GMC Eco Home

Design

With this Client living and working in a rural Scottish borders location. His first decision when thinking about building his own home was to call GMC.

GMC worked with the client from the beginning, working towards a design the client approved. At this stage GMC can provide a budget cost for the customer to approve, once approved the GMC design team organize both Planning and Building Control for the client.

As part of the design process GMC renewable energy specialists are available to work along side the design process building in renewable technologies as part of the build, while explaining each of technologies and their benefits.

Ground Source Heat Pump

With this property it was decided a GSHP was the best way forward. The clients living and working lifestyle suited the low temperature underfloor heating system providing economical heating 24 hours. The heap pump loop will draw solar energy stored 1.5m below the ground surface, before the pump draws this energy through compression cycle similar to the operation of a common house hold refrigerator. The technology is extremely efficient and is best suited with low temperature heat emitters such as underfloor heating.

The Heat Pump installed is a ‘Worcester Bosch Greenstore 6 Combi’ with a 300m horizontal ground loop.

The system has been calculated to give a COP (Coefficient of performance) 3.1, with an approximate annual cost of £581.00 (4470kw x 13p) based on 4 occupants. According to the www.energysavingtrust.org.uk when compared with Oil heating, the owner could save around

£310.00 per annum whilst saving 1,640kg of Co2 emissions.

With both oil prices and the alarming amount of oil fuel thefts in rural areas, the heap pump has many benefits to offer.

With GMC being an MCS registered installer for heat pumps, the client was able to claim a £1,250.00 grant towards the cost of the system, while still being eligible to claim the renewable heat incentive once it is announced late this year (October 2012)

The customer has opted to install a wood burning stove, stoves are extremely efficient at space heating, with the introduction of the stove this should lower the properties running costs further.

GMC Timber frame

GMC have been manufacturing timber frame houses since 1979, the materials and technologies have moved forward so much during these 33 years we have always made it priority to push the boundaries with what is possible with timber frame, from constructing 5 storey plus buildings to producing some of the most well insulated homes in the area.

This frame manufactured in the GMC workshop, is constructed using sustainable sourced 95×45 timbers warped with a Tyvek Therma wrap, this weather barrier and adds a low-emissivity (low-e) metallized surface. This helps to reduce radiant heat flow through walls which in turn helps to minimize both summer heat gain and winter heat loss. This adds to the insulation quilt in the timber frame and 25 kingspan insulation board across the internal face. The celling is insulated with 300mm insulation quilt, while the floor is insulated with 150mm kingspan insulation board, which sits below the underfloor heating pipe network, this envelope makes these homes extremely energy efficient and warm.

The timber windows were manufactured under controlled conditions in the GMC workshop, using pilkingtons A-rated K-glass, their market leading low-emissivity glass.

The GMC interior desgin team have put together a low energy lighting system to luminate the property both efficiently and cost effective.