Zero carbon modular homes built by a UK company are set to meet and exceed government climate targets.
Zero carbon housing is a priority for the construction industry that has just ten years to make all new buildings, not just homes, net zero in order to meet strict targets set by the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
Buildings currently account for 40 per cent of carbon emissions in the UK and 60 per cent of all waste.
ilke Homes, a specialist in zero carbon modular housing, were the first to satisfy the new London Plan’s updated Zero Carbon Homes requirements (without the need for carbon offsetting), with their new modular homes installed in 2020 in Greenwich, London.
The company has now completed six Zero Carbon Housing sites in London, Newcastle, Newark, Gateshead, Greenwich and Sunderland by integrating high-performance building fabric and eliminating fossil fuel dependency.
Using advanced manufacturing processes, robotics and AI-driven design alongside reductions in key component costs, ilke Homes can offer owners the opportunity to pay nothing for energy, saving up to £2,000 a year on bills.
Dave Sheridan, executive chairman of ilke Homes, said: “It’s becoming abundantly clear that the UK construction industry is increasingly relying on private house builders as a crutch for sector growth. The latest ONS data shows that August’s increase in monthly output resulted from an increase in new work, primarily from private sector house builders who saw output increase by 1.8 per cent.
“Conversely, as the macro environment continues to pile on the pressure on the traditional stalwarts of the construction industry, public sector house building fell yet again and repair and maintenance work decreased by two per cent, showing just how much the private sector is picking up the slack.
“The government has committed to boosting supply-side reform, but these changes in policy are yet to bear fruit for house builders. If the government is still serious about generating growth through stimulating supply-side reform then investing and incentivising innovative and sustainable technologies like MMC are essential in meeting the UK’s desperate need for housing.”
Ilke homes come equipped with an air source heat pump, solar panels and battery storage technology. The low-carbon technologies will combine to provide free, clean energy round the clock, with Octopus Energy on some sites providing a bespoke tariff.
The company aims to deliver 2,000 homes per annum with the ability to scale to over 10,000 homes a year. The speed of delivery is down to below 12 weeks from factory order to delivery, compared to 26+ weeks it can take to deliver a traditional house.
ilke Homes provided the UK’s first homes to guarantee residents zero energy bills on a site in Essex where the company is delivering the UK’s largest zero-carbon housing development.