Construction begins on Scotland's largest Net-Zero Housing Development

Sept. 8, 2022
The village will include a district heating system and solar photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of each flatted block. Around the housing sector will be 30 electric vehicle charging points
Building contractor Arc-Tech (Scotland) has started work on a planned net-zero housing development comprising nearly 450 units.

Western Villages, the development of 444 homes, will be located along the waterfront at the Firth of Forth. It is part of the city of Edinburgh Council’s Waterfront Regeneration initiative.

The village will include a district heating system and solar photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of each flatted block. The district heating will contain a series of electric heat pumps heating water and moving it through an insulated pipe network throughout the development, according to the plan.

Main contractor on the Western Villages project is CCG (Scotland) and Hawthorne Boyle working in partnership with Arc-Tech.

Around the housing sector will be 30 electric vehicle charging points.

“Western Villages is a landmark development for net zero housing delivery in Edinburgh and Scotland, and it is a privilege for Arc-Tech to be involved,” John Gallacher, company managing director, said in a statement. “Sustainability is ingrained in every detail of this project from enhanced build standards and our bespoke-designed energy system to lower car use and a focus on active travel and ecology combining to create a new blueprint for sustainable, urban living.”

Builders hope to complete Western Villages in 2024. The development will offer a mix of 1, 2- and 3-bedroom flats. Architect on the project is Cooper Cromar.

The overall Waterfront Regeneration includes 1.3 billion Euros in development, including 3,500 homes.

Reports last year about the plan’s approval called it Scotland’s largest net-zero housing development.

About the Author

EnergyTech Staff

Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

He can be reached at [email protected]

EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.