Hemcrete Projects has won the 2014 Ashden Sustainable Buildings Award, supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation. The Ashden Awards are one of the UK's leading green energy awards, and were announced on May 22 at the official Ashden Awards Ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society.
Oxfordshire-based Hemcrete Projects is bringing the dream of zero-carbon buildings closer to reality with its speedily installed, sustainable building panels made with hempcrete. These feature fantastic thermal properties and the ability to stabilise humidity. Hemp has been used in sustainable building construction for many years, primarily mixed with lime to create hempcrete, but until now it has been cast on-site - a messy and time-consuming business.

Hemcrete Projects' 'Hembuild' panels are made-to-measure off site, then arrive at building sites ready to be slotted together like a jigsaw puzzle to form the building's walls. Aside from making the use of hempcrete economically viable for builders, building users can revel in their superior eco-credentials, a comfortable environment - and lower bills.

Ashden judges commented:
'This is a huge leap forward on the journey towards zero-carbon buildings. By making it cost-effective and commercially viable to use hempcrete, the possibilities for expanding the use of this superior sustainable building material across the commercial and domestic building sector are boundless.'

Ian MacCarthy, Business Account Manager at Hemcrete Projects said:
'We are absolutely delighted to have won such a prestigious and recognised accolade, particularly as the Ashden Awards champion the work of exciting low-carbon enterprises. The award serves to acknowledge how effective systems such as Hemclad and Hembuild will be in relation to the future of sustainable and mainstream construction in this country.'

Runner-up in this category is Demand Logic, which has invented a simple device to help building managers analyse data from their building management systems.. The solution helps them to run buildings as efficiently as possible: Demand Logic's client King's College London stands to slash up to £390,000 off its energy bills this year.

Now in their 14th year, the Ashden Awards champion practical, local energy solutions that tackle climate change and improve people's lives in the UK and globally.