Climate change represents one of the biggest challenges facing the world today.
The UK's 21 million dwellings are responsible for 27% of CO2 emissions, consume half of water supplies and produce 8% of waste. Clearly, this is unsustainable and it is vital that affordable, realistic solutions be found urgently to address the needs of communities while reducing further harm to the environment. The UK Government is working towards strict targets aimed at negating the country’s carbon footprint and has delivered a challenge to industry to help achieve this goal.
In response, Stewart Milne has embraced the opportunity to develop the Sigma® Home – the UK’s first five star rated home under the Code for Sustainable Homes.
With a well founded reputation for innovation and a commitment to research and development, the decision to create a five-star accredited house as a reality has given the company the opportunity to explore the challenges, identify practical solutions and assist key influencers in the housing sector in the feasibility of building near zero carbon homes in an affordable fashion.
Taken from the Greek word meaning ‘the sum of all things’, the Sigma® Home is designed to meet all the nine elements of the Code for Sustainable Homes, addressing the principles of Lifetime Homes, Secured by Design, changing demographics and work/life styles.
The prototype Sigma® Home was unveiled at the Building Research Establishment in Watford in 2007 and forms an integral part of a two year research and development initiative by Stewart Milne, setting out a vision for the supply of homes to meet the zero carbon challenge and the needs of tomorrow's consumers. The company is also working in partnership with Oxford Brookes University to carry out a ground breaking 'real life' evaluation of the Sigma® Home.
With the initial success of the Sigma® Home, Stewart Milne is now looking at developing its five star design to achieve the maximum six star rating when the house is plotted within an overall development.
The road towards constructing carbon neutral homes in all new build developments will undoubtedly be a challenging one, but Stewart Milne has already proved, that by applying skill, experience and knowledge, that challenge can be surmounted.
The time has come to develop and harness the technology required to make the dream of zero carbon a reality and Stewart Milne has proven that, once again, it is at the forefront of innovation and delivery.
Read more about the Sigma® Home
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