After careful deliberations, the judges of the Lincolnshire Media Business Awards have nominated us in the Innovation Award category.
We were nominated for our work with the Elevating House and our ‘grid neutral’ house R&D projects.
The Elevating House can rise above flood waters, allowing for the development of land in flood plains that was previously unusable. This type of house can be jacked up well ahead of the arrival of flood waters. The mechanical jacking system – powered by a central motor, gear box and drive shafts – could lift the 65-tonne house to the full 1.5 metre height above ground in less than five minutes. That should keep the house and contents dry but it could make delivering the mail a bit tricky!
Our other innovation is the ‘grid neutral’ house, which can generate as much electricity as it uses. Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells on the roof of the house and conservatory will provide electricity even on cloudy days (of which we get plenty around here). The power that they produce will be stored in a battery pack in the garage. The battery will provide power at night, when the sun is not shining, and during the day at times of peak demand. It will also provide power to charge an electric car in the garage overnight - how neat is that?
At times of peak sunshine, electricity from the PV panels will be used to heat water in addition to powering domestic appliances. Excess power will be exported to the grid. During the winter, the house will draw from the grid – but over a year as a whole it will export as much (or more) electricity as it imports. Other technologies are used to make the house as energy-efficient as possible.
Our research and development team does come up with some clever ideas!
We’re looking forward to the gala awards night at the Epic Centre at the Lincolnshire Showground. Hopefully we may even pick up the Innovation Award from host Soccer AM presenter Lloyd Griffith.
Watch this space and wish us luck!
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