Affordable Eco Housing; is this what we should be building? | 100% Independent, 100% Electric

[@petehampton6051]

We're looking at buying a new build and went to a site currently under construction. No PV, Gas Heating, bare minimum insulation. When I enquired about charging my car they said, after some baffled head-scratching, "Err... we can fit a 3 pin socket on the outside of the house for £500". Needless to say, we didn't buy it. What annoyed me more though is that new builds are currently under construction that will need retro-fitting in just a few years... utter madness!

[@davewilliams6172]

It will come eventually...but first you have to stop big housing contractors giving backhanders to politicians to quash eco-legislatio just so that they can more profit from their inadequate housing.

[@JJ-zg1hh]

Couldn't agree with that comment more. The house building industry has just not caught on to this yet. They should be the experts leading the way. Instead, they're waiting for us buyers to demand it, but we're not experts! Come on guys, shape up and follow the example in this video.

[@Diamondjack931]

I have found the same, new builds don't offer anything but the same old technology. The building industry in this country is not fit for purpose, full of bodgers, day workers knocking jobs out. On balance there are some very good building companies, but not the big ones.

[@kulan9379]

I live in Sweden and it is illegal to build a what they describe as "poorly insulated house" and No gas or other non Eco friendly heating system is allowed. It is awesome. I Love it. The heat pump system is so Good to live with, it is like live in a hotel. I highly rekomend that heating system. The moment you try it out you know what i mean, it is like drive a electric powered car.

[@stephendoherty8291]

Upcoming legislation here will mandate homes come with an external socket but I wonder if the fuse board will cope with higher voltage external car chargers. Three phase power is truly innovative

[@ejbh3160]

I live in an 'independent' living bungalow for disabled people. I wanted to put PV on my bungalow at my own expense - and was refused by the Housing Association (Aster). They gave me endless lame excuses, despite my willingness to be flexible & pay for it myself. They couldn't stop me getting an electric cooker - and that has more electrons moving than a small PV system - & a cooker is far more dangerous. I have insurance to cover any issues a PV system might create - yet still some jobsworth made it impossible for me to benefit from having my own power and doing my bit for my granddaughter's future. We need a change in the Law to allow council & housing association tenants to install their own - especially if the council & H.A. refuse to do so themselves.

[@callumpetch7903]

I recently moved in to my first rented property (flat) and the Housing Association is ironically, Aster Group. I have solar on the roof, like the rest of the estate, However I asked who benefits from it and they couldn't tell me who.

[@bengrillet]

That is appalling, if no great surprise. So, from what you say, their objection had something to do with electrical safety?! Surely an easily disprovable argument, with masses of available evidence to the contrary? Did you seek any support from installers, or local campaign groups, or your local Green Party? Could we not bring public shame to bear on them?

[@DavidKnowles0]

@@bengrillet If we take Callum, the real reason was because Aster Group didn't want their roof taken up by solar panels they didn't own and want to benefit from. Instead one day they will install their own and only they will benefit from them.

[@nicosmind3]

I see Choice Housing, also a HA in the UK has a lotnof solar panels on their buildings, so i wonder why your place said no? Maybe it was the borough? Maybe it was just clueless idiots? Seems weird to me, especially cause my local place have attached panels to so many buildings.... Maybe theyre waiting for government grants to pocket some money and therefore didnt want you stopping them from getting a few extra 1000??

[@toyotaprius79]

The law is made bespoke for an industry.

[@MrGonzonator]

You need to come back and speak to some of the residents when they've been through a winter. It would be fascinating to see how passionate people get when all the hard work has been done for them and they're just living with smart and ecological tech.

[@Silk_WD]

Would be interesting. My local energy company is currently running an experiment, or maybe a proof of concept, of a self sufficient family home similar to these. The main difference being that it isn't connected to the grid at all and are fully reliant on on-roof solar panels. The project is called Zero Sun since the goal is to see how well such a house can face the long and cold winters of northern Sweden. As a sidenote the house is built on the city campsite and anyone can rent it, though it is on the pricey side.

[@MrGonzonator]

@@Silk_WD it's interesting true, but I question why they've put it in the middle of the city. Solar power is absolutely nessesary when you are off grid in the countryside or wilderness, but if you have a strong local grid then, as mentioned in the video, solar power can be much more efficient and effective at large scale where you can optimise placement and get the lowest price fir your equipment.

[@Silk_WD]

@@MrGonzonator Since it is only an experiment I reckon that the placement in the city is more convenient than someplace outside the grid. Every now and then when dignitaries visit and they want to show it off they don't have to drive to the middle of nowhere. Though my guess is that the main goal is to build local knowledge and experience with the different systems in the house, rather than the complete house as a concept. Like how large of a fuel cell system is needed to last the house through the winter.

[@morosis82]

@@MrGonzonator that is true for efficiency per panel, but putting it on land that is otherwise used and close to the demand is better from a land use perspective. I think we need both.

[@fullychargedshow]

That is a very good idea and we'll certainly try to do this. We are going back to the area next year anyway, so will do our best to make something along the lines you suggest

[@killercarpcatcher]

Great episode. I enjoy the electric car episodes, but to me this kind of video looking at the full picture of energy infrastructure is what sets Fully Charged apart from other KZbin channels. Nice to see some adoption of modern technologies in new builds.

[@ferkeap]

Yep cars are the least Important now. That's natural now in Europe.

[@philipsarell2467]

"We should be doing this everywhere" says it all. UK Gov have been asleep on all this for so long.

[@benjaminford9932]

Too many grubby vested interests in fossil fuels and owners of big building companies that want to do things as cheaply as possible for maximum profit. No interest in the environment or climate catastrophe, indeed the neoliberals are hell bent on achieving increased global warming because in their distorted vision of the future it will free the Northwest Passage of ice opening up another shipping route year round. Utterly barking mad!

[@morosis82]

Pfft, we don't even get this in Aus, and I can guarantee the output from.that PV in Brisbane would be a damn sight higher than over there. Lacklustre leadership.

[@cbromley562]

@@morosis82 Hopefully this is a start. Like you say, you've got more sun than you know what to do with. our-tesla-powerwall-winners-one-year

[@jonnoMoto]

I'm wondering what's happening with all the rented houses to get their carbon output down. As we know landlords will only do something whilst kicking and screaming.

[@morosis82]

@@cbromley562 well we do have the Tesla battery system in South Australia that's kicking major goals, due to how successful it's been there are several more grid scale (40MW+) due to be built over the next year, perhaps slightly longer.

[@timogronroos4642]

Welcome to the 1990 in Finland. Remote heating since 1950's and heatpumps from 1990's. Nice houses, way to go!

[@bandvagn]

Yep, have had district provided heating in my house and it was built built in the 50's, (District heating was retrofitted of course).

[@johnburns4017]

@@bandvagn District heating is quite common in the UK.

[@jur4x]

@@johnburns4017 not as common as in Northern Europe. In the Baltics for example more people have district heating than people having individual boilers.

[@johnburns4017]

@@jur4x The waste heat of the old Battersea power station piping the heat under the River Thames to a housing complex in Pimlico. Not there now.

[@Alan_UK]

Lived in Denmark from 1975-78. Our house had district heating and on the estate every one paid the same. So walking around the house in winter -10C with tea shirt on! (now realise that was wasteful in generating CO2). Neighbouring estate each house had a heat meter, so people paid according to energy consumption. Of course Danish houses, like all of Scandinavia, had incredibly well insulated houses. Came back to the UK and a 70's house where we shivered in the winter whilst wearing 2 jumpers and thermal underwear :( [and baked in the summer]

[@Yesterzine]

One thing that's entirely underrated about underfloor heating is that no radiators means a lot more wall space, even with big rooms I'm very much restricted to particular layouts because of the positioning of large hunks of warm metal.

[@stephenconnolly1830]

Absolutely - I fitted UF heating into our extension. Compared to the old part of the house the extended bit has so much more space with no walls obstructed.

[@ferkeap]

It's also more comfortable, feet are sensors for comfort.

[@fullychargedshow]

LIKE if you would like to live in a zero carbon home, and SHARE if you think all new houses should be built this way. See description below... Robert visits the inspiring Parc Eirin development in Cardiff to find out more about the affordable eco houses that are being built there, 220 houses to be exact! Each house has solar PV built in, batteries and ground-source heating, meaning these houses don't burn anything at all! With the long term cost savings, as well as the positive impact on the environment, this is how houses should, and will be built in the future. For ease of reference, use the *timestamps* below. To find out more about Sero Homes head here: www.serohomes.com/ Technologies include Sonnen (electricity storage), Mixergy (thermal storage) & Kensa (ground source heat pump). Sonnen - sonnenbatterie.co.uk/ Mixergy - www.mixergy.co.uk/ Kensa - www.kensaheatpumps.com/ If you enjoyed this, you would like our recent episode looking at how you can power and heat a big house with renewables - www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSE8P... Fully Charged is 100% independent thanks to KZbin Memberships (join above) and Patreons (join via www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow). Online news, views & reviews: FullyCharged.Show LIVE exhibitions in USA, UK & Europe: FullyCharged.Show/events Twitter: twitter.com/fullychargedshw Instagram: instagram.com/fullychargedshow *Timestamps* 0:00 Introduction to Parc Eirin 2:02 Overview of Technologies 4:05 Behaviour Changing 4:58 Rethinking Demand & Supply 5:43 Do the Construction Costs Stack Up? 6:51 Housing Decarbonisation 7:40 Quick Look at the Technologies 8:03 400% efficient Ground Source Heat Pump 9:18 Halving of Energy Bills 10:38 Project Overview 11:51 Fabric First & Reducing Energy Demand 12:18 Solar PV & Long-Term Vision 13:32 Thermal Storage, Battery Storage & Heat Pumps 14:00 Benefits to Tenants 14:38 Three Phase, EV Ready & Grid Supporting 15:49 Grid Connected Systems 17:05 The Brain behind the House 17:43 No Gas, 'Shoebox' Heat Pump & Electricity Storage 19:34 Reduce, Balance & Generate 21:28 In Summary 22:17 Subscribe & Support to keep us 100% Independent

[@TillDerWilly]

Built in pv panels look soo much nicer than the standard "retrofitted" ones... So neat! :D

[@ejbh3160]

I'm more concerned with how the planet's ecosystems look than how the solar PV systems 'look' in an already urban setting. So many people were against wind farms because of how they 'look' - yet not one of them would choose to go without electricity because of how the 'Pylons' look marching across the countryside. I'm fine with the retrofitted ones for every property which doesn't need its roof replacing. But for new build, PV+batteries should be compulsory for getting planning permission, wherever there is a suitable roof space.

[@tymanot]

Unfortunately in Germany these are treated differently when it comes to renewable compensation funds, tax refund, etc. That makes them even more expensive...

[@TillDerWilly]

@@ejbh3160 I completely agree. All shapes and sizes of pv and renewables in general are beautiful. 😁

[@johnburns4017]

They look retrofitted to me.

[@Deveonn]

I can’t wait for “solarroof” types of solarpanels. This decent (function over form), but still ugly.

[@by9917]

My house was net zero some years back. When I moved out the electric utility, the only power source, paid me. My cars were electric too. I am now building a new home and plan for it to be net zero too, but now I have no car and ride will ride an ebike to work and stores.

[@pioneer7777777]

B Y You should make some videos of both houses!

[@CabrilloTV]

This is not the Rhondda that I remember from my youth, every house had a smoking chimneys the smell of burning coal in the air, which we accepted as normal. You could see the pride of the people, outside their houses the women would brown stone the steps , kids would go to school with clean cloths and the men would return home to a good meal and a bath, the community was very strong. Now no more coal and housing that could not be imagined back then. This is indeed progress, not only in the health and wellness of the community. This type of technology will allow the beauty of the Rhondda valley to be experienced in ways that in my youth I could not have imagined, thank you.

[@stephanguitar9778]

My friends dad back in the day, in the valleys, used to finish work, go to the pub, come home drunk and beat the wife and the police weren't interested. The good old days.

[@CabrilloTV]

@@stephanguitar9778 what was your experience?

[@stephanguitar9778]

@@CabrilloTV Me< I was bought up , UP North in a terrace with indoor ice and lino floors. Yes we had the regimented routine of ironing, vacuuming and whitewashed steps etc. My Welsh friend and visits came later when Wales was shutting down the coal mines. The good old days were pretty harsh and boring for most people, lot more drunkeness across the male cohort with much of the the bad stuff ignored by society and the police (ie wife beating, child abuse and daily canings carried out execution style at school etc) and bugger all to do but watch football and ride your bike.

[@AdrianMcDaid]

I 'm currently living the "Electric Dream"... Drive electric car, it trickle charges from my Zappi car charger now work from home. Got solar panel array installed few month's ago with battery system. Have MyEddie device that heats my hot water tank. Because of this our gas company basically accursed us of tempering with gas meter. We just don't have the gas on, they even changed the meter. Love these kind of Vids, great to see the builder building proper Eco Houses. Great to see follow up, or home who have had it done already.

[@keithoneill6273]

As someone who worked in the building industry, I find this so fantastic. This is the way forward. Nice looking houses, into the bargain!

[@reijerlincoln]

Very nice to see this (hugely important) topic featured on the channel. In my country - The Netherlands - a new law came into effect in 2019. It states that new housing developments can no longer be connected to the national gas grid (with some exceptions). It has obviously had a huge influence. Things that seemed futuristic or experimental only 10 years ago (interconnected systems of PV-installation, heat pumps, geothermal etc) have become standard in new homes.

[@spencerwilton5831]

bigfancycar years ago it was decided all new build houses in the U.K. would be carbon neutral by 2016. As the deadline approached this was quietly dropped no doubt due to pressure from developers who cited increased costs exacerbating our already dire housing crisis.

[@andrewwade5655]

Aren't we just going to switch from natural gas to burning hydrogen in our boilers? I guess we're a LONG way off to having a source of green hydrogen similar to natural gas demand for houses

[@stephanguitar9778]

@@andrewwade5655 Everything about hydrogen is dodgy. Storage is really difficult, it can leak through stainless steel containers that other gasses and liquids cannot. Unless it is produced using wind or solar locally then it is pointless. Batteries will be a better store of energy going forward, less conversion processes.

[@kassistwisted]

As a relatively new NL resident (2018), I can say it's quite amazing to see all the new construction being done with integral PV arrays and no gas boilers. To an American like me, it looks like the future!

[@evolve1156]

Not just the carbon footprint is lower, the neighborhood air quality is better.

[@abbas1872]

Better late than never. What Germany have been doing for decades in the form of engineered prefab houses, we are finally getting round to.

[@johnburns4017]

Yes, Passiv Haus.

[@nicosmind3]

Thats also a cheaper way to build. I can remember when i first seen that on TV, a British couple had ordered a German prefab house to be built in the UK, and Grand Designs had it on their program... Also in America if i remember, or maybe Canada. This was 20 years ago. I assumed the cheaper price would have made it standard, but maybe theres a trade off which wasnt mentioned?

[@drunkenhobo8020]

@@nicosmind3 Would be a pain to convert it to right-hand drive though.

[@cal_lywal]

And the German ones are better designed than these 🤷‍♂️

[@NewmanAutomotive]

Abbas, Not really, these all appear to be traditional on site, brick construction, not at all pre fabricated.

[@richardwaller7721]

This has to be one of the most positive and inspiring episodes I’ve seen in a long time. What’s particularly exciting are the possibilities associated with building these houses on a large estate and its collective ability to help balance the grid. And just like a BEV, there’s the prospect of your carbon footprint decreasing over time as the grid decarbonises. Great stuff.

[@TheKeefe95]

As a 25 year old still living in my parent’s house (hopefully not for much longer), this is exactly the kind of house I would like to make my first home.

[@TheLakesUk]

Save more energy in one of those houses by fixing the outside light that was continually on and off in the background !! Also sounds that the battery pack is undersized if you have to be told when you can and cant have your tumble dryer on with the washing machine.. Other gripe about these properties was the amount of hard standing that will lead to surface run off, too much tarmac, not enough SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems). Any rainwater or grey-water collection? And gardens are still tiny, if COVID has taught us something, its that bigger green spaces is a valuable commodity. Its a start, but we've seen ECO houses for over 30 years. An additional thought... What Service Charges are you going to have to pay SERO to control your power, whether you like it or not?

[@Wayfarer-Sailing]

Great point about the green space! Those confounded white plastic meter boxes slapped onto the front of all the houses really grate too (with me anyway).

[@bruceyv83]

The outside light did make me chuckle

[@richardwhitehouse8762]

pvs on my roof enough electricity for my use. I learnt very quickly that running domestic appliances in series rather than in parallel means they don't ever drain the battery. So I very rarely pulling any electricity from the grid.

[@lordmord8378]

Great points. Hopefully newer iterations of this approach will start to incorporate lessons learnt from this project. The Service Charge aspect is particularly important. I wonder if SERO can make the majority of their money from balancing grid demand rather than from the consumer.

[@peterguilliatt]

Service charges to Sero? Will they be able to demand higher and higher charges to which the owner of the house is tied too?

[@pingu99991]

Eco Housing needs to be accessible! It's promising that there were zero threshold front doors, something that accessibility campaigners have been asking for for an eternity, but it feels like a token gesture or box ticking exercise. These planners clearly didn't consult anyone with a disability as there is no single level accommodation on this site for people who cannot use stairs, and even though the front doors might be wheelchair accessible (Kind of, they're still narrow and have a small hump) - the gardens are still inaccessible as they have thresholds and use those horrible plastic bay doors that close against a frame on all edges making it next to impossible to make a ramp for that doesn't require you to get a whole new door. Are we really saying disabled people aren't allowed to enjoy their gardens? There needs to be an accessibility push for environmentalism. 20% of the population are disabled in some way. It's not a good idea to exclude such a large proportion of the population from being able to do the best thing for the planet and this is a wider point about all industries, but housing is up there with public transport as the most egregious for being inaccessible. we need to do better. Disabled people care about the environment and want to do the best thing but it's often not possible for us.

[@HermanVonPetri]

It's amazing that more people don't realize this. And as we all age almost everyone will require greater accessibility for our geriatric needs.

[@bjephcott1]

A very important critique to this development which in other ways demonstrates so much best practice.

[@Tomm9y]

The planners have promoted high density housing, i.e. two or more storeys, so the land bankers, developers earn more from the sale of land. For many homes, the cost of construction is 25-30%. Then look at the billions paid out in dividends and bonuses by developers such as Persimmon, Berkely, etc. They sacrifice quality to improve their margins. Also, the planning, consultancy, reports, are a significant cost on even modest developments. More privately owned/HA, eco-homes are needed, one problem is the way developments are split up with most of the outdoor space contolled by a separate landlord. I think local councils should provide services to decent sized plots, then private buyers, arrange the cosntruction as they want.

[@LeeN-hj4mm]

More More More! Love these episodes fully charged, would be great to see more of these types of vids on the channel.

[@kiae-nirodiaries1279]

Would be interesting to revisit in a few years time to see how the residents are getting on with it.

[@thomasshakespeare9675]

Yes, and I'd also like to see how the financial aspect works out

[@smartgorilla]

@@thomasshakespeare9675 I doubt there affordable for the Welsh residents

[@paulgriffiths8359]

I have just stumbled across this channel, absolutely fascinating, love it Im involved in construction of large scale solar farms in Australia , largest to date is 250 MW or 750 thousand panels Reading some of the comments here that aren't entirely correct, it may make more sense to not build in the city but the biggest problem large scale solar faces in Australia is the grid as it was never designed to work the way we are using today So to build in the cities on buildings and in particular new houses solves a lot of these issues Well done on the channel

[@tymanot]

Thank you for the video. The question really remains why these houses should not be build everywhere. The principle can be adjusted and re-used everywhere.

[@JamesFallonUK]

THIS is what I've been waiting for! This is how all new housing estates should be built. It's amazing that this is not considered the norm.

[@DougGrinbergs]

Wondering about Passivhaus design for those houses with the right exposure.

[@Wayfarer-Sailing]

Too right! - and in any case the equivalent level of insulation, airtightness and avoidance of thermal bridging in new build should be second nature by now (but isn't).

[@Wookey.]

Exeter council/HA have been building passivehouse social housing for about 10 years now. It should be normal by now. It particularly makes sense for social housing because low energy costs makes a huge difference to tenants and means they can easily pay their rent. Normal developers couldn't care less how much your house costs to run - they just want to build it is cheaply as nastily as possible, which is criminal in the long term.

[@stevenmills2212]

Bit ironic how the dawn till dusk light on the front of the house keeps turning on and off lol but on a serious note this is great and we need to see more of this in the future..

[@AWhileHanlin]

Surely covering the cloths line with a small perspex roof and sides can greatly reduce the need for tumble drier and lower costs too. Also boil a full kettle once in morning and fill a large flask for on demand use all day. Basic changes work as well.

[@IanYatesDude]

While I applaud this development i have to point out that while old building methods are used (e.g. lots of concrete and cement which generate a LOT of CO2) these houses will take a long time to be carbon neutral.

[@rogerbarton497]

I watched a programme on TV a few years ago about some scientists who built a closed environment to see if they could make it carbon neutral. It turned out to be carbon negative because the concrete absorbed CO2.

[@spencerwilton5831]

Roger Barton You have your facts a bit muddled. The production of concrete is incredibly polluting in terms of carbon, so the wider environment suffers. What might happen to the air within a closed structure made entirely of concrete is irrelevant, the relatively minor changes that might occur to the air within that structure will never reflect the many tons of carbon dioxide released during manufacture.

[@rogerbarton497]

@@spencerwilton5831 I do not have my facts muddled. The facts I reported are 1) I watched a TV programme... 2) the scientists did build a closed environment ... 3) they did report a drop in CO2 due to absrorption by the concrete. I made no mention of the effects of producing the concrete, and I agree with what you say on that matter.

[@tec4303]

@pete smyth It's fine that we put some CO2 many many years ago, but we should have stopped doing that as soon as possible. And we didn't. We went on with the old technology and did not work hard enough towards a cleaner future. That's why we have problens now.

[@ehhhhhhhhhh]

Building new homes, I can only assume, is just a small part of the overall strategy. Getting to carbon neutral also needs to involve making it as cheap as possible for people/governments/companies to help people reduce their energy use in old houses. Seal up those drafts, replace bad windows, get better insulation, add solar panels where possible, etc. Allowing everyone to have a cheap or free "energy audit" of their space would be incredibly helpful.

[@matthewralston9785]

What a fantastic video. I work for Nulok Roofing System and we offer a full roof system that encourages the use of our fully integrated solar tiles. The companies involved with this project are exactly the type of people who would benefit from our system. Thanks for helping bring energy efficiency and zero carbon house developments to the public eye.

[@JSTurner]

Excellent episode - please expand coverage to this type of energy reporting. Very important and and presently overlooked

[@FirstDan2000]

The guy from Sero was very knowledgable, and a good communicator. Great video.

[@messiermitchell4901]

Everybody talks about EVs. Now's the time to also talk about EHs (Electric Houses)

[@fullychargedshow]

YES!

[@johnkay4701]

I already have a purely all electric house, but PV system retrofitted at my expense. Just a 3-bed semi, no heat pump, but instead storage radiators supplied via 2x Immersun units to dump most surplus power into the rads. Triple glazed & cavity wall insulated, double loft insulation. Average electricity bill £25 pa (not per month), & no gas, wood, coal, or oil, 100% electric. It's all been running now for 9-years since Oct. 2011. Currently in the process of installing a 10 kwp AGM battery system with additional hybrid inverter, to enable full off-grid / grid-down capability. I also have 3-phase but don't need to use it currently. Regards to all, JohnnyK.

[@88racingUK]

What a fantastic development! The intelligence of the systems - how the high-drain appliances can work out the best times to run, how the batteries can help in times of high production - is what amazes me most.

[@Pottery4Life]

This is why I support Fully Charged. Thank you very much for the wonderful vid. Can we assume all that tech is vehicle to grid/home compatible?

[@JamesWilliams-vm9ds]

Yes!

[@SirHackaL0t.]

Unfortunately, most cars use CCS which can’t V2G until about 2025. Only Chademo can currently to V2G.

[@thankyouforyourcompliance7386]

James had some excellent arguments. Making new houses, that have basically no carbon footprint is a relatively easy fix. This is what can be done right now. He gave all the technology it takes.

[@vaughanellis7866]

The UK home building industry is too conservative for its own good, they say that putting Passiv Haus techniques into new build is to expensive, actually its cheaper than having to retrofit existing housing stock.

[@ravenfeeder1892]

The UK government is currently "revising" (ripping up) planning regulations. One of the best revisions they could make would be to enforce this level of energy efficiency on all developers. Without either financial incentive or government regulation developers will not care about the savings residents will get over 10 years but how cheaply they can build now. This is what governments are for. Additionally, as soon as everyone starts doing it the economies of scale will come in and costs will come down anyway. I've emailed my MP about this, I hope any other UK viewers will do the same. I need to be able to hit 'love' for this video, 'like' isn't enough.

[@timmurphy5541]

I think one could make the point that if you want to get the economy to recover, then houses should have all sorts of equipment and improvements in them as this will give work to many companies and skilled people. Otherwise the benefit of works will disappear down some big investors gullet and out of the country.

[@Wookey.]

Quite right. I mailed mine a month or two ago. We also have to fix the 23 million existing houses, most of which are terrible. No shortage of work for the recently-unemployed.

[@lancpudn]

Definitely need more of these affordable efficient houses, Way to go Cardiff.

[@Robspark]

I’m actually involved in this project and proud of what has been achieved. I’m convinced that this will eventually become the norm as the drive to zero carbon emissions starts to be applied to areas such as the building trade which is hugely wasteful. If any of you are at all interested I designed the electrical panel which you can briefly see in the video. It’s custom designed and built by Wylex. If anyone is interested in this please message me!

[@bryanduncan6178]

You've managed to stumble across my biggest gripe in the Oxfordshire area at the moment! Great Western Park in Didcot has thousands of new houses (circa 5000) none of which have solar or battery storage 😠 Why the government or local councils aren't specifying this is beyond me!

[@GregHighPressure]

I expect it is because they are conservative held positions.

[@MG_Steve]

I was thinking that when I bought my new house back in 2011!

[@88racingUK]

Same near me. We're about to have a new wind generator and solar farm but still over 4000 houses going up, none with renewable sources. Bloody stupid.

[@PeaceChanel]

Thank You for All that you are doing for World Peace and for our Planet... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. La Paz.. Namaste .. 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ ☮️ ❤️ 💐 🕊

[@jur4x]

"Rich people in large houses with gas boilers! They deserve to pay more" Well, usually it's working class family in an older house that simply can't afford an upgrade of their windows boiler ans insulation, that will end up paying more. Also, amount of housing where you are not allowed to upgrade anything because of some A-listed BS is just astonishing!

[@pioneer7777777]

jur4x To be fair, it is some of both. I have seen a boiler install on a single home that had four separate boilers. It looked like the utility room of a commercial building but they were each for different systems, for the pools, the saunas, etc. All for a single family.

[@jur4x]

I know a family that is definitely not even middle class. They have rather hefty energy bills, but they can't replace their windows or install solar because entire street is listed. Insulation is impossible for some reason as well. They might be able to replace the boiler if they somehow get drilling equipment for ground source into back garden. If they manage to save up enough for it. They can't sell the house for any reasonable price because potential buyers are scared off by huge bills and inability to do anything due to it's status. And unfortunately I don't think their situation is that unique

[@reubenwilkinson845]

jur4x you can do secondary glazing in listed houses to make them effectively triple glazed, can install heat pumps and ufh on ground floor, insulate the loft and if doing a refurb insulate the walls. Expensive though but I got my listed house to a ‘b’. Pv, solar thermal, and pellet boiler too

[@jur4x]

@@reubenwilkinson845 Dover district council did not allow secondary glazing because "it would reflect light differently". Heat pump itself is not an issue. It is that itš nearly impossible to get any large equipment into back garden, since there is no way around the building. Solar is pretty much a no-no in that part of town. And as I said, my friends are not rich, and can't save up due to large bills they have right now. Insulation was also declined due to some BS, I don't remember specifics. Ironically, there are councils that allow double glazed UPVC if it mimics original design. Main issue is still the same. It is less wealthy that have inefficient housing, yet some say freely "it's only rich in large houses that are inefficient, and they deserve to pay"

[@reubenwilkinson845]

jur4x that’s shocking the council said that about the glazing. But as far as I know, it is national policy to allow secondary glazing in grade 2 listed buildings, and double glazing now. So the local council I doubt could stop you. Thank you for your other points, it is interesting to hear. My listed building office said when I asked about insulating walls ‘you don’t need to worry about that because it’s listed’. Mentalist, what about co2 emissions, comfort, cost. ! I insulated it anyway.

[@topcat4265]

Robert. Can we keep getting this sort of content. It's so important that people keep seeing this stuff. Councils are so lazy allowing planning permission without this. This has to be a minimum requirement for those greedy construction companies.

[@AthanImmortal]

1 minute ago? Holy heck you've no idea how much I could do with a fully charged video right now! Edit: ah that was hopeful, thank you, Rob.

[@anthonydyer3939]

Just received a quote for a 8.9kW solar array on my roof. About £1.10 per watt, that's with building integrated solar panels and voltage optimisers. It's the next stage towards upgrading my house, and it'll really "future proof" my house for the time when I get an electric car. Would like to see an article in the future about "deep retrofit" projects for existing buildings.

[@Diamondjack931]

Until there is some legislation defining what has to be achieved with Eco housing, I am afraid that builders will take the cheap route and do very little. I have recently looked at many new houses from different builders and their "ECO" credentials are very poor. Like many things the UK lags behind because the government shows little interest. A great shame. However, a great video and just shows you what can be done.

[@westermolad]

Completely agree that legislation is required to get any real traction. The additional capital cost of these systems can be recouped over time if they are being rented out, but not so easily if they are being sold. Building companies that have shareholders will be looking to maximise the profit margin and not improve their 'green' credentials.

[@Muppetkeeper]

The government pays a lot of attention to houses, most of the super rich housing developers are Tory contributors, hence no regulation that could possibly reduce their ridiculous profit.

[@Diamondjack931]

@@westermolad As you say the bottom line at all levels is profit. I have seen close to £1M new houses with absolutely no ECO technology. So if it costs another £20K to fit solar panels and all the other tech, then just do it. We have an aging housing stock with no chance of being ECO unless they knock the houses down. I am so frustrated by all this.

[@reubenwilkinson845]

Muppet Keeper that’s the sad truth of it all

[@therealcaldini]

This is really good to see, and any government worth it’s salt would make this compulsory in a heart beat. I do have a few gripes with these housing developments though. i) you open your front door and your out on the road. When people finally move in with their multiple vehicles per household the roads are going to be a mish-mash of badly parked cars. That’s no place for a child to grow up. ii) the gardens are so small. That’s no place for a child to grow up. iii) New build houses are devoid of cupboards, cubby holes, nooks, shelves. That’s no place for parents. These criticisms are applicable to most new build estates, not just this one. I find it very depressing visiting them but I know at some point I’m probably going to have to buy one.

[@2nd3rd1st]

In principle I really like the idea of these modern energy-saving neighbourhoods, but looking at it from above makes it so abundantly clear that this a tech demo but not a project to actually favor nature in order to "save the planet" as he put it. Every inch of public space is sealed with asphalt or concrete, there isn't even enough space for trees on the side of the street one could hug. Walls instead of hedges, no open ground on or next to parking spaces or driveways for wild flowers and grasses to spontaneously grow. It's one of these super manicured and clean environments without a single blade of grass out of order. Very unfortunate.

[@HyperburnSeroo]

It is the focus you can expect from Fully Charged, the technological sustainability. However within the build environment the ecological sustainability is often overlooked. Missed opportunity since green and natural neighbourhoods are literally increasing the IQ of children living in it (research just released).

[@IanYatesDude]

It's clearly meant to be a demonstration of how you can make a "green" development which looks conventional and unintimidating for buyers. I agree there are greener ways to make a development but this looks like a development they can make which they can use as an easy "gateway" to a greener housing future for developers and homeowners and for that I think it's a great step forward.

[@2nd3rd1st]

@@HyperburnSeroo Indeed. And natural surroundings improve not only the cognitive capabilities of children but also of elderly people.

[@simoncanfer5030]

Even with cheaper land in Wales than most of the UK, land is still relatively expensive- so affordable houses won't have large plots.

[@alfredomorales9467]

@@IanYatesDude I don't know how they won't use an architect to design those houses, they look like ugly boxes with shingles to me, they could be more integrated, with less asphalt and trully sustainable... and yes, prettier

[@stephenjames8470]

Brilliant video. This is the future and you are showing it. Let’s hope other building companies start to listen. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Gr33nMamba]

Unfortunately, the estate itself still shows the typical awful planning that is being allowed by councils at the moment, a pitiful excuse for any kind of garden or front greenspace. A jungle of brick and fence panel gardens, Narrow pavements without any kind of Cycling segregation, it's just another car park. Zero character. Energy savings mean nothing if it's an awful place to live. 12:50 touches on this but unfortunately I don't see this. Three phase power was interesting but again, increasing car usage should not be the primary goal. Please refer to @planningshit for other examples.

[@cal_lywal]

Agreed on the planning side. Even if parking could be better incorporated into the designs (hidden with trees and greenery for example) it would be so much better. Many will need to charge their cars but even without cars, neighbourhoods need to be better designed so that there’s something to see and be a part of. With this one it looks like you’d constantly be leaving just to ‘be’ anywhere.

[@morosis82]

Depends. I generally agree on the cycling front, but estates like this should have slower limits, and more common green spaces so kids can play with friends without having to be driven around. As for garden, while I do like my green space, it is more efficient and cheaper to have a small garden. 3phase is good because it means anyone that needs their car won't have to wait long for when they do just need to add a bit and get moving, and while this isn't always going to be an issue there is a transition period we're going to have to go through.

[@JonnyWilliams007]

Don't agree. Let's judge it by the finished development not the building site. There was clearly lots of space for gardens at the rear of the homes and as shown on some of the shots. "just another car park" - they haven't done the parking spaces or any road markings yet!

[@mathew1502]

Nonesense, I’ve bought one of these house and I have a good size garden, parking for 3 cars on the drive and across the road is a large space specifically not built on and kept as a communal green space.

[@bjephcott1]

It is important to have a mix of terraced, semis and detached but I agree there seem to be too many right angles and windowless gable ends. Shared spaces at the end of cul de sacs and a blanket 10 mph speed limit with pedestrian priority feeding into access roads can balance the impact of cars, which even if electric should not dominate the space. I think Poundbury’s layout is superior but there are other examples.

[@TheShoobah]

Good to see the use of ground heating. I live in Sweden. We changed the oil burner in our old house to that 17 years ago. And it just works! 👍

[@mattspare8835]

Very informative video, big thanks for that one FC team.

[@stevenbarrett7648]

Fantastic !, what a different way of looking at things. This estate should be made the blueprint for all new builds everywhere, no excuses, no waffle, it’s now shown to be the way forward so builders and legislators Crack On !

[@curranarnett6099]

Green spaces? Bike storage? Sustainable building materials? Car free? Child friendly? Community and social area? Allotment?

[@paularmstrong4799]

It’s excellent and spot on to be shouting about this! The government should be ensuring all developers are doing this from 2025 when the new Building Regs are supposed to be kicking in and not giving them ways to get out of doing so. Brilliant that these are being built for the less well-off in society where this technology is giving them less bills too. Social housing monies from government should be going into doing just this , well done the developers!

[@rngalston]

In-floor (radiant) heat is nice, even better if it's eco-friendly!

[@JJ-zg1hh]

It's so comfortable. Uniformly spread heat around the room rather than one belting hot radiator under a window. It's got to be the way forward in my view.

[@rngalston]

@@JJ-zg1hh also as opposed to forced air which is so bad on our body's biggest organ, the skin, not to mention the respiratory system...

[@NeilBlanchard]

This is wonderful news - this is very smart stuff! Over time, these will pay for themselves, and they will be better homes.

[@ColinRichardson]

Good Morning everyone

[@Russellsouthey]

So amazing to see this kind of development. It gives me hope for the future! Well done Fully Charged for another awesome video.

[@snowstrobe]

Admirable effort by the builders, but why is modern housing in the UK so bloody ugly?! No balcony, no nice big window to sit inside in the sun...

[@GeorgeThoughts]

Haha, what sun? In the UK smaller windows will be preferable because they'll leak far less heat to the outside! I know what you mean though, good amounts of natural light inside do make a home less depressing. So it's an interesting trade off...

[@AriesT1]

@@GeorgeThoughts In fact, good double-glassed windows can keep the warmth from the sun inside the building, too. The way Germany is currently building (floor-to-ceiling windows in ground floor areas) seems even more efficient in that regard - and is A LOT prettier. We at least are allowed to have different colors and cladding styles. :D

[@Wookey.]

@@AriesT1 All glazing should be 3G on modern houses. 10% extra cost, 50% better heat retention. Makes passivehouses possible outside Cornwall, and a much more comfortable interior winter environment due to 14C min temp of inside pane when -10 outside (no draughts or condensation).

[@stephanguitar9778]

Like everything in the UK, its for maximum profit with little mandate for quality of life. The government sees housing as someone's profit centre not as somewhere for people to live.

[@grahambrown8123]

As a recruiter in the niche Offsite Construction sector (ARV Solutions) one of the most exciting videos on Sustainable Housing that I have seen. Well done @fullychargedshow

[@caryoutismusic4515]

A timely episode- fantastic! Can’t help noticing they haven’t maximised roofs for south facing and optimal pitch though. Not all the houses of course, but there’s a lot running north south and ones hugging the bends. Would it be so awful to have a gable end facing the street? Aaaaalso, most of the pitches appear to be 45 degrees, when the low thirties would be better. Alright, it’s south Wales, and therefore there’s a lot of rain to remove as fast as possible from a roof, but it seems the architects remain in thrall to the current convention of ‘ make it look quaint and olde worldy’ or people will hate it.

[@davewilliams6172]

There is this fallacy that PV has to be facing South. If some houses are facing South East or South West then they will peak at different times of the day as the Sun moves across the sky.

[@caryoutismusic4515]

Dave Williams I agree wholeheartedly- and for existing buildings this is vitally important to remember and emphasise. A reduced score is still a score. My roof’s at 52 degrees and does great.But these are new builds ...

[@bigbadjohn10]

40 degrees would be about optimum for Wales, but it is more necessary for the roof to deal with wind driven rain, this is Wales after all! The reason the pitch of the roof goes from to back on most semi and terraced houses is that the alternative would be to have many valley gutters going from front to back of the properties. These tend to be a nightmare for blockages and hard to find leaks and any architect with their wage would avoid the like the plague!

[@Top12Boardsport]

This is the future, we have done almost the same system since 2012 including the so important BEVS that makes these houses a complete system and it saves a lot of money and works 100%. Still a work in progress more small updates all the time. Great job.

[@johnmiller457]

This is the most important video Fully Charged have made since their first Tesla review. These standards ought to be mandatory, but builders bully the government into not changing the regulations. Now they might need to change their minds! Well done Robert and team. Keep up the good work!

[@TiberiusDarkforge]

So glad to see this happening. I worked for an energy supplier 5+ years ago & suggested to management about teaming up with housing developers to fit solar at build, but got shot down.

[@TomTom-cm2oq]

I got goosebumps when I saw this. Please build more of these houses!! The demand for them is through the roof :)

[@GuanoLad]

What a fantastic video. I love enthusiastic spokespeople who really know their stuff and can talk about them in accessible ways.

[@michaelrussell8921]

That light bulb behind the chap being interviewed is haunted!

[@janetdodd8057]

wow a real buiding company building properly insulated and renewable energy well done Tirion Homes

[@fredfredrickson5436]

This should be the standard for every new build in the UK, but it won't be any time soon; too many palms are being greased. Oh Corbyn, why couldn't you have summoned some belligerence.

[@benpaynter]

BRILLIANT video! More like it please. A fascinating and extremely important topic which deserves and needs more exposure.

[@ToumalRakesh]

Installing PV and batteries in my house was the single best investment I've made, and the savings completely pay for the financing rate. And after 6 years it's all paid off and the rest is net savings.

[@tonybliss577]

Absolutely awesome episode. We should be building towards passivhaus standards and 100% electrification of our homes. Fabric first, reduce the demand on the grid, store excess/ cheap/ clean electricity and micro generate environment friendly free solar electricity! My perfect home!

[@EmuMan44]

But how much does it cost? I'm so angry you didn't cover that issue, when you know its first thing skeptics will say

[@mathew1502]

A 3 bed house bought off plan was £174 thousand.

[@smartgorilla]

@@mathew1502 and if you compare that to Welsh home .. how much

[@BrianSmith-ck4mm]

I've been waiting for this moment for years, someone has finally gotten the message and got a builder on board! I am so excited about the future watching videos like this. Fingers crossed a similar estate will be in an area near me soon! 🤞🏼

[@dietescape9367]

I feel like the government knows we should be building these but electric companies don’t want decentralised Electricity as it makes them too much money.

[@brettsta72]

Great point. I suspect you might be right.

[@renedekat3519]

I suspect it’s more likely the gas lobby.

[@dietescape9367]

René de Kat it’s the people with all the money. They’re all in on it. It’s not even a secret. There’s a reason any idea like Green New Deal is made out to be radical and impossible, whereas continuing to hurtle towards environmental disaster seems normal and ok 😫

[@stevenpinkerton1705]

Yet one of the partners for this development is the local distribution company!!

[@renedekat3519]

Steven Pinkerton That’s good news. Here in Northern Ireland they’re putting gas in everywhere instead of skipping that step. And for people with a certain maximum annual wage, and an old boiler (most likely oil) there is a scheme that you can get it replaced with a more efficient boiler. Specifically mentioning gas and wood pellet. If you want to go electric, you’re out of luck. It’s either corruption or incompetence.

[@chrisoconnell2066]

Every house in the U.K. should be to these standards. An should be enforced by law. The energy savings are enormous with the plus of not burning fossil fuels.

[@ToumalRakesh]

17:14 That looks like a bespoke hodgepodge installation...

[@volvo09]

Yup! Holy crap! Looks Like something someone would assemble from random eBay bits.

[@pioneer7777777]

To be fair, the house and that part is still obviously under construction. Maybe better to judge the finished product.

[@JamesWilliams-vm9ds]

If you looked under hood of a modern car when it’s being built you’d probably say the same... if bespoke means innovative, original then yes. Hodgepodge... no.

[@jonricketts2408]

Like you said this is how house builders should be doing construction to minimise energy consumption and future proof homes. Great video one

[@shotgunjohnny]

Apart from the 3 nice white townhouses the rest of this place looks like a giant prison.

[@neillewis1809]

Simple and important. Need to mandate all new homes are built like this-obviously. Reduce-Balance-Generate. Da iawn Sero Homes.

[@allaboutdrones8070]

The rest of house building need to catch up, this makes so much sense

[@humphreybradley3060]

Absolutely fascinating! I look forward to hearing what the tenants think in a few years

[@grahamrushin4384]

What a grim place to live, like a mouse in a cage. No garden, no garage. 1970's size parking. Energy wise fantastic,that's the only plus

[@MG_Steve]

Its the downsize of land prices in the UK. If they were designed as you suggest, they'd no longer be "affordable"!

[@grahamrushin4384]

@@MG_Steve affordable or profitable?these all ready have a £10, 000 to £15,000 extra price tag. Quality of life zero. I want to live not just exist.

[@MG_Steve]

@@grahamrushin4384 Well, they're clearly not for you. I think they look great, tbh.

[@petermcerlean4922]

Thanks goodness I live in Australia!

[@grahamrushin4384]

@@petermcerlean4922 hi

[@alaneasthope2357]

Great episode Robert. This proves that it can be done. Now you need to go down to Parliment, show them this video and ask them why this isn't being done on a national scale.

[@ovi9610]

Thank you, thank you, for having these amazing great ideas and principles. All of this starts with one idea. Then take actions to become true your dream. This video is maybe the most valuable example of how to do the things in the correct way all together. It's impressive and funny to see this example at Cardiff !!. Thank you Richard.

[@videosfromelsewhere926]

Brilliant show Robert and team! Keep up the great content

[@DougGrinbergs]

Tip: you could put clickable/tapable timestamps in pinned comment.

[@romainhedouin]

Why do that? They put them in the description so the video has chapters

[@WilliamPitcher]

I'm curious -- what's wrong with them being in the description?

[@Mythix2]

they are in the description......

[@stuartsmyth8346]

Already in the description and they have a chaptered timeline.

[@andymccabe6712]

Or, you could just watch the film - this is KZbin after all.......... !!

[@elsingsaas]

Thanks for more great content. I’ve been working with a group looking into design and manufacturing of affordable housing to address the inequality and substandard living conditions in Minneapolis. As the renewable energy advocate on our team I’ve been trying to find a way to incorporate net zero principles, PV generation, storage, and heat pumps into new urban infill homes. I think that there’s tremendous benefit to lower income residents as energy bills can become burdensome, both winter and summer, in a med-continental climate. We still struggle, however, to find a way to make these truly affordable to anyone other than the upper middle class and wealthy. Keep exploring and providing great content to inspire others to try new solutions to these challenges!

[@johnburns4017]

Using heat pumps in the winter can cool the ground to a mini tundra. In summer this _coolth_ can be used to cool the buildings in summer.

[@DrBurkstrom]

The tech is brilliant, but there are still problems. Still building these identikit tiny boxes with tiny gardens placed randomly is inherently poor. The guy explicitly trashing “rows of houses”! There’s nothing wrong with the concept of terraced housing, if it’s done right it can be brilliantly efficient and still have a great sense of community.

[@Wayfarer-Sailing]

I sometimes wonder whether the tech is there as a kind of eco-bling. For example, the ground source heat pumps wouldn't be necessary if the houses were built to a higher standard of thermal performance, but there would be nothing to see or talk about in a sales pitch (or KZbin video)! I agree with your main point, and anyway it's possible to optimise roofs and windows without overtly orientating all the houses in the same direction (e.g. ridges front-back vs. side-side)

[@davewilliams6172]

@@Wayfarer-Sailing "ground source heat pumps wouldn't be necessary"...where else do you get 400% efficiency in heating? GSHP is not Eco-bling!

[@Wayfarer-Sailing]

@@davewilliams6172 Don't misunderstand me - I'm all in favour of greener buildings, but to answer your question directly I would point you to the best of PassivHaus design and practice. Properly designed, detailed and constructed houses don't need expensive technological solutions for heating. Letting the sun shine in and warm the fabric of your home is better than 400% efficient! I acknowledge that a small amount of "top-up" heat may be needed in higher latitudes such as the UK, but I don't think that's what we were being shown here.

[@Wookey.]

@@davewilliams6172 If you only need 0.5-1kW space-heating for the 8 coldest days of the year then spend the borehole+heat pump money on insulation and windows and buy a fan heater for 20 quid. It's a much better (and cheaper) house over the long term.

[@GreenJimll]

I was rather surprised to hear him trashing the idea of carefully planning a new build estate so that houses were in decently aligned rows. As it is they've now got an estate where its effectively pot luck which way round the house roof and garden faces. I'd rather see a terraced row with decently oriented south facing roofs and gardens. Also if we're really thinking eco in the future, should we be looking more at car-free homes, with infrastructure designed around walking, cycling and shared mobility options?

[@PaulieFetz]

Any consideration of mixed use? Inclusion of shops, restaurants, office space, etc? To reduce the need for cars in general, and make communities genuinely walkable, and thus more eco-friendly?

[@ideoformsun5806]

Reduce, Balance, Generate

[@Muppetkeeper]

Yes, this is very good. I’ve reduced and generated, but currently not balanced. I’m hoping that some upcoming Tesla battery day information will reduce the prices of house batteries, and then I can get some “balance” in.

[@bhatkrishnakishor]

Barring how green the house is, I liked that the video emphasized on the building's energy efficiency and new building codes like built in roof PV, heat source pump, three phase point for EV charging etc.

[@joeynessily]

Big banners out the front of that 'affordable housing' saying... "Homes to Rent".... !?

[@shakealgoritham861]

Ha ha. Affordable houses for the landlords.

[@JamesWilliams-vm9ds]

Affordable rent. I.e. 20% discounted to market.

[@GabiFromSF]

Sounds amazing....just checked and all SOLD OUT😫

[@robsengahay5614]

Depressing in a way that this is so ‘out there’. None of this stuff is rocket science and it should have been mandated a decade ago.

[@gazzaman28]

This is great for those buying a new house, but what about the houses we already live in? I have a gas boiler which is reasonably cheap to run but I'm well aware that it's bad for the planet. When the time comes to think about replacing it, what are my options to be greener? Do I keep the central heating system in place and go for an electric boiler plus PV/battery storage to keep the costs down? What about solar water heating instead? Is an underground heat pump feasible to install in a normal terraced/semi detached house? What about the most modern versions of storage heaters combined with taking advantage of cheap off peak smart meter electricity? I'd love to see you tackle these sorts of questions in a video...

[@joeynessily]

So how does the house in the middle charge their car? An EV charger needs to be at least 1 metre off the ground, the height of that front window and the low electric meter box leaves little space for them to put in the charger. If the charge cable has to reach that small shared parking bay out front, it can't go from the charger and then off the property, e.g if the path not owned by home owner. Do they run the cable over the path? ....that is a trip hazard even if they do own that section of path. It looks like they've got around this by just having a couple slow regular 13amp sockets next to the meter cabinet. Not very good.

[@rhiantaylor3446]

I particularly like the layout of the PV panels on the front which doesn't detract from the appearance of the block. Also, the advantage of underfloor heating (as with wall heating) is that it doesn't need to be set at a large increment above the desired room temp - which makes a major difference to the efficiency of the ground-sourced heat pumped supply. Heating radiator panels to the 50s deg C to achieve 20 deg C room temp is grossly inefficient.