Solar Court was a development of nine houses built to investigate the use of solar energy in a real domestic setting. A third of the houses acted as a control group, using standard gas heating, a third used a system developed by Calor Group and a third, one designed by Laing Research and Development. All the houses were detached, built to the same pattern and in the same orientation. They used brick/block cavity walls, were double glazed throughout and highly insulated. Energy use was monitored for an 18 month period following occupation and a cost-benefit analysis made of each system used. These three houses are those using the Laing heating system with just one set of solar panels each, the Calor system employed two sets, covering both sections of the roofs.
This image was catalogued as part of the Breaking New Ground Project in partnership with the John Laing Charitable Trust in 2019-20.
This is part of the Series: JLP01/10 John Laing Photographic Collection Colour Negatives and Transparencies; within the Collection: JLP01 John Laing Photographic Collection
© Historic England Archive. John Laing Photographic Collection
Brick, Timber, Late 20th Century House, Construction
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