SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT MOTION MARKS UNVEILING OF EAST KILBRIDE ECOHOUSE

Linda Fabiani MSP has tabled a Scottish Parliament motion to mark the opening of Scotland’s first ever affordable low-carbon ecohouse at the South Lanarkshire College campus in East Kilbride.

The Aurora House has an A-rated energy certificate, a heat recovery system, thermal energy pumps and the capacity to create more energy than it uses. It was built as a partnership between South Lanarkshire College and construction company Dawn Homes and was officially opened by Finance Secretary John Swinney.

Central Scotland MSP Ms Fabiani said:

“This is a really exciting development for Scotland. There have been prototype ecohomes built before, but this is the first low-energy, low-carbon home that is also affordable enough for ordinary people to buy or rent.

“The Aurora House will be used to train students and apprentices at South Lanarkshire College, raising the prospect of a new generation of people working in the construction industry who not only have the necessary skills to build enviromentally-friendly homes for the future, but who will also expect low-carbon, low-energy construction techniques to be the norm and not the exception.

“The fostering of that attitude within our building industry is not just desirable, it is essential if Scotland is to be able to meet our world-leading carbon reduction targets.

“A new generation of homes like the Aurora will help Scotland contribute to combating climate change. It will also help to eradicate fuel poverty by helping people to conserve rather than waste energy.

“This is another contribution by East Kilbride towards achieving Scotland’s ambitious climate targets, in addition to the area’s growing renewable energy expertise. I look forward to the day when all new homes in Scotland are as environmentally responsible as the Aurora.”

ENDS

Notes:

The full text of Linda Fabiani’s motion is:
S3M-05351 Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (Scottish National Party): South Lanarkshire College Unveils Aurora House, a First in Scotland— That the Parliament welcomes the official opening by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth of Scotland’s first affordable, low-energy, low-carbon house at South Lanarkshire College in East Kilbride; notes that the Aurora house has an A-rated energy certificate, a heat recovery system, thermal energy pumps and the capacity to create more electricity than it uses; congratulates South Lanarkshire College, the Scottish construction company, Dawn Homes, and the other project partners for conceiving and building the Aurora; notes that the house will be used as a training facility for students and apprentices aiming to work in the construction industry, and believes that this flagship project gives Scotland the potential to become a world-leader in building a new generation of affordable low-carbon homes, helping to both combat climate change and address fuel poverty.