The first residents have now moved into state-of-the-art new apartments developed by Cardiff based housing and support provider Taff Housing. The new apartments on the brownfield site of a former Bingo Hall in Splott have been fitted with innovative infrared wallpaper, among other carbon-reducing technologies, as part of the housing associations commitment to offer its tenants better access to more affordable warmth.
The low-carbon infrared wallpaper has been designed to help heat homes, while also reducing carbon emissions and with the aim of lowering fuel costs. Installed on the ceilings, the technology is unobtrusive to residents and can warm single rooms much faster than traditional heating systems. Using a combination of infrared and convection heat, the wallpaper offers a more cost-effective solution compared to heat pumps.
The thermal wallpaper is just one of the energy efficiency measures that has been implemented at the new Agate Street property. Other installations include LED lighting fixtures to reduce electricity usage and carbon emissions, smart thermostats, and heating controls to optimise heating system efficiency, and solar panels PV. These technologies not only generate clean, sustainable energy for tenants, they are also more energy efficient, low carbon, and hopefully will save its tenants money too.
David Pettitt, Surveying Team Manager at Taff Housing said: “Creating homes that are not only energy efficient but affordable is a key objective when it comes to planning a development. However, with the vast number of technological innovations claiming to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs, it can be challenging to know which ones will be most effective in terms of providing the best value for money and savings to our tenants.”
Alongside these energy efficiency methods, the Agate Street storage unit has a sedum roof, which is a plant-based roof to help with drainage and stops flooding while providing a boost to the local biodiversity.
Adekanye Ifaturoti, Trainee Development Officer said: “We decided to trial this new wallpaper, among other innovations, because it was not overly costly to install. If successful, it could be a game-changer in terms of creating more accessible affordable warmth for our tenants. We will work closely with the residents in the new development to gather feedback and take regular measurements to closely monitor and analyse its effectiveness over the next 12 months. As families continue to battle the cost-of-living crisis, we hope that this wallpaper can help alleviate some of the financial strains that they’re facing.
“The Development Team at Taff Housing is also engaged on various projects across Cardiff as a part of our strategy to reduce fuel costs and improve heating in our tenants’ homes. When planning our new developments, we consistently prioritise affordable warmth and sustainability to ensure our new homes are future proofed and energy efficient.”
Agate Street, in Splott, has been vacant since 2009 upon the closure of Riva Bingo and was also damaged in 2015 after a fire onsite. It then remained empty until Taff Housing acquired the site for development of new affordable homes and planning approval was received in 2021. Construction commenced in 2022, partly funded by Welsh Government’s Social Housing Grant, to provide 39 one and two bedroom flats for 39 families.
Helen White, CEO at Taff Housing said: “The Welsh Government has set a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the decarbonisation of homes plays a big part in improving building energy efficiency. Our decision to make our homes more energy efficient supports Welsh Governments plans for Net Zero Wales 2050 but more importantly offers numerous advantages to our tenants.
“Through these energy efficiency measures, we hope that our residents can benefit from lower energy bills, improved air quality and more effective insultation while we continue to reduce our carbon footprint. While we’re in the process of decarbonising our new builds, we’re simultaneously retrofitting our established properties too.”
