The development of 75 affordable, 'net-zero ready' homes at Granton Station View, led by the City of Edinburgh Council, has reached its final phase now that rigorous testing is underway to validate performance standards. 

Across three pilot projects, including the Station View site, the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) programme is set to deliver 324 homes designed to achieve a 'net-zero ready' standard. This is achieved by improved building fabric performance that exceeds the current Building Regulations coupled with a zero-emissions heating system.

The first phase was delivered by CCG (Scotland) and now, The University of Edinburgh has commenced detailed, in-situ performance tests to measure and monitor the performance standard before occupancy, with results expected in Spring 2025.

The University is measuring the u-value and airtightness of the buildings as well as thermal imaging the homes, among other notable data strands.

A 12-month monitoring period following occupancy will further assess the homes' performance. During this time, occupants will also be asked to participate in surveys to understand behaviour that influences energy efficiency and to capture insights into the impact of and experiences with zero-direct-emissions heating systems.

The University will also be capturing the electricity usage via the property distribution board, monitoring the efficiency of the communal heating system and internal air temperature analysis using surface-mounted sensors.

Now that the EHD programme is well underway with the delivery of its pilot projects, the six local authority partners of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal have committed to establish and manage the Regional Delivery Alliance (RDA) to apply the lessons learned from the EHD programme to refine and scale the performance standard.

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By consolidating outputs from the EHD programme, the RDA is applying a cohesive approach to procurement, housing typologies, and performance specifications across the six local authority areas.

The Regional Delivery Alliance has secured funding and endorsement from regional partners for an initial two-year term, running until March 2026. The RDA will play a vital role in supporting local authorities, registered social landlords, and the private sector in the South East of Scotland, ensuring the successful delivery of affordable, energy efficient housing.

City of Edinburgh Council's Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Thanks to the collaborative efforts with our partners at the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator programme, we've been able to deliver high-quality, energy efficient homes that will provide much needed housing for individuals and families. The testing being performed will verify that the homes achieve the high standard expected and I look forward to seeing the results.

“The homes at Granton Station View are designed with the latest technology to keep energy bills low, ensuring that families can live comfortably while benefitting from a sustainable, future-proofed living environment. Not only will they reduce carbon emissions, but they also provide another avenue for tackling the housing emergency.”

Dr Julio Bros-Williamson, Chancellor's Fellow in Net Zero Buildings at the University of Edinburgh said:  “The evaluation of the homes is the culmination of a lot of hard work from the stakeholders of this pilot project, from the initial design and energy aspirations to the construction and delivery on site. The tests we are conducting will help to verify and provide in-depth knowledge of the initial performance of a sample of flats representative of the whole development. Projects like this provide a beacon of knowledge to transition to net zero homes of the present and future.”

CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “Granton Station View is a pioneering development that will help to shape the future of affordable, net zero housebuilding in the Edinburgh and South East City Region. As main contractor, CCG led its delivery through use of our advanced, offsite methods of construction – a key strand of the EHD initiative's philosophy and an integral component to achieving the rigorous design standard and future operational net zero carbon capability.

“We look forward to receiving the results and once again give thanks to The City of Edinburgh Council, the design team and wider delivery partners for their support throughout the project's journey.”

Granton Station View comprises 75, 1-3 bedroom homes in a mix of social (48) and mid-market rent (27) constructed to the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator build standard, achieving between Gold Aspect 1 and 2 – maximum average annual space heating demand of 19kWh/m2/year – with the future capability of delivering operational net zero carbon through zero emissions heating and carbon offsetting measures.

CCG's offsite manufactured enhanced closed panel 'iQ' Timber System was utilised for the build, a system that was integrated with our own, low U-value PVCu triple-glazed windows, fabricated in partnership with REHAU UK.