Published Wednesday, 18 November 2009
More than 50 social homes costing around £100,000 each will be constructed over the next three years.
Triple-glazed windows and airtight construction will trap heated air. Heat exchange technology will capture energy from the bathroom or cooker while there could be limited use of a wood-burning stove or solar panels.
Developer Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland executive director Peter Farquharson said the project would be completed by 2012.
"Habitat Zero Homes is the next steps for Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland as it continues to develop housing programmes which create shared, safe, sustainable communities and strengthens the hard-won social cohesion in our province," he said.
"This ambitious plan in partnership with Tyrone Timberframes, will have a far reaching impact for the community and the sector. It fundamentally changes how people view new homes which will be high quality, highly energy efficient and affordable."
Energy savings
Families will build their own homes alongside volunteers from across Northern Ireland.
Managing director of Tyrone Timberframes David Maxwell said they had created a technology which produced significant energy savings and slashed running costs.
"We envisaged some time ago that the house of the future will be environmentally friendly and highly energy efficient," he said.
"We are excited that our partnership with Habitat for Humanity provides a tangible example of the enormous potential for the application of this technology locally."