Pioneering green test lab is given go-ahead
WORLD’S FIRST ALL-WEATHER RESEARCH CENTRE CAN PAVE WAY FOR ZERO-CARBON-RATED HOMES
A £16m home energy research centre in Salford has been given the go-ahead.
The facility, Energy House 2.0, at the University of Salford will offer state-of the-art testing for companies innovating in the construction, energy, smart homes and digital sectors.
It is hoped that the world’s first allweather research centre will cut test times for new products from years to weeks.
Energy House 2.0 is a successor to the university’s successful Energy House, which opened in 2011 and has provided the science behind technological change and a raft of initiatives to save on energy bills.
The existing facility - a Victorian terraced house inside an environmental chamber - is one of the most famous laboratories in the UK.
The new blueprint is a much a larger, more flexible facility, where all sorts of buildings can be constructed, tested and demolished.
The laboratory will create wind, snow, rain, solar simulation, and temperatures between -20C and +40C.
It houses sensor, thermal, data and visualisation laboratories and new product development unit under a single roof with viewing galleries and a board room.
The facility is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Office for Students and the University of Salford, and is expected to be completed in 2020.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said would pave the way for net zero carbon homes and workplaces.
The new facility complements the UK’s Industrial Strategy on clean growth and supports Greater Manchester’s plans to position itself as a worldleading green business and clean tech hub.
Andy Burnham said: “We’re determined to push boundaries to make Greater Manchester one of the greenest city regions in Europe.
“Energy House 2.0 at the University of Salford will be a significant driver towards truly net zero carbon homes and workplaces, not just here in Greater Manchester, but across the UK.”
Mike Ormesher, research and product development director at the standards agency the British Board of Agrement, said the investment was ‘fantastic news for industry.’
“This is a much needed support mechanism for the UK’s new and existing building stock and will provide the research quality we need in the industry,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford, Professor Helen Marshall said: “Energy House 2.0 is an excellent example of a university, industry and government working together to tackle some of the major environmental and social issues of our times while supporting innovation and business growth.”