UK Unveils New Hemp-Built Housing
June 3rd, 2009 by Rick
In an effort for the UK government to “build more housing with a smaller carbon footprint,” a three-bedroom prototype dubbed a “renewable house” has been designed thanks to a grant for €200,000 from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in Britain.
The National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC), who built the home, say that the walls are made from Hempcrete — a mixture of hemp and lime and that home owners will see a reduction of their energy bills to a cost of about €150 annually.
Dr John Williams, head of materials at the NNFCC said:
The forecasts are that we could roll this out very quickly if someone places an order for 25,000 homes. [...] Increasing numbers of farmers are growing hemp because it fits in with their current growing cycles between April and September and it is a good break crop for wheat. [...] If just 1 per cent of the UK’s agricultural land was used to grow hemp, it would be enough to build 180,000 homes per year.
The new hemp house would offer a cheaper and greener solution to the homes built with the usual brick and mortar — projected to cost around €75,000, excluding outside work to the grounds. The NNFCC also figures that 110kg (242.5lb) of carbon dioxide would be absorbed from the atmosphere due to the hemp crops being grown.
