The Sun City House:

Solar Cities Scotland in partnership with Dundee City Council and energy efficiency agency SCARF is developing a demonstration house in the Whitfield area of Dundee. The Sun City House will provide a focus for demonstration, education, advice and information about domestic scale renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable construction to households and the general public in Dundee and throughout central and north east Scotland.

Unlike most “eco-house” type demonstration projects, the Sun City House is not new build, but a major refurbishment and remodelling of a poorly constructed and thermally inefficient janitors house built in the 1960s.

It aims to showcase technologies, materials and methods of construction that can be retrofitted to existing housing stock, where the major challenge lies in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the domestic sector in the UK. It will act as a shop window to offers ideas to everyone, on every income, to help them reduce their home’s impact on the environment, be it low energy lighting, a solar water heating system or a sun space extension.

Funding for the Sun City House has come from Dundee City Council, Sust, and the DTI through the University of Strathclyde. The project would not be possible however without the overwhelming support from the private sector through donations of goods and services that has been received.

The project goes on site this month and will open to the public in late spring for an initial period of 3 years. SCARF will be the new tenant of the Sun City House and will provide guided tours as well as impartial advice and information for householders on how to do this at home.

Keep an eye on this page for progress reports…