Clean Energy Gets Welcome In The Valleys

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05 October 2018 | Updated 22 October 2018

Swansea is to receive £36 million UK government funding for its clean energy tech breakthrough in the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has announced.

The funding will go to a consortium led by Swansea University, which develops new building materials and coatings which generate electricity from light and heat. This energy can be used to power homes, hospitals and schools or be sold back to the national grid.

The materials could replace conventional walls, roofs and windows, generating electricity which is stored and released by a smart operating system.

The announcement supports the government’s mission to at least halve the energy use of new buildings by 2030 - making buildings more energy efficient by embracing smart technologies will cut commercial and household energy bills, reduce the demand for energy, and boost the UK’s economic growth whilst meeting targets for carbon reduction.

On a visit to Swansea University, Hammond, said: "Swansea University and the 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 £36 million new funding will support exciting green technology that could cut energy bills, reduce carbon emissions and create better homes and workspaces.

"The funding, through the ‘Transforming Construction’ challenge of the government’s Industrial Strategy, will develop supply chains in the UK and give certainty to leading researchers and students, helping attract more investment and jobs to the local area."

BEIS

Elsewhere, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark said: "This centre has the potential to transform how buildings use energy, turning them from energy consumers into power stations. This investment in clean energy innovation shows the UK continues to lead the way in cutting emissions while growing our economy.

"We are putting our world-leading science and innovation sector at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy, and have set the ambitious target for investment in research and development to reach 2.4% of GDP by 2027."

Welsh voice

Secretary of State for Wales, 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."

Swansea University will have received £104 million government funding since 2010.

UK Research and Innovation

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is delivering the funding for the new Centre. UKRI Chief Executive Professor Sir Mark Walport said: "As we move towards a low-carbon economy, we need to explore more efficient ways of generating, conserving and using power and energy.

Active buildings, which integrate solar generation and storage technologies for electricity and heat within their construction, can help to achieve this. The Active Building Centre will work to remove barriers to the large-scale adoption of active buildings on new developments throughout the country."

Picture: The type of building and building products the governments wants to see developed in Wales.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 05 October 2018

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