Nicola Sturgeon launches £10m greener homes fund A NEW £10 million fund to build hundreds of eco-friendly homes and cut heating bills, was today launched by Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The Greener Homes Innovation Scheme targets houses which are built through environmentally friendly methods of off-site construction. Walls, floors, pipes, kitchen and roof are assembled in a factory then transported, as a unit, to the building site, ensuring a faster construction process, reduced waste and less disruption to the environment. "Scotland's house-building industry makes a sizeable contribution to Scotland's economic prosperity," Ms Sturgeon said on a visit to off-site building manufacturer City Building in Glasgow today. "Houses are key sources of carbon emissions so new technologies are essential to ensure we deliver energy efficient and low carbon affordable homes," she said. The Greener Homes Innovation Scheme will encourage modern methods of construction thereby making more fuel efficient housing widely available, which will help to cut energy bills and tackle fuel poverty. New research from Edinburgh Napier University predicts that the off-site manufacturing sector in Scotland could grow to be worth £240 million over the next five years. Exports are also projected to grow from £5 million to £50 million leading to the creation of over 500 jobs in the off-site manufacturing sector. The scheme announced today is aimed at affordable homes, with councils, Housing Associations, Builders and Developers eligible to apply for funding. It follows last week's 2013-14 budget which directed investment into construction, skills and the green economy.