Forming part of one of the UK’s most ambitious housing-led regeneration programmes in a generation, Granton Plot D1 for City of Edinburgh Council and developed and constructed by CCG (Scotland) Ltd.

The project was the first ‘pilot’ scheme of the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD), an applied research initiative that will seek to develop (and implement) a model for the design procurement, delivery of new affordable, net zero homes across the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Deal Region.

The innovative development provided 75 new-build flatted dwellings and three ground floor commercial units.

Carbon Futures worked closely with design team colleagues from the outset to meet City of Edinburgh Council’s ambitious design requirements. At design stage we provided an operational energy analysis exercise to appraise the best method for connecting the PV panels to the dwellings.

This exercise looked at whether it was more beneficial to feed the PV panels to the individual flatted dwellings or to connect them to the communal energy centre. As the energy centre provided the heating and hot water, it was found that connecting the PV to the energy centre maximised the utilisation of the renewable energy generated.

Additional consultancy services provided included thermal bridging calculations, Approved Certifier of Design (Energy), SAP calculations and Energy Performance Certificates.

The project was designed to comply with City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing Design Requirements, which requires optimised fabric, provision of low carbon heating and a high degree of onsite renewable energy generation.

This approach achieved a carbon reduction of 80% allowing the project to achieve Aspect Gold Level 1 (Carbon Dioxide Emissions) and Aspect Gold Level 2 (Energy for Space Heating) compliance. The remaining 20% of carbon emissions from regulated energy was offset by the local authority.

CCG’s iQ Timber System was utilised to deliver an enhanced fabric performance using an offsite manufactured, closed panel timber system, providing a Modern Method of Construction (MMC). Heating and hot water was provided using a communal air to water source heat pump system, which is connected to roof mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, providing electrical energy to power the heat pumps.

______ Awards

2025 Scottish Home Awards Winner – Excellence in Sustainability
2022 Future Cities Awards Winner – Master Planning, Regeneration & Mixed Use 

______ Design Team

The Scottish Government
Scottish Futures Trust
BE-ST
Edinburgh Napier Univeristy
City of Edinburgh Council
CCG (Scotland) Ltd
Anderson Bell + Christie
G3 Consulting Engineers
OOBE 
Hawthorne Boyle
Currie & Brown