Scottish housebuilder Muir Homes has opted for LPG from Calor to provide central heating and hot water for 79 new-build homes at its Strathord Park development in the former mill town of Stanley in Perthshire.
Muir Homes, which is one of Scotland’s largest privately-owned housebuilding companies, uses mains gas for the majority of its sites but Strathord Park’s rural location meant this was not an option.
“We did consider using air source heat pumps (ASHP) for this development but concluded that there is too much uncertainty over its long-term performance and suitability in Scotland, due to our wet climate and cold winters,” explains Eric Wardlaw, Senior Architectural Technologist for Muir Homes. “As a major housebuilder delivering quality homes to a high specification, we prefer technology with a proven track record of being both reliable and affordable for our purchasers. Calor gives us that assurance.”
The new homes, which include 20 plots of affordable housing, range from two- bedroomed mid-terraced homes to four-bedroomed detached houses. All incorporate energy-efficient features, including gas central heating, photovoltaic panels, double-glazing and high levels of insulation.
As aesthetics are a crucial consideration for the development’s saleability, Calor has installed six 4,000 litre LPG tanks below ground to maintain the attractive appearance of Strathord Park. Gas is distributed through a network of hidden pipes directly to each home, which each have individual meters that are read annually by Calor. This allows homeowners to be invoiced for their household consumption, which means that on completion of the development Muir Homes will not need to be involved with its energy supply on an ongoing basis.
