Code 6, Lincolnshire

50kWp Show Piece, Social Housing

Objective
To be one of the first Carbon Negative social housing developments in the country. A showpiece development of 3x 2-bed and 3x 3-bed houses designed to achieve Code level 6 under the Code for Sustainable Homes.  Code level 6 requires that the houses generate more electricity from on site renewable sources than they use (Carbon Negative). The plots all face due south and have mono pitched roofs. Other measures include:-  passive space heating, solar water heating, rain water harvesting, vertical axis wind turbine and natural earth-bunding to help insulate the homes. South Facing were closely involved with the design and selection of the final Solar PV solution

Solution
2 bed houses have a 7.5kWp PV
system and the 3 bed houses have an 8.5kWp system.

System details
3-Bed Houses 50x170Watt poly crystalline modules
2x Fronius IG series inverters +G59 relay
Total System Output 8.5kWp

2-Bed Houses
45x170Watt poly crystalline modules
2x Fronius IG series inverters +G59 relay
Total System Output 7.65kWp
Total Site Output 48.45kWp
Predicted annual energy generation 42,000kWh

Result
The installation was commissioned with out interruption to the build programme. The Solar PV development has achieved its carbon negative goal and was awarded a high Code level 5 pass. Since occupation in summer 2009 the tenants are all exporting more electricity to the grid than predicted.