Sustainable homes at the Park: kinder to the planet and your pocket

We’re all under pressure to protect the environment and to help stop global warming for the benefit of future generations. One of the best places to start is at home. Leaving the car behind, limiting our use of plastics and recycling and reusing all helps. But did you know that housing accounts for almost a third of the UK’s energy use?

Thankfully, new Highwood homes at the Park can help you combat that. They’re all designed to help you use less energy, to cut your carbon footprint and to keep your energy bills down.

Highwood homes have always been built with sustainability in mind and our homes at the Park have gone even further to reduce their impact on the environment. Here are some of the key features in our energy-saving sustainable homes at North Stoneham Park.

Timber-framed buildings are sustainable and have great thermal properties

Timber-framed construction

Timber frame construction is environmentally friendly because the carbon that’s absorbed by trees when they’re growing is locked into the structure of the frame. It also means we rely on fewer carbon dioxide (CO₂) producing activities as we build. The thermal properties of timber frame homes are also much better than traditional brick and blocks that absorb the temperature produced by your central heating. That will have a positive impact on your heating bills.

Read our article on the difference between timber frame and brick and block house construction.

Solar PV panels

View the Park from the sky and you’ll see Highwood homes here all use solar PV (photovoltaic) systems. These in-roof solar panels offset energy use and reduce at least 1 ton of carbon per household.

They use semiconductor technology to convert energy from sunlight into electricity that can power your home for free. They’ll not only help you reduce your energy bills, but solar panels will reduce your carbon footprint too.

Solar photovoltaic systems offset energy use and reduce your carbon footprint

We use 300mm double-layer mineral wool loft insulation for maximum efficiency

Optimal loft insulation

Did you know a quarter of the heat in your home is lost through your roof? We put an end to that by fitting 300mm double-layer mineral wool loft insulation to reduce heat loss and help you save money on your heating bills.

The depth of our insulation is more than the government’s recommended depth, which is currently 270mm, but we’ve gone further than that to keep your home more efficient and at a comfortable temperature for longer.

Eco-friendly systems throughout

We’ve made sure that every home at North Stoneham Park is designed to be as energy efficient and eco-friendly as it can be. You’ll find 100% LED lighting throughout and UPVC windows that are hermetically sealed, argon-filled unit with low energy glass. Each home has an A-rated gas boiler that comes with a seven-year warranty and A+ rated kitchen appliances. Loft hatches are also insulated and airtight, so no heat is lost.

Read about our energy saving features and specifications for every home.

A+ rated kitchen appliances are fitted into every new home at the Park

We've promised to be carbon zero by 2025

We’re making a difference to other communities too

We’re proud that Highwood has pledged to be operationally carbon zero by 2025. This means we’re committed to using new technologies that help us continue to prioritise sustainability and the environment.

We also have a forward-thinking Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy that means we help other communities put their environments first too. We’ve promised to donate £5000 for every new project we deliver that has to be spent on a community project. Our site teams decide what form the project will take, but from designing and building a new play area for a local children’s nursery in Botley recently to planting trees, we’re already making a difference.

7 reasons why a Highwood home is cheap to run

If you want to see the energy-saving features in a sustainable Highwood home for yourself, call us on 023 8001 1620 and we’d be delighted to show you round. In the meantime, you can watch our video to discover seven reasons why a Highwood home is cheap to run.