Funding to transform Swansea homes into mini power stations
AMASSIVE £36m is being injected into Swansea by the UK Government. It will fund a project that aims to turn homes, schools and hospitals into mini-power stations.
The money was announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond during a visit to Swansea University yesterday.
It will go to research group Specific, which is part of the university and aims to create buildings which generate enough electricity through the materials in their walls, windows and roofs to power their needs – and even sell some back to the national grid.
The technology is already being used by Specific in an office created for its staff. The building at Swansea University’s Bay Campus contains steel, including copper-effect cladding, from Tata in Port Talbot and roofing from a company in Newport.
Special panels on the roof and south-facing wall generate electricity and heat, which can be stored in batteries and a water tank and released when needed.
Eventually it is hoped that homes, schools and hospitals will be able to generate enough energy to provide for their own needs.
Specific is working with social housing group Pobl and Neath Port Talbot Council on a new development of 16 flats and houses in Neath, which would use the technology.
Organisations from Scotland, London and Sheffield had shown interest in Specific’s work, while a £517m “homes as power stations” project in the Swansea Bay City Region could potentially lead to thousands of new houses using the technology.
On his visit to Swansea University’s School of Engineering, Mr Hammond said: “Swansea University and the innovative companies working with it are world leaders in clean energy.
“The UK Government is backing the industries of the future that will deliver jobs and opportunities across Wales. This £36m new funding will support exciting green technology that could cut energy bills, reduce carbon emissions and create better homes and workspaces.”
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said: “The UK Government is committed to leading the world in delivering clean energy technology and this additional investment at Swansea University shows that we are prepared to support innovation in this critical area.
“The cutting-edge research being developed at this institution is being translated into practical inventions and techniques that can improve our lives. It truly is science with a purpose. [This] announcement, on top of the £68m commitment to Swansea University since 2010, will ensure that Wales and one of its most forwardthinking universities will play a key role in keeping the UK at the vanguard of innovation for years to come.”
The new funding is said to be part of the biggest increase in research and development investment for 40 years, supporting high-value jobs in emerging industries.