Feb 6 2006
Barratt Homes is to build houses with solar panels as standard for the first time.
In conjunction with Chesterfield Borough Council, the developer will construct 283 homes on the site of the former Chesterfield Cylinders factory. Ten per cent of these will incorporate solar panels for heating water.
Future tenants will save money through lower heating bills, and the green homes will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Chesterfield Borough Council head Ray Russell praised Barratt Homes' move, calling it "revolutionary".
"We are delighted that Barratt felt able to go along with our suggestions for these renewable energy installations," he told 24dash.
The use of solar energy can help buildings receive a good score from BRE EcoHomes, an environmental rating system.
The Great Bow Yard development in Somerset is rated "excellent" by EcoHomes, partly because of the homes' glazed fronts that capture solar heat.
Solar power as an alternative energy source is also evident in commercial buildings, such as Manchester's CIS Tower which is one of the biggest photovoltaic energy projects in Europe. It captures enough solar energy to power a thousand PCs.