How NW Bicester will be eco friendly
Carbon reduction
The development at NW Bicester plans to achieve unprecedented carbon savings by generating all of its energy for buildings on site and contributing no carbon emissions at all. Massive array of photo voltaic solar panels (give some figures), super efficient combined heat and power plant that makes use of the waste heat, largest development of truly zero carbon homes anywhere.
Water efficiency
By using the very best water efficient appliances and by harvesting rainwater and recycling it, these homes will use only 80 litres per person per day as compared with a typical home where they use 150l/p/d.
Car club
Commonwheels are coming to Bicester – the first semi rural car club in England. A four-car scheme at NW Bicester exemplar will kick start the club with potential for it to expand to other locations across the town. Car clubs provide people with flexible mobility insurance without all the costs and overheads of owning a car. Often ideal as a replacement for a second car. ……. When combined with a brand new 15 minute bus service, real time travel information in the homes, extensive cycle paths and walking routes, and charge points for electric vehicles in every home, hopefully this will lead the way in cutting transport related carbon emissions (and also lessen the impact on local roads).
Environmental research with Oxford Brookes
Learning about how to adapt our homes to climate change – Climate change is coming. At NW Bicester, the design team is working with Oxford Brookes University to examine how the weather in Bicester will look over the next 30, 50 and 80 years and how that will affect the environment we live in. They are looking at how they can design the homes to adapt to these new conditions, never be too hot or cold etc and build those new features in. They will then monitor the homes and see if they are behaving as expected. Most advanced large scale scheme in the country for adaptation research.
Environmentally friendly construction
Choosing building materials that are as harmless as possible. Reducing the embodied carbon impacts by 40 percent. – watch this space to see what building materials get used and why since this is still being developed and researched with the contractors.
Local jobs
Ambition to use a lot of local labour, suppliers of products, trades people and service providers. If you’d like to get involved please register their skills, products and services.