Construction work is set to start on 16 energy-saving, low-carbon homes at St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.

The homes are being built by Lovell for Wales & West Housing Association with work on site set to start in April 2009. The £2.25 million development is part of a Welsh Assembly Government pilot scheme to create 'super-green' housing which achieves the higher levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes, the system for measuring the energy efficiency and environmental impact of new housing.

All new housing supported by the Welsh Assembly Government must achieve at least Level 3 of the Code, creating homes which are 25% more energy efficient than most new homes. The new homes at St Athan - 14 houses and two apartments which will all be for affordable rent through Wales & West Housing Association - will go beyond that to achieve Level 4 of the Code meaning they will be over 40% more energy efficient.


Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive of Wales & West Housing Association (WWHA), said: "Wales & West Housing Association is delighted to be working with Lovell on our new Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 social housing development at St Athan.

"This exciting development reinforces WWHA's commitment to supporting the construction industry and local supply chains during today's challenging economic climate, and to developing more high quality, sustainable, affordable housing for Wales."

The new housing is being built using an advanced construction system where the walls and floors are built in factory conditions and then brought to the site - complete with insulation and service ducts incorporated into the system - ready to be assembled. The structurally insulated panel system allows properties to achieve much higher standards of insulation than conventionally-built homes. It also speeds things up: using the WAVE Homes system, a property can be taken to watertight stage in just one day.

Wales & West Housing Association's St Athan social housing development will also incorporate air source heat pumps which are powered electrically and use heat from the atmosphere to warm homes. The Energy Saving Trust calculates that when installed in an electrically heated home, an air source heat pump could save around £870 a year on heating bills and almost six tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

(CD/JM)