Sean Smith: Building houses off-site could have major benefits

Currently in Scotland there are 153,000 on housing waiting lists. By 2015 this could rise to 230,000 – 10 per cent of the household population.

These projections coincide with an increased demand for more sustainable housing stock in the wake of increasing energy costs and carbon-reduction targets. Emerging technology building methods have the potential to help address this huge challenge.

Delivering energy-efficient homes for the 21st century requires a shift away from traditional construction to off-site assembly.

One Scottish company, Powerwall, has already designed a home specifically to address the affordable social housing demand – a complete three-bedroom semi for only £57,000. It exceeds environmental requirements and offers estimated fuel costs of just £76 a year. It also exceeds current standards on airtightness, soundproofing and fire retardation and has a life expectancy of 200 years.

Other companies, such as CCG (Glasgow) and Stewart Milne (Aberdeen), have developed innovative off-site sustainable housing systems.

We should be prioritising such innovation – not least in light of the current energy cost inflation that is having a major impact on all consumers. Homes achieving such standards should be the norm – not the exception.

There is a clear economic case too. The advantages of building such homes off-site are clear – greater control over costs and timings. Because all the main components are manufactured in a factory controlled environment, control of labour is more efficient and no time is lost due to poor weather.

Over the next five years, it is crucial that we respond to the housing demand. It is possible – we just need the powers-that-be to help make it happen. Like compound interest, putting it off now will only involve greater payments and debt later.

• Professor Sean Smith is director of the Institute for Sustainable Construction, Edinburgh Napier University.