We’re on a journey to become a more sustainable business and we’ve already taken steps to reduce our environmental impact. Our aim is to build homes that are operationally net zero carbon from 2030 and we’re hoping to eliminate gas from our developments ahead of the Scottish and U.K. Government targets.
Homes emit 20% of the UK's CO2, so as a responsible housebuilder, we must seriously address energy efficiency within our properties. Climate-conscious technology can already be found in many of our homes across Scotland and England, but we know we can and need to do more.
We’re exploring new and pioneering technologies such as solar PV with battery storage and air source heat pumps in order to make an active contribution to the fight against climate change. We’re also looking at the fabric of the homes we build and how we can enhance the biodiversity around them.
What does this mean for our customers? Our interactive home helps you understand some of the technology we are exploring and what a Cala home could look like in the future. While these technologies are undoubtedly better for the planet, they could also help our customers to save money on their bills in the long run too.
Some of these solutions are already available on a selection of our homes but they are plot and development specific. Speak to your Sales Advisor to find out more.
Explore our interactive home of the future below.
In 2023, 34% of our homes were built using timber frame. Over 90% of our homes have an EPC rating of A or B, with an average rating of 85.5 across the Cala Group - meaning our homes are not only built using more sustainable materials, you'll benefit from an energy efficient home too.
We are working towards the removal of fossil fuels in the homes we build and we are currently trialling several gas-alternatives across Scotland and England. These heating systems replace a traditional gas boiler which equates to around 70% of the operational carbon within our properties, so the alternative heating solutions are a step in the right direction towards reducing the carbon emissions of our homes.
We believe that not only must we strive to build homes that are more sustainable, we must also give our customers the tools and technology they need to operate their homes with lower emissions. Cala will build all homes with EV charging stations, where infrastructure allows, helping our customers who want to buy an electric vehicle to reduce their carbon footprint, and even their fuel costs too.
As well as adopting measures to help our homes run more sustainably, their very fabric is becoming more sustainable. Timber frame construction has less embodied carbon than traditional building methods and is already being used on around 40 per cent of the homes we build each year. We are significantly increasing this proportion as part of our sustainability strategy.
Photovoltaic (PV) panels, which generate electricity, can be found on homes across many of our developments, allowing customers to reduce their energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.
Water supplies across the UK are becoming less predictable and due to the processes involved, every litre of water from our taps has its own carbon footprint, so the need to reduce personal water consumption across the country is becoming ever more important. To allow our customers to increase their water efficiency and help play their part in the fight against climate change, Cala has introduced high-efficiency shower heads, and flow-controlled aerators to taps to help reduce water wastage, and potentially water bills for customers in England.
We want to provide homes that suit our customers ways of living. Starting with great standard designs, we also recognise that some customers might need adaptations to thrive in their new home. Find out more about Cala Homes' approach to accessibility modifications.
These technologies are being rolled out in more and more of our new homes, however changing construction methods and energy provision on existing sites is not always possible, so while we complete those sites, not all of our homes will have the features listed. Customers should speak with their sales consultant and read the specification for their home for the details of what is included on their development.
There’s no doubt we still have some way to go on our sustainability journey, but we are committed to investigating new ways to be greener across all of our sites, no matter the constraints, and to being ahead of legislation when it comes to carbon reduction.
As we work towards our goal of becoming operationally net zero, our customers’ impact on the environment will also reduce significantly over the coming years – it’s a journey we will take together.
In addition to the above sustainability features, more modern, sustainable technologies are being installed in a selection of our homes and developments across the Cala business, alongside the implementation of sustainable construction methods and on-site practices. We are also looking at ways of improving social sustainability and biodiversity within our developments and the communities we build in. Find out more about which sustainability features are being implemented below.
We are currently building our first net zero carbon enabled home. The ECO2 home is a one-off property (for now) bringing together tried and tested green technology from across our existing developments. It will be available to rent from Spring 2024 and we hope it will create a blueprint for the roll-out of operationally net-zero-carbon enabled homes across Cala’s business by 2030, with monitoring and customer feedback allowing us to truly test this ‘role-model home’.
As part of our net-zero drive, we are delivering nine properties designed to meet Future Homes Standard expectations at Finchwood Park development in Finchampstead. Those homes will feature a number of green technologies including heat pumps, timber frame construction, PV panels and wastewater heat recovery systems.
We are working with E.ON, Energy Assets and SP Energy Networks to pilot a bespoke solution which helps harness green energy to work towards decarbonising the grid – tackling a huge barrier faced by the industry as it seeks to become more sustainable. The dynamic technology is being piloted in an initial 77 homes at our flagship development within the new 800-home Maidenhill community in Newton Mearns, near Glasgow, with plans to roll it out further thereafter. You can read more about our E.ON partnership in our blog.
