Beddington community-prototype of London Zedpavilion at Shanghai World Expo is the first zero carbon dioxide emission community in the world, located in Sutton near London and designed by Bill Dunster, a famous British ecological architect. This project is known as the most innovative residential project in Britain. Its concept is to build energy-saving and environmentally friendly harmonious community without sacrificing comfort of modern society. The community completed in 2002 covers an area of 1.7 hectares, including 82 units (271 apartments) and office and commercial area of 2369 m2.

1.Overall plan is to achieve zero energy consumption to live.

“Zero Energy Consumption” of Beddington “Zero Energy Development” community benefits from two characteristics: One is buildings designed in energy-saving principle; the other is that community energy consumption comes from internal renewable energy. This is implemented mainly through the following three links in specific operation:
First, energy conservation for buildings

Architects reduce heat loss through various measures and try to obtain heat with solar energy:

(1) The buildings adjoin closely so as to reduce the total heat radiating area.

(2) In order to reduce surface heat loss of buildings, 300-mm super thermal insulation outer layers are used for roof, external walls and floors; three-layer glass windows filled with argon are adopted; and wooden window frames are used to reduce heat conduction.

(3) The glass sunspace of each household facing south is an important temperature regulator. The sunspace absorbs a great deal of heat from the sun to raise indoor temperature in winter; it is opened to become an open balcony in summer to help heat dissipation.

(4) Natural ventilation system is used to minimize ventilation energy consumption. Heat exchanger driven by wind power can turn with the change in wind direction, discharging indoor dirty air and preheating outdoor cold fresh air with heat in exhaust gas. At most 70% of ventilation heat loss can be recovered in this heat exchange.

Second, “Green Transport Plan” can reduce the residents’ car travel.

“Green Transport Plan” of Beddington Community contains three levels:

(1) Reduce residents’ needs to go out: the community office area provides job opportunities within the community to some residents. Joint development of apartments, commercial residential and office space enables these residents to go to the workplace on foot to reduce traffic volume in the community. In addition, in order to reduce driving out for residents, the property management company have also made many efforts, including: Organization of local source of goods to provide fresh environmentally friendly vegetables, fruit and other foods for shops in the community; retreat space is set for each floor of roof with backward terrace to create a terrace or garden for the apartment on the floor below; encourage residents to plant vegetables and crops in their gardens; set many public places — shop, café and health center with child-care facilities in the community to meet diversified living needs of residents.

(2) Carry out public transit: The community is built with good public transport network, including two railway stations to London and two bus routes in the community. Developers also built spacious bicycle garages and bicycle driveways. Abiding by the policy of “Pedestrians First”, sidewalk is equipped with good lighting equipment with special channels for prams and wheelchairs around. The community sets charging stations free of charge for electric vehicle. The power comes from solar photovoltaic panels installed in every family (convert solar energy into power). The peak electric quantity of solar photovoltaic panels that cover an area of 777 m2 is up to 109 KWH, available for 40 electromobiles.

(3) Advocate sharing or renting car: To meet needs of the long travel, the community encourages residents to share cars to go to work and change the phenomenon of one car per person. The local government also plans special expressway road (Car Pool) on the highway for cars accommodating more than two people. Moreover, the community is set with car rental club to reduce private cars and make residents get used to electromobiles in short distance travel.
Third, the Combined Heat and Power System (abbreviated as CHP) can meet necessary energy needs.

Beddington community uses combined heat and power system to provide domestic electricity and hot water for residents. Meanwhile, the system takes timber, the renewable resource, as fuel. According to supply, the system needs 1100 tons of wood every year, which comes from wood waste in surrounding areas and well-managed fast-growing woods in the adjacent eco-park. The whole community needs triennial fast-growing woods of 70 hectares. Fell a third and plant new saplings every year to form a cycle. Carbon dioxide absorbed by the trees in growth process could be released in the process of combustion, which in accordance with the principle of zero greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Parity operation has the potential of marketing promotion.

Compared with low benefits at high construction cost of traditional ecological communities, the economic success of Beddington community is inspiring. Take a typical residential building unit — composed of six three-bedroom duplexes， six one-bedroom apartments and six office units — as example, compared with the traditional real estate project of the same area, thanks to strong response of market and government encouragement — WWF provides financial aid and Sutton Municipal Government also encourages with land price lower than normal price in design and operation of this project—the developer benefits both in land price and selling price, though total investment increases by 521,200 pounds. The final total revenue is 668,000 pounds more than traditional real estate projects in the same area.

For the households, the annual utility bill can be reduced by 3,847 pounds. According to monitoring data in the first year of settlement, residents save 57% of hot water energy consumption, 25% of power demand, 50% of water and 65% of mileage of common automobiles. The environmental benefits are more significant because carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 147.1 tons every year, saving 1,025 tons of water.