Sky Developments - Exclusive distribution deal for award winning local company!

20 February 2009

Sky has enjoyed a flurry of positive publicity recently with the high profile launch of Northern Ireland’s first Carbon Zero house, closely followed by last month’s official sod cutting ceremony in Newtownards for what will be the province’s most energy efficient, affordable housing development.

This week, Sky's innovative approach has been rewarded with a prestigious award from the NIHE in their first ever Home Energy Awards. Co-winners with the Carvill Group in the category for 'Most Energy Efficient New Build Scheme', Sky's directors, Stephen McCready and Alan Johnston, who were also finalists in the RTPI/RSPB Sustainable Planning Awards, were delighted to accept a stunning plaque from the Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie MLA, NIHE Chairman, Brian Rowntree, and representatives of sponsors, NIE and The Energy Saving Trust. "It's a great honour to receive this award from the NIHE, we are absolutely thrilled!" said Stephen, "and I would also like to congratulate our co-winners, the Carvill Group - we are very happy to share a platform with a company that has had such a positive impact in energy efficient construction."

Dr Andy McCrea of Faber Maunsell was amongst the first to congratulate Alan and Stephen, and commented: "It is great to see that their commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability has been recognized at this level.
The Sky team has worked hard to combine relevant technologies to attain Carbon Zero living, and they've clearly demonstrated that environmental awareness and commercial viability are not incompatible."

Firmly bucking the dismal trend apparent elsewhere in the construction industry, the partners have yet more good news to announce! "We have just negotiated a Sole Distributorship agreement for Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and France with the Hemsec Group, the Liverpool based company who manufacture and supply SIP panels, and we are very pleased to take this opportunity to introduce our new SIP supply company, SkySips Ltd."

The SIP (Structural Insulated Panel), an evolution of traditional timber frame building, is one of the key components
of Sky's successful construction concept. SIPs offer excellent structural load bearing and superior insulation,
and, together with a combination of other energy generating/saving technologies, enable Sky Developments'
builds to far exceed the government's increasingly stringent regulations.

“The high degree of insulation the SIP offers is key to the energy efficiency achieved here in the GreenHouse and in our other projects," Stephen explains, "and we know that more developers throughout the country will be converted to SIP building now that Government regulations require new builds to achieve Level 3 in the Code for Sustainable Homes."

“We're both positively evangelical about the difference building with SIPs can make, and we're already making plans to establish a manufacturing base here in the near future," says Alan. "Speed of installation and the fact that no wet trades are involved are serious practical advantages to the builder, while the SIP's low u-values and high energy efficiency make sound environmental sense and offer substantially reduced running costs to a property's end user. Our first quarter's electricity bill in the GreenHouse was £39.60! - and the SIP construction was certainly a major factor in that."

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