earth's relatively constant ground temperature by converting large amounts of latent heat into smaller amounts of high heat, which can be used to warm buildings. With the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions estimating that an extra 3.8 million new homes will be needed in the UK by 2016 ZED think that the Government should build them their way – I’m inclined to agree.
