thumb|275px|Roofs

thumb|275px|Street in BedZED

Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) is an environmentally friendly housing development in Hackbridge, London, England. It is in the London Borough of Sutton, north-east of the town of Sutton itself. Designed to create zero carbon emissions, it was the first large scale community to do so.

Background

BedZED was designed by the architect Bill Dunster to be carbon neutral. found that BedZED had achieved these reductions in comparison to UK averages:

  • Space-heating requirements were 88% less.
  • Hot-water consumption was 57% less.
  • The electrical power used, at 3 kilowatt hours per person per day, was 25% less than the UK average; 11% of this was produced by solar panels. The remainder normally would be produced by a combined-heat-and-power plant fuelled by wood chips, but the installation company's financial problems have delayed use of the plant.
  • Mains-water consumption was reduced by 50%, or 67% compared to a power-shower<!-- Wikipedia ought to have an article that explains what power showers are. Many Westerners may be unfamiliar with them because they are rare in some Western countries. --> household.
  • The residents' car mileage was 65% less.

Problems

A review of the BedZed development in 2010 drew mainly positive conclusions: residents and neighbours were largely happy. However, a few significant failures were highlighted, for example:

  • The biomass wood chip boiler (biomass gasifier) was no longer in operation and the backup power source, a gas boiler, was used from 2005–2017. However, BedZED switched from gas back to a biomass pellet boiler in 2017 which provides heat for the district heating network but not electricity, which is now sourced from the grid on a green tariff. The biomass pellets are now sourced from Spain, not from local wood waste.
  • The 'Living Machine' water recycling facility had been unable to clean the water sufficiently. The cost of the facility also made it unviable.

Awards

  • 2003 – RIBA journal sustainability award – the judges said "BedZED goes way beyond the standard environmental checklist by challenging both the way we live and work... Until now, pioneering communities have often been attained at the expense of architectural ambition but at BedZED the architects have been highly innovative."
  • 2003 – Ashden Awards – for projects building on the experience of BedZED

See also

  • Passive solar building design
  • BioRegional

References

  • ZedFactory's BedZED website
  • Information about BedZED on Peabody's website