A fully electric home in the Glens of Antrim, built by Mid Ulster based Setanta Construction has demonstrated how combining high performance construction with renewable energy, battery storage and smart energy management can deliver exceptional comfort while keeping household and electric vehicle running costs to around £44 a week.
The four-bedroom, c2,000sq ft home, named Tigh Beag, was completed in December 2024 and has been entirely designed around a fossil fuel free approach to energy, with the building fabric and energy systems working together to minimise demand and maximise the value of renewable electricity.
Homeowners, Anne-Marie and Eddie McGoldrick brought considerable expertise to the project, having established a leading renewable energy technology company in NI as well as having been involved in the early development of battery storage and grid support technologies in the UK and Ireland.
They set out to create a home that would provide low running costs, consistent comfort and ease of operation, while eliminating the need for fossil fuels. They assembled a specialist team including John Kennedy Architects and Master Builder, Setanta Construction who’s timber frame construction approach provided the foundation for the home’s highly efficient building envelop, designed to retain heat efficiently and maintain a stable internal environment.
According to Anne-Marie McGoldrick, “We wanted a home that was really comfortable and easy to live in and that’s exactly what we’ve ended up with. It just makes everyday life feel comfortable and effortless. And it’s reassuring to know when we hear about another tariff hike or diesel price rise, we’re much less affected. So much of our energy comes from our own renewable generation and battery storage, which gives us a lot more peace of mind.”
The home’s energy performance has transformed the way they meet their domestic and transport needs.
According to Eddie, “One of the things that really stands out about this project is that we now have one energy bill covering both the home and car. We’ve essentially brought our household and transport energy needs together into one electricity based system.”
He explains that this has made a noticeable difference to the overall cost of running the home and car, saying, “Over the past two years, the combined cost has averaged around £44 per week, with roughly half of that contributing to driving; and that’s around 12,000 miles per year.”
The results are particularly significant when compared to the owners’ previous home, where, according to Eddie, “gas heating and conventional domestic energy use resulted in running costs approximately three times higher”. He adds that, “the new home has delivered a dramatic reduction in household energy costs, while the cost of driving has also fallen by approximately 60% per mile”.
Together, the results demonstrate how the home has not only created a highly comfortable and easy-to-live-in environment, but has also significantly reduced the ongoing cost of running the household and family car.
The home incorporates 7kW of solar PV generation, alongside an 18kWh battery storage system, allowing renewable electricity generated during the day to be retained for use when it is most valuable.
Its energy systems are complemented by mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, while wastewater heat recovery technology is used on the showers.
Smart energy optimisation enables the household to make better use of both solar generation and lower cost grid electricity; including directing available energy towards battery and EV charging.
This integrated approach reduces the amount of renewable energy that needs to be exported and increases the proportion that can be used directly within the home or for transport. *See additional notes for real-life example*
The project marked an important milestone for Setanta Construction as its first fully electric home, using sophisticated smart technologies, marking a bold leap forward in sustainable construction.
Mark Gribbin, Director of Setanta Construction says,
“Energy-efficiency was embedded into the project from the outset, with the design and construction focused on creating a high-performing, fully electric home supported by sophisticated smart technology.
He continued, “This was an important milestone in our commitment to sustainable construction and a strong indication of what the future of homebuilding could potentially look like; creating homes that are not only highly energy-efficient, but designed from the ground up around the way we will generate, store and use energy in the future.”
Finally, with the wider market also influencing the way people think about energy, costs and construction he believes this approach is becoming increasingly relevant.
He said, “Against a backdrop of continued volatility in global markets and the impact this can have on energy and construction costs, the timing of this project is particularly relevant. Our integrated construction approach demonstrates how homes can be designed to be more energy-efficient and cost-conscious; so in a way, we’re taking steps to help future-proof he way we build.”