UK mega-lab generates weather to test homes of future

Because they make use of cutting-edge heating and insulation technology, the two energy-efficient homes continue to be cozy and warm despite the icy conditions.

Welcome to Energy House 2.0, a science experiment created to assist global homebuilders in reducing carbon emissions, reducing energy consumption, and combating climate change.

The project started last month and is housed in a laboratory that looks like a huge warehouse on the campus of Salford University, close to the heart of Manchester.

Using a control center, rain, wind, sunshine, and snow can all be recreated at temperatures ranging from 40 degrees Celsius to -20 degrees Celsius.

Reproducing weather “What we’ve tried to achieve here is to be able to replicate the weather conditions that would be experienced by approximately 95% of the people who live on Earth,” Professor Will Swan, head of the university’s energy house laboratories, told AFP.

He added that the facility, which has two chambers that can experience different kinds of weather at the same time, will test different kinds of housing from around the world “to understand how we deliver their net-zero and energy-efficient homes.”

The two houses, which were built by companies with UK operations and are uniquely British, will remain in place for a few years.

After that, other builders will be able to rent space in the lab to showcase their own properties.

Barratt Developments, a property development company based in the United Kingdom, and the French materials powerhouse Saint-Gobain constructed the first house for the project.

It has solar panels on the roof and is covered in decorative bricks with a wood panel frame and insulation.

Air-source heat pumps are one type of heating system that scientists are looking into for their effectiveness.

A hot-water circuit runs along the bottom of the walls in the living room, and infrared technology in the molding and a wall panel provide additional heat.

In addition, mirrors serve as infrared radiators, and numerous sensors keep track of which rooms are being used.

The technology will be controlled by a single control system, much like Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa interface.

According to estimates provided by builders, the cutting-edge technology will result in an energy bill that is just one quarter of what the typical home in the UK currently pays, which will be beneficial to customers who are feeling the effects of sky-high energy costs.

Additionally, it will make a significant contribution to Britain’s efforts to combat climate change by achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050.

A report from a parliamentary committee found that homes accounted for 17% of heating emissions in 2019, making their contribution comparable to that of all petrol and diesel cars on Britain’s roads.

Environmentalists have long urged the UK government to support insulation and better energy efficiency in Britain’s existing homes.

‘Alexa of home energy’ Tom Cox, UK technical director at Saint-Gobain, stated, “One of the key technologies that we’re trying on this house is almost like a building management system for residential buildings.”

“It’s almost like the home energy system’s Alexa,” and “the occupant can automate as much as they want.”

Scientists and businesses no longer have to wait for extreme weather changes because of their massive laboratory.

Cox added, “We can test a year’s worth of weather conditions in a week.”

Cox concluded by saying that the “ultimate goal is to create that environment that is comfortable, cost-effective, and commercially viable to deliver.”

“At the same time, we are dealing with construction’s sustainability issues.”