UK housebuilder Bellway has partnered with Nuspan Flooring to test the impact its precast floors can have on the energy efficiency and cost of living in a new home.
Nuspan has installed the structural insulated closed floor panels, which are manufactured off-site, within Bellway’s Future Home at Energy House 2.0. This forms part of a £16m research project run by The University of Salford which is being part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Bellway is building one of four experimental homes within a chamber at the university. It will test a whole range of innovations in simulated climate conditions, in temperatures from -20C to +40C. Researchers from the university will capture and analyse data from the home from the early part of 2023.
Jamie Bursnell, Group Technical and Innovations Manager for Bellway, said: “The Future Home at Energy House 2.0 will enable us to analyse the real impact each individual aspect of the building fabric has on a home.
“The Nuspan floor within the home will work alongside underfloor heating. We chose Nuspan as a partner because the company is a market leader in off-site flooring manufacture. Its commitment to reducing waste and energy usage aligns both with this project and with our Better with Bellway sustainability strategy.
“The installation of the floor demonstrated the advantages of off-site manufacture. Delivering a completed unit to be fitted at the site meant fewer tradespeople were required to visit. The floor was ready to walk on immediately, which enabled us to press ahead with the next stage of build more quickly.
“Energy House 2.0 has the potential to change the way new homes are built by examining every aspect of the fabric and monitoring its efficiency. Nuspan’s input will give us a better understanding of the advantages insulated precast flooring could offer.”
Helen Wildin, Sales and Marketing Manager for Nuspan, said: “We’re proud to be working with developers, helping them to meet their commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. We try to achieve this by running a circular economy in our factory, leaving no material waste on site, and achieving U-values as low as 0.10 W/m²K on ground floors.
“It has been a privilege to partner with Bellway on Energy House 2.0. This is a game-changing research and development project for the industry, so we’re looking forward to seeing how the results shape the future of housebuilding.”
