Local family-owned business Fraser Millar, one of Northern Ireland’s longest established and most progressive housebuilders, has called for an increase in standards of the current building regulations for energy efficiency in Northern Ireland as part of the drive to meet Net Zero targets.
The request coincided with a facility visit for members of the All-Party Group on Climate Action organised by Sustainable NI at the company’s 219-unit Lancaster Park development in the Four Winds, Belfast where cutting edge Passivhaus construction techniques have already delivered significant reductions in energy use.
John Carrigan, director with Fraser Millar said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity offered by Sustainable NI to host local MLAs and Councillors and increase their awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of this innovative alternative to conventional housebuilding. Passivhaus principles are setting a new benchmark for energy efficiency in the housing market, which supports homeowners, and far exceeds Northern Ireland’s current building regulations.
“Passivhaus homes use 70 to 90 per cent less energy than conventional homes with more than 90 per cent of the heat generated, within the home, staying in the home, potentially saving residents hundreds of pounds on heating bills every year. “Not only that, but they are designed to promote higher air quality due to continuous ventilation and a heat recovery system that reduces pollutants and dust which can be beneficial to those with allergies. None of these principles are difficult to implement or construct, it is just about the attention to detail and doing it right.”
The only company in Northern Ireland to gather data allowing it to monitor the performance of their Passivhaus homes, Fraser Millar’s statistics show better results than initially expected, with recent studies reporting that typical standard new build homes are performing between 52% and 98% worse than predicted at design stage.
Conversely, real data from Lancaster Park is showing the houses to be performing better than predicted at design stage. In fact, monthly data demonstrates that a four bed, 1365 sq ft Langham house, with a family of four is currently showing an average monthly expenditure of £75 per calendar month for all heating, hot water and general electric use.
“We like to think of ourselves as trailblazers, constantly challenging construction standards in Northern Ireland, particularly in relation to low energy homes,” adds John Carrigan. “With the adoption of Passivhaus principles we believe we can help to revolutionise the housing sector in the future, delivering better for the environment through lower carbon emissions and significantly reduced energy bills for customers. A typical new build house emits 6,000 tonnes of carbon per year, whereas our houses emit less than 0.5 tonnes.
“The figures we have produced to date speak for themselves and when extrapolated across Northern Ireland, can only mean positive and impactful results for government and homeowners alike.”
Commenting on the importance of such familiarity visits, Nichola Hughes, director of Sustainable NI said: “Given the targets set for Net Zero in 2050, it is vital that our political representatives are fully briefed on all possible solutions to help deliver a zero-carbon future for Northern Ireland. Passivhaus technology is an innovation that offers a positive impact on the environment in terms of construction but also economically for householders at a time when costs are increasing across the board.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Fraser Millar on this occasion and look forward to some affirmative action from the members of the All-Party Group following such an informative visit to Lancaster Park.”
Lancaster Park is Northern Ireland’s first large scale Passivhaus certified housing development, followed by the company’s recently launched second such development Beaufort Green on the Comber Road in Carryduff and another is planned for Killinchy Road in Comber.
