Dunedin Canmore Group has become the first housing association in Edinburgh to install a biomass boiler into a social housing development.

The new low carbon development on Lasswade road, Edinburgh which provides 31 much needed new affordable homes was officially opened on Monday 15th December 2008 with the support of The City of Edinburgh Council.

Vital Energi's innovative biomass boiler which supplies heating and hot water for the 31 new flats, tackles rising fuel costs head on, giving residents potentially huge savings in their gas and heating bills in the future. The boiler runs on wood pellets which are a sustainable and carbon neutral form of energy.

The current running costs to the residents compare favourably with current gas tariffs however, it is likely that it will become a significantly cheaper form of energy in the future with the anticipated rises in gas prices and reductions in the cost of wood pellets.

Convener of Health, Social Care and Housing, Councillor Paul Edie marked the occasion with the planting of a Rowan Tree at the front of the development. The Rowan tree was chosen to represent The Rowan Group, a partnership of housing associations in Edinburgh, of which Dunedin Canmore Group is a member. Mr Edie then made a short speech saying that he was delighted to celebrate the completion of the new attractive and innovative £4.6 million residential development.

Mr Edie who last week made a desperate plea to the Scottish Government over a need for increased investment for housing in the city said, "This development is going to be a fantastic contribution towards tackling the problem of affordable housing in Edinburgh. Dunedin Canmore Group is one of three preferred partnerships of the CEC and I am determined to make sure that this relationship deepens during the affordable housing crisis."

Ewan Fraser, Dunedin Canmore Group Chief Executive said, "With the ever growing concerns around climate change and fuel poverty, Dunedin Canmore is committed to seeking new innovations and initiatives to incorporate sustainable design for the benefit of our tenants and the environment."

Dunedin Canmore Group originally purchased the land from the City of Edinburgh Council and the development completed in Spring 2008. All flats, built to cater to families became fully occupied within one week of completion. Mr Edie had the opportunity to take a short tour around one of the premises and meet a current tenant during the opening.

He highlighted that particular emphasis was placed on sustainability and the incorporation of strong environmental principles in the design. Much of the stone from the original buildings was reused as the base-course to the new flats however; the most distinctive feature of the development is the Biomass Boiler.

The Project Architects, Lee Boyd commented, "We believe this scheme shows that social housing and contemporary design can walk hand in hand with a holistic sustainable approach to provide a scheme and layout that the client, designers and more importantly, the tenants, can be proud of."