As world leaders gather in Glasgow this week for the United Nations Conference of Parties or COP26, the focus on a sustained global response to tackling climate change will be top of their agenda.
One of the C0P26 conference’s main aims is to secure global net-zero, or a balance between the greenhouse gasses pumped into the atmosphere and those taken out, by mid-century in a bid to halt rising temperatures across the world.
Achieving this urgent goal means finding realistic solutions to reducing consumption of fossil fuels, slowing deforestation, moving away from fuel-polluting vehicles and investing in renewable technology.
But acting now to stabilise rising temperatures and protect the future quality of life on earth is not just the responsibility of governments.
Lancaster Park
Belfast housebuilding company, Fraser Millar, is leading the way in Northern Ireland with the ‘future of home-building’ with the development of their £70M Lancaster Park Passivhaus project which features 219 low-energy and near-zero carbon homes. As one of the most environmentally-friendly large-scale projects ever built in the UK or Ireland, the development is already proving popular with home buyers as evidenced when the first released phase sold out within one hour of going on the market last month.
Energy use in buildings is a key contributor to total greenhouse gas emissions. However, innovative construction and heating technologies now offer homeowners lower energy bills and the chance to make informed and ethical consumer choices.
The first steps to supporting planet earth start at home, literally, in the case of Fraser Millar’s development in South Belfast which is the largest ever Passivhaus family home development anywhere in the UK or Ireland, designed by Formative Architects.
Passivhaus homes are built with meticulous attention to detail through an exacting quality assurance process to exceptional standards of airtightness, triple-glazing and are super-insulated, with heat-exchange systems, so that it requires almost no heating, no reliance on fossil fuels and has cleaner air inside than out.
Developer David Millar said: “Fraser Millar has embraced absolute best-practice and the gold standard in home building in this exciting new development. Each home is built with rigorous design and construction according to principles developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany.”
“This will be the first major development in Northern Ireland to boast an EPC A rating. With this new approach, our goal is to consistently cut home heating costs below £500 per year, per house. That represents a saving of approximately £800 for the average home per annum (based on August 21′ NI fuel prices).
“The homes are designed and built to eradicate the reliance on fossil fuel burning boilers for the homeowner, which is good for the pocket and the planet. Additionally, due to the air filtration systems that we are installing, these homes will be extremely heathy and comfortable to live in all year round.”
Homes built to Passivhaus standards can consume up to 90 per cent less energy than older buildings and 75 per cent less energy than the average new build.
As well as the obvious financial savings for homeowners gained from slashing utility bills, Passivhaus building methods will help governments meet emissions-reduction targets, especially in the construction industry. According to a recent United Nations study, sustainable house building will help meet the World Green Building Council’s aim of achieving complete carbon neutrality in home buildings by 2050.
David concluded: “As the issue of climate change becomes a real emergency, we all need to act now. Sometimes that just means thinking differently about how we live and how we utilise the technology of the future. For example, superb insulation in these new homes means running costs will be significantly reduced. We have entirely eradicated the reliance on fossil fuels within our homes as a heating source, and experts agree that is a crucial step in protecting the environment.”
Luckily, supporting the planet and doing your bit to fight climate change does not mean compromising on comfort and quality in your new home.
“We are proud to be setting the standards for Northern Ireland’s greener future in construction and domestic living. When it comes to fighting climate change, our homes may be passive, but Fraser Millar is not. We are proud to be playing our part as pioneers in the future of home building in Northern Ireland.”
Simon Brien, partner at Simon Brien Residential continued: “We have seen unprecedented demand for these homes from the moment they were released, which is a further vote of confidence that today’s home buyer is more discerning in terms of both helping the environment and saving money on running their homes.
“A combination of rising fuel costs, fossil fuel supply issues and a desire to live in more sustainable ways are some of the reasons why buyers are actively seeking houses that deliver on their financial and ethical requirements.
“Homes in Lancaster Park are not only stylish, modern and practical, but they will function like no other home available on the market. This innovative development delivers the future of housebuilding today.
Simon Brien concluded: “The next phase features 3 and 4-bedroom semi-detached and detached dwellings, expected to be released early next year and due for completion in summer 2022. We encourage anyone with an interest to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Located just 15 minutes from Belfast city centre, near the Saintfield Road, the second release of phase one of Lancaster Park’s Passivhaus project is set to attract huge further interest from homeowners who want to invest in a greener future and less expenditure on running their homes.
For further information or to register interest in the next phase at Lancaster Park, due for completion in summer 2022 please get in touch with Simon Brien Residential, www.simonbrien.com –
