The UK have unveiled their first zero-emission house which they hope will become the new environmental standard for all future new homes.

The first house to be unveiled is a two-bed house, insulated so that it loses two thirds less heat than an equivalent standard two-bedroomed house. The house features solar panels and a biomass boiler so that it can produce it’s own electricity as well as water efficient devices and rainwater harvesting.

The biomass boiler runs on organic fuels such as wood pellets. Although this does emit carbon dioxide, it is still classed as zero-emission because the amount of CO2 produced when burning the pellets it offset by the amount that was absorbed when the crop was grown. The house has a separate waste system that allows combustible waste to be burned, thus helping to provide power.

With a quarter of all of the UK’s carbon emissions coming from homes, the UK are currently on a drive to make housing more environmentally friendly. By 2016, the UK are expecting to have several rules laid down for new house standards – this new zero emissions house meets the current guidelines for 2016.

The house is about 40% more expensive to build than standard houses, but as more are built, the cost is expected to drop. Chancellor Gordon Brown has already announced in his March budget that zero-carbon houses would be exempt from stamp duty, so homeowners have extra incentive to purchase these slightly more expensive properties.

Name ‘The Lighthouse’, it has been unveiled at the Offsite 2007 exhibition in Watford, England.

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