Infrared heating and solar panel trial

As part of our drive to become a net-zero business we’re piloting a gas-free, low carbon home in West Yorkshire.

Key facts

Gas-free heating and hot water

delivered by infrared heating panels and intelligent hot water system, solar PV and battery storage solution

Intuitive system

using voice control technology and a mobile phone app to automatically control heating, lighting, security, safety, and entertainment

Intelligent home

learning and understanding homeowners’ behaviour and adapting to their daily routine

Our wondrwall trial

The three-bedroom detached Oxford Lifestyle home is enabled with Wondrwall Energy technology. It uses artificial intelligence and renewable energy to turn the house into a more sustainable, energy efficient home. It’s being lived in by a family of four who are helping us understand how the technology could impact potential future Redrow homeowners.

Wondrwall technology at a customer's house

Energy performance and monitoring

We are monitoring both the Wondrwall enabled home and the control house next door for a period of 12 months to cover all the seasons. Quantitative data is being collected on the overall energy efficiency of the Wondrwall home to evaluate its carbon footprint and assess the viability of us offering the technology to future Redrow home buyers. We are conducting regular interviews with the homeowners throughout the study to collect qualitative data and feedback about what it’s like to live in their home.

Initial insight

In the eight months to October 2022, CO2 emissions were 83% lower for the Wondrwall trial home, compared to the control house. Between March and October 2022, the Wondrwall enabled home used net 1377 KWH of energy, generating net CO2 emissions of 169 KG in total. In comparison, our standard home next door used almost four times the amount of energy (5362 KWH) and emitted almost six times more carbon (992 KG). Energy bills for the Wondrwall home were also around 45% lower than the standard home, due to solar generation, use of imported electricity on an off-peak tariff and solar export revenue.

"This trial demonstrates our commitment to finding less carbon intensive solutions for heating and hot water as part of our drive to cut carbon emissions. Our customers are our priority, and we want to ensure that our improvements to the building fabric and the services in our homes provide the most effective way of reducing our customers’ energy consumption and bills, and a comfortable living environment.”

Rose Sandell

Redrow’s Group Communities Director