Holmes Planning is the Harrogate District’s specialist Land Promoter.

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HOLMES Planning ‘A Healthy Way of Living’. 2021

 

PASSIVHAUS

The developments are designed to reduce both the extent and the impacts of climate change; they will be zero-carbon developments and will meet the highest technically feasible environmental standards during construction and occupation. The homes will reduce carbon dioxide emissions through a range of measures.

These standards help the self-builders to demonstrate the high quality of their homes, and provide a standard to which they must build or commission their home. There will be a framework of rules and standards that defines the nature and delivery of the homes across the developments.

Passivhaus Design and Certification measures will reduce the need for heating, cooling and ventilation systems and minimise reliance on artificial lighting through design solutions, such as siting, layout, landscaping, and building orientation and massing, in order to maximise sunlight and daylight and avoid overshadowing.

Our homes will be Passivhaus designed and certified. The main aspect will be south facing, to maximise solar gain. The houses will be extremely well insulated, with triple glazing and be air tight. This will radically improve the energy efficiency. They will have a Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery system, and optional air source heat pumps. They will have ‘smart’ heating and lighting.

The homes will be Passivhaus quality to provide near zero heating bills and long-term comfort. They will produce more energy than they consume by using a direct electric system and integrated photovoltaics or Tesla tiles on the roofs. They will incorporate the whole life impact of the building and attempt to go beyond net zero to deliver positive carbon homes.

The homes will attain the Home Quality Mark from BRE to certify the homes’ quality and sustainability, to ensure they are well designed and built, and cost efficient to run. This will provide information on running costs, positive impacts on health and wellbeing, and the environmental footprint. More efficient appliances and lighting will be encouraged. Through educating and sharing ideas, behavioural changes will be encouraged that promote saving energy.