Malmesbury Gardens, Swindon

The properties, designed by  Architect Nigel Grainge of HEARTHuk a part of the NPS and conforming to the requirements of Level 5 in the Code for Sustainable Homes, the new development at Malmesbury Gardens consists of two, three and four bedroomed houses to a pleasantly traditional design that conceals the amount of new technology that has gone into the remarkable energy conserving and generating qualities they contain.

Allied to the very latest insulation techniques including innovative "hemcrete" external walls, the homes have photovoltaic panels for generating electricity and solar panels to partly provide the hot water that is stored at the comparatively low temperature ideal for underfloor heating. The energy conserving features and particularly the ultimate reduction of emissions to achieve "zero carbon" status, are completed by the inclusion of an exhaust air recycling process designed by NIBE Energy Systems and powered by a NIBE F410 Heat Pump. The theory behind NIBE exhaust air is remarkably simple. The air, carbon rich and fully heated by the ufch plus background warmth from human and other sources, is harvested at roof level before it reaches the "vented void" ventilation system in the house's roof. This heat is passed down to the NIBE F410 unit where a sophisticated and super-efficient heat exchange process squeezes every last vestige of energy from the exhaust air and raising its temperature by compression before feeding it back to boost the hot water system. The final emissions into the outside atmosphere are at a temperature very close to freezing and therefore, virtually free of CO2 and other harmful gases.

Early reactions from the residents of Malmesbury Gardens to their new homes are very positive. As an example Nikolai Stone and his partner Helen, who have moved from a one bedroomed flat, report that their monthly electricity bill has shrunk from £50 down to £30 despite the fact that they now have efficient underfloor heating and a very much larger home. "The fact that the bills are so low will help a lot of tenants" said Nikolai, "But it's also great that we are living in a house that is so environmentally friendly". The "zero carbon" rating is also very much to the liking of Swindon Council, who benefited from a major grant from the HCA and of the Government itself who provide such funding to aid local authorities in achieving the major carbon savings that are necessary if the UK is to achieve its stated emission targets.