Click each project in the list below to scroll down the page and view further details.
Save your Energy Project – Birmingham
South Lozells Eco Village Programme
Summerfield Eco Neighbourhood
Family's First Eco Home
Involvement from local schools
Green Make-Over for Community Church
Save your Energy project - Birmingham
Family has teamed up with Digital Birmingham and Be Birmingham to undertake a 2 year ‘Living Labs’ project to develop a system to measure, display and influence domestic energy consumption. The project is called DEHEMS (Digital Environment Home Energy System) and is funded by the European Union with the aim to improve energy efficiency and reduce household emissions.
The project kicked off in June 2008 with a partnership between European Local Authorities, businesses and universities. It is being undertaken across Europe with other households selected in Bulgaria, Romania and Czech Republic.
50 households have been selected in the Summerfield area to take part in the project. The households cover a range of property types and sizes, some with good energy efficiency products already in place, some not. The home energy system installed into each property will provide data on household heat loss and appliance performance, as well as monitoring energy usage to give real time information on emissions and the energy performance of appliances and services. Households can then use this information to see where they can alter their energy usage.
It is only by engaging households in this way and helping them understand their energy consumption that lifestyle changes can be made and we can find a ‘greener’ way of living.
You can view full details on the project at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS418xrHovg
South Lozells Eco Village Programme
A programme providing home owners with free solar panels and a free energy efficiency home check by a qualified Green Doctor is now underway in South Lozells, helping cut down on the rising cost of fuel bills and providing Birmingham with its’ second eco village.
The project which started at the end of 2008 aims to install solar panel hot water systems to 23 properties in the Lozells area, provide 1500 homes with ‘green’ Information Packs on recycling, water conservation and other green issues and complete 60 energy efficiency advice surveys via a ‘Green Doctor’ service.
Family Housing Association decided on the project following our very successful award winning eco village project in the Summerfield area of the city in 2007/08. On a larger scale, this £2.3m project saw solar panels installed to over 300 homes in a 12 month period which will help deliver 60% of each household’s hot water per annum. Learning on their experience, Family Housing are now focusing their work on South Lozells to help home owners in this area receive the same benefits.
Funding of over £160,000 for the South Lozells Eco Village has been provided by Urban Living, the Birmingham / Sandwell Housing Pathfinder and will currently see the project through until the end of March, with local contractors, New World Solar delivering the project.
The South Lozells eco programme is FREE for home owners living in the project area who meet certain guidelines and involves the installation of solar panels, energy efficient boilers and a free home energy check by our qualified Green Doctor. By doing this, we aim to help reduce the concerns over rising fuel bills, improve energy efficiency, health and well-being.
For further information on this project and our Green Doctor, please contact us on 0121 766 1100.
Summerfield Eco Neighbourhood Project
Innovative environmental sustainability projects are now a priority for Family Housing and Summerfield in North West Birmingham has seen a number of improvements over the last few years, following our £11m regeneration programme undertaken with Birmingham City Council. Now private home owners now benefit from a £2.3m eco neighbourhood project, the largest renewable energy project of its kind in the UK at its time.
The idea for the eco project evolved after local residents raised concerns to Family Housing on energy efficiency and the negative impact of rising fuel bills. Family then identified opportunities for accessing new renewable technologies and decided to convert one of their properties into their very first Eco Home, to promote and demonstrate to local residents the energy saving systems available.
Following the success of the eco house, it was decided to make Summerfield into an ‘Eco Neighbourhood’, the first in Birmingham. Bewteen February 2007 and April 2008, Family Housing, with Birmingham City Council, installed 329 homes with solar panels. This will significantly reduce fuel bills by up to £150 per year and it is estimated that the sytems will deliver 60% of each households hot water per annum.
These installations were fitted completely free of charge for owner occupiers in the area, depending on certain eligibility criteria, with the aim of reducing fuel poverty.
Build a better Birmingham 2008 - Video clip from BeBirmingham.
For further details on our eco project, click the link below and select 'Build a better Birmingham 2008'.
http://www.youtube.com/bebirmingham
Be Birmingham Annual Report 2008 - Family's inclusion in tackling climate change and creating a better environment for the people of Birmingham.
Family's first Eco Home
Working with Birmingham City Council and Urban Living, the Birmingham/Sandwell Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder, Family Housing added £30,000 of its own funding to install a number of new technologies to a Victorian semi which was being de-converted from a house in multiple occupation into a large family home. The eco house was officially opened in June 2006 by and is currently occupied by Family Housing tenants.
Involvement of local schools
The eco house also opened up the opportunity for Family to work with primary school children on promoting energy efficiency and by working with the city council’s housing education initiative, Family has invested £20k helping over 500 young people from the local schools develop an Eco website, Eco radio station and energy advice DVD. Please link to www.eco-radio.co.uk for the latest eco news and podcasts.
Green make-over for community church
As part of this eco neighbourhood project, the church hall situated in the centre of Summerfield, also received a £15,000 make-over. As Family has been using the hall as an office base for the project, a number of environmentally friendly improvements have been made, including solar panels, sun pipes and insulation from recycled cotton and sheep wool. Family has now created their own eco team who will continue to be temporarily based at the church hall until the work has been completed.
Also, with our partners, Pertemps People Development Group, the Eco project has created employment opportunities and provided careers for Women in construction. 5 trainees have gained placements with the contractors and are being given the opportunity to become fully qualified to install the solar panels.
For any further details on our eco projects please contact us on 0121 766 1100.