Building for future

He said: “In a few years time we shall all have to build to an A-rate energy standard. But there is now such a vast array of choice out there, at hugely differing costs, that picking the right technology at the right price is not easy.

“And this is particularly so as I am a little dubious about the claims of some products.”

Now — if all goes to plan — the house under construction on a third of an acre site at 133 Abingdon Road, Standlake,will show that it is possible to build a home that looks exactly like traditional stone-built house — but nevertheless incorporates energy saving gizmos, hidden way in its structure, at little extra cost.

Mr Cade, 47 (pictured), said: “The objective is to have high insulation and very air low leakage. The question is: how to do it.”

He added that even in the economic downturn he was finding it possible to sell houses.

“Quality is important and always sells,” he said.

But how do you produce good quality in an eco home, in a design that planners will approve at a price people can afford in these cash-strapped times?

Mr Cade explained that economies of scale apply here: the bigger the house the less onerous the costs of building in green technology — which is why he has opted for five bedrooms at Standlake.

He said: “Speed of construction is also important. This house is timber frame but we are using Structured Insulated Panels (SIPs) that saves the time of inserting panels with studs. The panels arrive with insulation already built in — which saves time.”

SIPs consist of an insulating layer of rigid polymer foam sandwiched between two layers of structural board.

Their history dates back to the 1930s, when the first building was constructed using them in Wisconsin — a building which, incidentally, has withstood severe north American winters ever since.

But it is only now are they becoming widely recognised as a cost-effective way forward to produce the homes of tomorrow.

Mr Cade bought his SIP eco panels from a producer in Scotland, where they are more widely used than in England — perhaps thanks to the colder climate.

The frame of the new house was up in two weeks and the roof finished before a brick was laid. Now Mr Cade hopes to have the home on the market in April.

Instead of opting for relatively expensive heating methods such as a ground source heat pump, he has gone for a wood pellet boiler and an underfloor system, coupled with a mechanical heat recovery system which ensures that fresh air coming into the home is warmed by the “used” air going out.

He said: “I think this house will be healthier than a traditional one because fresh air will be constantly pushed around.”

With all that insulation and lack of air leakage built into the property, Mr Cade reckons there will be little need for additional heating, though hot water will be produced by solar energy and the necessary wiring has been installed in case a future occupier should want to install solar heating.

Mr Cade said: “The premium in terms of costs for building this home to an A-rated energy standard is about seven per cent above a traditional build.”

The hope is of course that buyers will be attracted to buy homes like this because they will save on energy bills and thereby gain in the long run.

Mr Cade became a developer after working for many years in the publications department at Rover in Cowley, a job he left when BMW took over ten years ago.

He said: “The first thing I did was build my own house.”

He has been in the business ever since. His company, Edgestone Homes, two years ago completed the seven houses at Prince’s Court, Abingdon.

And how is he weathering the downturn in the house building business, which has been in the doldrums since the start of the credit squeeze in 2007?

He said: “The secret is in the buying.”

In other words the old adage ‘Location, Location, Location’ holds as true now as it has always done.

He added: “I have a very good relationship with my bank, Lloyds TSB, and am able to obtain credit — which helps when there are so many people around who find it hard to raise money.”

He added: “Another result of the squeeze is that there is there is now little competition from self-build people, because it is hard for them to find finance.

“They were always great competitors because of course they were not seeking to make a profit on their activities as I was.”

The Government is committed to reducing the UK’s carbon emissions by 60 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050 — and domestic houses in the UK presently produce about a quarter of the nation’s emissions.

So Mr Cade’s hunch that in future houses will be forced to be more environmentally friendly is probably well founded.

In 2007 a report from Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute reckoned it would be possible to produce an 80 per cent cut in energy emissions from homes by 2050.

It recommended more legally binding emission standards be introduced for new homes along with a “robust programme” of tax incentives, including Stamp Duty rebates for insulated homes and reduced VAT on energy efficient goods.

We are still waiting for all this, but in the meantime there is no harm in learning how to produce the homes of tomorrow today. ib