High tech eco home

But one Bexhill woman wants to make the dream come true, and she's on the lookout for two would-be self builders.

Gillian Stone recently purchased a derelict bungalow situated in a large plot of land on the outskirts of Little Common.

She is planning to build a home for her family there, incorporating the latest in renewable energy systems, thermal storage and sustainable materials.

To be able to turn her dream into reality, she is hoping to sell two building plots on the site to those with similar interests.

Rather than selling to commercial property developers, Gillian would like to encourage people who have dreamed of self-building to consider taking the step. She already has experience developing several properties in the area and has built up a friendly team of people whom she trusts to do a good job.

"I would really like to find a couple of like-minded people who are very interested in the latest developments in renewable energies", she said.

"By pooling our resources we should be able to achieve considerable savings on these emerging technologies."

One of the most potentially useful up-and-coming technologies is thermal storage, where excess heat generated by solar panels during the day can be stored until it's required later in the evening. These systems have the ability to make homes almost self-sufficient in water heating and electricity. Gillian has also been researching organisations such as "Good Energy", who offer cash incentives to people who are producing their own energy. A recent new-build property in Staplehurst, Kent, which uses such a system was recently featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs, and is said to be on target to achieve 1800 per year from the scheme.

"Although I'm not planning anything as futuristic as Richard Hawke's passive energy Arch House in Staplehurst", says Gillian, "I do feel that even a fairly ordinary house should be able to provide much of its own power and heat. In 2010 the Government is planning to encourage people who can sell excess electricity back to the grid by increasing the current figure from about 4p per unit to about 18p. Although this technology is expensive to install initially, this new system will begin to make it more cost effective. It's a fair bet that gas and electricity prices will continue to rise substantially in the future. Incorporating these systems into a new build is going to be cheaper and easier than retro-fitting to an existing property."

Anyone who gets involved in this project in the early stages would have the scope to influence the design of the properties that are planned for the site. Local architect Michael Hall is currently putting together his plans for the site, which will then be submitted to Rother District Council. The site is probably large enough to incorporate two four-bed and one three-bed house. The Government claims to be actively encouraging the building of environmentally friendly houses and Gillian hopes this will stand her in good stead through the often- tricky planning process.

For more information on this project, Gillian Stone can be contacted on 213872 or at [email protected].