Merseyside homes net-zero pilot begins
A group of Merseyside families will have their home energy monitored for a year under an innovative project led by Livv Housing Group and Liverpool John Moores University.
Construction experts at LJMU teamed up with Livv as they launched their ‘road to net-zero’ pilot project which tracks energy use in 15 brand-new affordable rent homes at Copthorne Walk, Kirkby.
Over the next 12 months, the partners will monitor innovative technologies in the homes, gathering vital insights for future design.
Livv provides 13,000 homes across Liverpool and the North West, plus apprenticeships, training and other projects to build flourishing communities.
Copthorne Walk features apartments and semi-detached houses and each is built to different performance targets, including the proposed Future Homes Standard.
We can develop homes that are greener, more affordable and truly fit for the future
Yvonne Westhead-Fyles
Some are equipped with gas boilers, others with air source heat pumps, while some have features such as electric heating, hot water cylinders, triple-glazed windows or solar panels. The project will collect evidence-based data including real-life energy performance, operational costs and customer feedback on using and managing new technologies. A digital twin platform will provide an immersive 360-degree view of the homes and visualise performance data.
Yvonne Westhead-Fyles, Livv’s Director of Development, said: “By trialling different technologies and working closely with our customers to understand their lived experience and impact on fuel bills, we can develop homes that are greener, more affordable and truly fit for the future.
Dr Hu Du, Senior Lecturer in Building Services and Architectural Engineering in LJMU's School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, added: “This is a fantastic and timely initiative. Understanding how changing regulations and evolving technologies impact real-world buildings is vital.
“Over the next year, we will rigorously evaluate real-world low-carbon homes, moving beyond theoretical models to provide Livv with evidenced-based, actionable, scalable strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of their properties and lead the way in sustainable social housing."
Findings gathered over the next 12 months will help inform Livv's low-carbon housebuilding strategies. The project will also produce best-practice guidance and educational resources to support the wider housing sector’s net-zero ambitions.
-Dr Du also leads a home energy test bed with construction giant Weinerberger. - Exciting Step Towards Retrofitting Homes.
