Poundbury homes to use combined heat and power

The combined heat and power system (CHP) that has been proposed for the Poundbury housing estate in Dorchester, Dorset, could be used to power new ''green'' homes from Cornhill Estates.

Cornhill has put forward plans to build seven houses, as well as a series of flats and offices on the Prince of Wales'' pet development, having already built 11 eco-friendly houses on the estate, the Dorset Echo reports.

The firm said that it was committed to sustainable development.

A statement read: "We are entirely committed to the principles of sustainable development and have proved on a number of past projects that it is possible to deliver sustainable technology solutions that are both reliable and effective."

A combined heat and power system could be used to provide electricity, and other features will include rainwater harvesting, wood pellet boilers and heat recovery ventilation systems.

"We will make all the boilers zero carbon for electricity using Poundbury''s new district biogas CHP system," the statement continued.

"To achieve zero carbon for electricity for all the buildings we will draw their electricity from the new CHP plant."

Until the plant comes online, power will be derived from a green energy supplier.

Poundbury was designed with the help of Prince Charles, and built on Duchy of Cornwall land on the edge of Dorchester. It aims to create socially inclusive housing.