First Bricks Laid at Ground Breaking Energy House

One of the DEHEMS partners, University of Salford is involved in another home energy initiative.  This month work commenced on a unique ‘Energy House’ as the first bricks were laid on what will become the first test house in the world to be constructed inside an environmentally controlled chamber at the University.  Once completed, the house will be subjected to some of the most advanced energy experiments ever conducted on a residential property.

University experts will carry out a huge range of tests inside the house to gauge how its energy consumption varies depending on changeable factors and conditions. The testing chamber will feature a unique climate system which will generate a range of snow, rain, wind and humidity conditions – which, unlike other test properties, are not dependent on that day’s weather.

By studying the different ways the house consumes energy, the University will be able to devise ways to improve its efficiency. But, beyond simply testing new types of insulation, double glazing and low-energy appliances, Salford’s unique cross-disciplinary approach to the study of energy will see the University’s psychologists, health experts and sociologists working alongside designers, engineers and scientists to devise sustainable solutions.

Salford’s ground-breaking approach is a response to the sustainability challenge presented by the UK’s ageing housing stock – 70% of current residential properties will still be inhabited in 2050 and 91% of all UK homes would benefit substantially from improvements in energy efficiency. Improved insulation and boiler upgrades alone could see heating emissions reduced by 22%.  The country’s least efficient properties were predominantly constructed prior to 1920. These currently make up 15% of UK homes but actually account for 23% of total notional C02 emissions. Of these dwellings, more than 2m, are the two-up, two-down terraced-style that the University will be studying closely.

Michael O’Doherty, Assistant Director of Housing at Manchester City Council, commented: “There are tens of thousands of Victorian ‘hard to heat’ terraced homes across Greater Manchester. These homes will need major improvement and investment if we are to limit increases in household energy bills and to meet challenging carbon reduction targets in the future.  The Salford Energy House will provide a fantastic resource to test the latest energy efficiency measures, materials and technologies under a range of climatic conditions, before we deliver these at scale across homes in Greater Manchester.”

The house is due for completion at the beginning of next year, when it will be opened alongside a conference on retrofit issues.