A £250,000 project is set to create Swansea Bay’s first Homes As Power Stations (HAPS) demonstration houses.
The project – a partnership between Neath Port Talbot Council, Tai Tarian and Cardiff University’s Welsh School of Architecture, aims to inform and inspire wider industry and residents to support an acceleration in the use of technology to create cleaner, greener, more energy efficient homes.
The Homes As Power Stations (HAPS) project, led by Neath Port Talbot council, is one of Swansea Bay City Deal’s initiatives to accelerate the decarbonisation of homes in the Swansea Bay area. The demo houses will provide a place for people to visit, interact, and learn about the operation of these cutting-edge technologies, including college students, local schools and businesses. It will also be a way to connect with installers and contractors that are working within this field or considering diversifying into this new technology.
The homes will enable essential knowledge to be shared regarding lessening a home’s dependency on fossil fuels and energy networks. These improvements will make a home warmer and less expensive to run, therefore addressing fuel poverty as well as environmental and health benefits.
Tai Tarian have selected two homes in the Margam area that will showcase the latest solutions where they will benefit from enhanced fabric measures such as insulation and PVC windows, as well as technology including solar panels, battery and air source heat pumps.
Working with Cardiff University’s Welsh School of Architecture (WSA) as Project Consultants, the house will be designed to showcase each step of the improvement process highlighting the skills and technology required to achieve maximum benefits. The WSA team will bring 12 years’ experience of designing, installing and monitoring low carbon solutions in different Welsh housing stock where they have developed a range of dissemination materials that can be shared.
Head of Asset Management and Decarbonisation at Tai Tarian, Craig Mayberry Thomas said:
“We are delighted to be involved in the Swansea Bay City Deal HAPS project, working alongside Neath Port Talbot CBC and the Welsh School of Architecture. Retrofitting both occupied and empty homes to make them more energy efficient is something we have done before, at great benefit to our tenants.
“We will take this knowledge and experience alongside the expertise and guidance provided by the team at Welsh School of Architecture to ensure we deliver a successful project for our tenants. We are looking forward to implementing new green technology as part of this project, ensuring our tenants have guidance on using such systems allowing them to maximise their energy savings, improving the comfort of their home and reducing their carbon emissions.
“By allowing airtight highly insulated homes to generate their own power helps reduce their dependence on the electrical grid and fossil fuels. We look forward to seeing the outcome of the project and learning from it to help us plan for the effective retrofit of more of our homes.”
Councillor Jeremy Hurley, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Economic Growth, said:
“The Swansea Bay City Deal HAPS project is a significant step forward in our commitment to creating a more sustainable future for our communities. By transforming these homes into power stations, we are not only reducing carbon emissions but also addressing fuel poverty by helping residents to save money on their energy bills. The HAPS demonstration houses show what is possible when we combine the latest technology with a strong vision for greener, more energy-efficient homes.”
The funding for the project is from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
