Care home largest to meet energy efficiency grade

A new care home is aiming to be the largest in the country to meet the stringent Passivhaus standard of energy efficiency.

It is hoped Red Kite Meadows in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, could provide residents with up to a 90% reduction in annual energy bills.

Passivhaus developments are built with high levels of insulation, have triple glazing and use heat from objects and people inside. The ultra‑energy‑efficient buildings have very little need for heating or cooling.

Robert Templeton, managing director of Care is Central, owned by Central Bedfordshire Council, said: "We have already got, including this one, two care homes that are Passivhaus, with plans to build a third one in Sandy soon."

Templeton said some bills at Red Kite Meadows, built on the site of the old Flitwick leisure centre, could be cut by up to 90%.

"The way the whole building is managed means you can turn parts of it off if you are not using it or an individual wants a different type of environment," he added.

It features 88 one and two-bedroom apartments for over 55s, a short-term respite care facility for adults with disabilities and a residential home.

There are 185 solar panels to reduce electricity costs and windows are shielded from direct sunlight to stop the sun's glare heating the building up.

Rooms have two mechanical ventilation and heat recovery units that recycle stale air, and triple-glazed windows.

It is designed to dementia-friendly standards and is part of the Independent-run authority's plan to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Chris Hoggarth, from building design consultants Concertus, said: "The building relies less on natural forms of artificial heat, but utilises body heat and appliances to create heat within the building.

"We have constructed a building that is incredibly airtight and serves to ensure heat within the building doesn't escape."

He added: "On warm days the warm environment doesn't enter the building, so we don't struggle to cool it."

Chayley Collis, from the UK Passivhaus Trust, said: "This is being applied to a wide range of building types, from social housing to schools and swimming pools.

"Central Bedfordshire Council is to be applauded for their forward-thinking approach in delivering what will be the largest certified passivhaus care provision development to date in the UK."

Collis added: "The standard offers a proven approach to achieving very low energy demand while ensuring excellent indoor comfort.

"It is particularly important given the increases in energy prices we are seeing across the world."

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