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A total of 28 senior members of Northern Ireland Building Control have visited the country's first zero carbon house in Armagh.
Award winning sustainable construction and green energy technology firm Green Future NI, builders of the ‘Green Future House’ held the open morning after Building Control NI confirmed its interest in viewing the house ahead of impending changes in Building Control legislation.
In attendance was 28 most senior Building Control officials in Northern Ireland, Lord Mayor of Armagh Sharon Haughey, Councillor Mealla Campbell, local MLA’s and senior officials from Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
The University of Ulster Centre for Sustainable Technologies studied the ‘Green Future House’ and reported that it is 77 per cent more efficient than conventional builds. This pioneering zero carbon blue-print build which showcases how affordable and accessible it is to build an energy cost saving zero carbon house not only meets but exceeds the Government’s required transition to mass construction of new‘zero carbon homes’ by 2016.
John McClatchey managing director of Green Future NI said: "It is great to see Building Control NI taking the concept of zero carbon housing very seriously, with rising fuels costs and energy crisis issues affecting us all, housing needs to become more energy efficient the ‘Green Future House’ is a live working test-bed which effectively tackles these major challenges."
Green Future NI has created this zero carbon prototype at a highly market competitive price, similar in cost to traditional building methods. Evidently the ‘Green Future House’ which boosts negative C02 emissions is the first and only house in the province to be awarded 5 years no rates under the Governments now defunct Zero Carbon and Low Carbon Homes Scheme. The 5 bedroom traditionally designed country home a showhouse throughout 2012 was officially opened back in March by Minister for the Environment Alex Attwood MLA and his Irish counterpart Phil Hogan T.D.
Most importantly for the homeowner is the fact this zero carbon blue-print build of superior performing homes is capable of near-zero energy bills. Annual energy bills for this 5 bedroom 3089sq ft story and a half house equates to only £200 a year.
(GK)
