A zero carbon concept house for sustainable living, developed by one of the UK’s major housebuilders, has been fitted with reflective insulating wall membranes from Glidevale Protect to deliver an airtight and energy-efficient building envelope. Constructed on the University of Salford’s main campus, Zed House is the result of a collaboration between Barratt Developments, industry partners and University of Salford academics.

Glidevale Protect supplied its reflective wall membranes Protect TF200 Thermo and Protect VC Foil Ultra as part of the build to deliver a low-emissivity solution through the use of still airspaces. The products provide strong, aged thermal resistance to reduce energy consumption and heat loss, thereby helping to achieve a low overall U-value. The membranes were installed offsite to closed timber-frame panels by specialist manufacturer and designer Oregon Timber Frame, before being delivered and constructed on site.

Zed House is constructed using MMC to reduce the build time by half, and is packed with cutting-edge technology to reduce carbon emissions. It also substantially surpasses the Future Homes Standard ­– being the first house built by a major housebuilder to achieve this. Glidevale Protect is one of more than 40 organisations involved in the project from across the housebuilding, sustainability and technology sectors, supplying a wide array of advanced low-carbon technologies, including PV solar panels, battery storage and electric vehicle charging points. Continually monitored for energy performance, Zed House will be lived in by University of Salford academics to better understand the customer experience of zero carbon living.

“We’re delighted to be involved in this ground-breaking project which goes beyond current regulations to deliver a future-proofed design with carbon reduction at its heart,” explained John Mellor, Glidevale Protect’s senior product manager. “With energy efficiency and net zero carbon high on the agenda, we’re proud that our thermally efficient construction membranes have played their part in this build.”

Oliver Novakovic, Group Technical and Innovation Director at Barratt Developments, said “The Zed House takes a fabric-first approach, supported by a range of smart and renewable technologies, to ensure high standards of energy efficiency in this zero carbon home. Glidevale Protect is an important partner on this project, who has provided high-quality reflective membranes to enhance the wall’s thermal performance, helping to reflect radiant heat and prevent energy loss from the timber-frame home.”

Glidevale Protect is also working alongside Bellway Homes by supplying its specialist construction membranes for use on The Future Home@The University of Salford, one of the two detached timber-frame houses that are currently being constructed within the Energy House 2.0 energy performance test facility, with the structure having been manufactured offsite. These membranes include the reflective, low emissivity Protect TF200 Thermo breather membrane installed to external walls to provide high levels of thermal efficiency, the Protect BarriAir membrane (shown above) fitted to internal walls with the company’s universal reinforced sealing tape to eliminate air leakage and energy loss, and also the Protect FCM 750 floor cassette membrane to maintain the integrity of the airtightness system at the floor junction and to provide condensation control at the edges of the floor cassette.

For more information about Glidevale Protect’s involvement in Zed House and also The Future Home@The University of Salford, visit the Glidevale Protect website, email info@glidevaleprotect.com, or call +44 (0)161 905 5700. Follow us on LinkedIn.