Dr Mike PageUniversity of Hertfordshire

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The CUBE Project is an ambitious attempt to build a compact (3mx3mx3m) home in which one person can live with a minimum impact on the environment.

The first Cube, QB1, is an affordable carbon-neutral home, and was exhibited at the Edinburgh International Science Festival in April and is currently at the University of Hertfordshire.

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The claim was that QB1 could be scaled up. Energy losses and gains go up

approximately with surface area.

U(walls, floor, ceilings) =0.2W/m2K U(windows) = 1W/m2K; Air changes/h = 1.5, with 70% heat recovery 300l/day hot water at 55˚C; ASHP COP=3; 300W other electricity demand on average

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This suggests a total average electrical demand of just over around 1100W, equivalent to the output of a 12kWp PV solar system in southern England.

This is around 95m2 of solar PV, costing £250 pcm for 5% loan over 25 years, and raising £300 pcm in Feed-in Tariff (this is in the first year and is index linked)

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Making the house terraced, counting in thermal gains from incident solar and from heat generated by appliances and people inside the house, we get a cost of £180pcm for all bills.

This figure stays the same for 25 years, and is equivalent to the average current level of household bills, indexed by 5% p.a. for the same period.

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The Cube Project gives us an existence-proof of an affordable zero-carbon home.

It is, admittedly, a bit small to expect everyone to live in one.

Fortunately it scales up in a practical and affordable manner.

It is rational and optimistic to vote against the motion.

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