At the core of our 125-year-old family-owned business, we have a mission to create better affordable homes, as a foundation for people to build better lives. We do this by undertaking domestic refurbishment and retrofit, new build homes and a wide variety of MEP works.
We have continuously supported the initiative to drive innovative work-leading research to support areas that are critical to a national move towards net-zero housing. Through funding opportunities such as the School Green Summit, we have significantly raised the profile of sustainable construction. This translated in our recent commitment to the Friends of Energy House Initiative.
Our involvement in this project allowed us not only to raise the profile of sustainability on an internal basis, but also review and capture our place in new markets such as Retrofit. The Friends of Energy House has opened up a new network to deliver sustainable work and developmental projects such as an IPHD programme in collaboration with the National Trust Association and the University of Salford.
Energy House 2.0 is supported by partners of Hg, which is a leading investor in European and transatlantic software and services businesses.
Hg invests in and supports business that supply critical software applications or workflow services, delivering a more automated workplace for their customers.
This industry is characterised by digitization trends that are in early stages of adoption and are set to transform the workplace for professionals over decades to come. Hg’s support combines deep end-market knowledge with world class operational resources, together providing compelling support to entrepreneurial leaders looking to scale their business – businesses that are well invested, enduring and serve their customers well.
With a vast European network and strong presence across North America, Hg backs 50 businesses, worth over $135 billion aggregate enterprise value, with over 100,000 employees, consistently growing revenues at more than 20% annually.
A spokesperson at Hg, said: ‘As a technology investor we’re big believers in progress through innovation. Research and technology advancements are going to be a significant part of any net-zero aspirations. It’s great to see the University of Salford facilitating unique and specialised research, that has the potential to pave the way for a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. We are proud to support a transformative project at the cutting edge of progressing low carbon and net zero housing.’
With three decades of experience, Elmhurst is the UK’s largest independent provider of energy assessment, retrofit and property professional training, software, and accreditation. Elmhurst has trained tens of thousands of individuals, providing them with industry recognised qualifications, and the skills required to build a successful career in energy assessment.
Elmhurst’s unrivalled technical support, innovative software and comprehensive training mean that our members are well-equipped to assess domestic and non-domestic buildings and complete accurate Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). With our expansive membership, Elmhurst now processes over 70% of all EPC submissions in the UK.
Alongside our high-quality products and services, Elmhurst continues to drive the industry forward by pushing for important changes in regulation. We aim to ensure that the topic of energy efficiency is always at the forefront of the political and business agenda and that progress is being made toward a more sustainable and energy efficient future.
Elmhurst’s Involvement in Friends of Energy 2.0
Elmhurst is a proud member of Friends of Energy House 2.0 and a donor to the Impact Fund. We are currently working with the Energy House team on several key areas to better understand how buildings perform and how to address the various challenges of achieving net zero buildings.
The laboratory itself allows us to see and understand the actual performance of buildings and services in ‘real world’ conditions. This includes extreme temperatures and weather conditions, which have become more prominent in recent decades in the UK. Particular focus will also be placed on SAP results modelling for future homes and the systems that are being installed.
Research conducted at the facility will allow the industry to gain a better understanding of the actual energy performance of buildings and consider important changes to the regulations and methodologies. On a wider scale, this will play a crucial role in accelerating the UK’s progress toward low carbon and net zero housing; while also playing a key part in the battle to reduce fuel poverty, tackle climate change, and create more comfortable and safe buildings for everyone.
Andrew Parkin, Technical Development Director
I am thrilled that Elmhurst is a member of Friends of Energy House 2.0. This partnership underscores our unwavering commitment to drive for net zero buildings and create a more sustainable industry.
The research conducted will continue to drive the industry forward. We will not only gain a better understanding of the energy performance of buildings, both old and new, but can start to make vital updates to the regulations and methodologies that govern this environment. Even better, the research has the potential to transcend industry and reshape our collective thinking and understanding of energy efficiency.
I am personally looking forward to seeing how new technologies and measures develop and become part of our armoury of solutions in the battle against climate change, particularly as the country’s 2050 net-zero target approaches the horizon.
I look forward to our continuing work with the Energy House team and to seeing the progress made from this important research.
Since 2022, multi-national business software developers IRIS Software Group have supported University of Salford students through scholarships, engagement days, mentorship and career talks to help inspire and support them throughout their academic journey.
We were welcomed back this November to IRIS’ Manchester office for another Engagement Day for our second-year students studying Computer Science and Software Engineering. During the Engagement Day our students received a tour of IRIS’ cutting-edge workspace, listened to talks from software engineers, accountancy whizzes and recruiters. This was crucial learning for our students to help them better understand what a career in software engineering can look like as well as top tips to succeeding in interviews, they even took part in a head-to-head paper airplane manufacturing competition!
Testing out the paper airplanes!
After learning about a new way to develop coding, one of our students said: ‘Hands down, the most practical and coolest thing I’ve seen… It’s something I will absolutely try to put into practice’. They also found a session on agile working particularly useful, saying, ‘Going over agile techniques will help with my studies, we are starting a hack camp this week, the presentation was very insightful as to how we should plan our time effectively’.
Similarly, another student noted how the agile working session aligned with their own studies and knowledge helping them to understand how agile working functions in a workplace: ‘I had a basic grasp of Agile methodology; however, the engagement day was a real eye opener into how exactly Agile would be applied in a real organization’s structure’.
The industry insight and advice delivered by IRIS was invaluable and massively appreciated by our students, with one student saying the most important thing they learned on the day ‘would be researching organizations to ask insightful questions about structure and behaviour to prove my interest in more than just the role’.
We would like to thank IRIS for hosting our students and staff at their Manchester office and delivering an insightful and valuable peek into the lives of software engineers. Our students can now more confidently apply themselves to their work and prepare them for their work in industry.
The IRIS team with University of Salford Staff and Students
Thermocill is a solutions company that delivers, affordable, low-emission, and environmentally friendly products. Focused on delivering affordable, effective, low-emission, and sustainable housing. Through the Thermocill Trust, they want to provide energy-efficient modular homes for the homeless.
Through donating £10,000 to the Friends of Energy House 2.0 (FoEH2) Impact Fund, Thermocill has demonstrated its passion for fuelling the development of energy-efficient homes. The FoEH2 Impact Fund is a collective source of funding with an ambition to drive activity and extend the reach of the new Energy House 2.0 facility through supporting Women in STEM PhD Studentships, Educational Outreach Programmes and student and local community initiatives.
Through the Impact Fund, Thermocill’s generosity and mission can be fulfilled through supporting research and education at our Energy House 2.0 facility.
Thermocill’s message is simple, as described by CEO Keith Rimmer: “It really doesn’t need to cost the earth by profiting from simple solutions that will benefit so many and save so much, while waiting for others to invent, innovate and provide sustainable offerings. Our ethos is to provide energy-efficient solutions to today’s issues that have never been investigated or solved due to the lack of innovation and practical approach to heat loss of existing materials & products within the building materials sector – our market is endless…yet our time is limited.”
We cannot wait to see how Thermocill’s donation to the FoEH2 impact fund will support future research, education, and the wider Salford community.
Our family of more than 200 environmental, engineering and technical services businesses work together to provide practical solutions to some of the greatest challenges societies have ever faced.
RSK is enabling clients around the world to do their bit. We operate in most sectors of the economy, including many of those most critical to future global sustainability, such as water, energy, food and drink, infrastructure, urban development, mining and waste. With our integrated offering across research and development, consultancy and on-the-ground application, we can deliver a complete solution that is unrivalled in the market, and drives a ‘just transition’ to a resilient and net zero future for all.
RSK is proud to be an industry partner in the Energy House research, as it supports our commitment to the SDG’s and complements our commitment to deliver market leading sustainable solutions for our clients. Our involvement with the Friends programme recognises the importance of involving and informing the community in the drive to build net zero homes. We are delighted that our contributions will support the development of new skills in green technologies and build a pipeline of future talent which will enable us, and all those involved in new home development, to meet our carbon reduction targets.
It is well documented that the need for a skilled workforce within the sustainability sector is critical, and by partnering with higher education establishments on projects such as Energy House, it ensures students have the awareness and skills needed within priority areas such as renewable energy and net zero. This is something that is also in line with RSK’s own 2030 growth plans.
It is vital that the workforce of the future is aware of the transition to new approaches within house building and energy provisions so that the homes of the future will be fit for purpose and are also well positioned for future moves towards net zero design.
Haydn Keen, Business Development Director for Property and Construction at RSK, says: “Since 1989, RSK has been delivering environmental and engineering services to support clients around the world to minimise their impact on the planet.
“Our long-term vision is to become the world’s largest and most trusted provider of sustainable solutions. To achieve this, RSK has aligned its service offering to the Sustainable Development Goals – a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. These goals have helped to shape our own internal practices and global footprint and are the driving force behind the diversification of our offering.”
National housebuilder Bellway has taken part in the Friends of Energy House 2.0 programme alongside its wider Future Homes project to ensure that its learnings are shared both within the industry and beyond.
The work that the University is undertaking with its partners through Friends of Energy House 2.0 aligns strongly with Bellway’s own all-encompassing sustainability strategy, called Better with Bellway.
Better with Bellway outlines eight sustainability priorities for the company, including carbon reduction, customers and community, being an employer of choice, sustainable supply chains and resource efficiency, amongst others. Bellway’s mission is to deliver better homes and better communities, and to help to protect the environment – putting people and planet first.
Bellway’s project at Energy House 2.0, The Future Home, is allowing the award-winning housebuilder to test green technologies in a number of real-life scenarios, research which aims to help lead the industry’s drive to lower carbon emissions, and provide evidence for the ways the homes of the future should be built.
At the facility, Bellway is testing several types of heating, including the UK’s first roof-mounted air source heat pump and infrared panels, as well as mechanical ventilation, double versus triple glazing on windows and a prototype shower which recovers heat from wastewater.
Being able to test so many different elements in a laboratory setting has provided the ideal opportunity for Bellway to share what it is learning. The developer has invited groups of employees from across the country to tour the facility, providing a firsthand, and educational, experience for its people.
Bellway has also showcased the work being undertaken at The Future Home @ Energy House 2.0 during visits from the Future Homes Hub and students at City Skills, part of Salford City College Group.
Construction students at Newhouse Academy in Heywood were able to hear from Bellway Manchester site manager Sam Ward, who led building works on this project. He visited the school to give a presentation on the experimental eco-home and the new technologies being tested, as well as offering advice on careers in construction.
Tony Atkin, Bellway Group Production Managing Director, said: “Friends of Energy House 2.0 has provided the opportunity for Bellway to work with The University of Salford and other partners in a way which truly complements the future-focused work happening at Energy House labs.
“Having the technologies in place is a key part of building sustainable and attainable homes in the future, but it’s also vital that we share what we’ve learned about green energy with the next generation of workers.
“We need to encourage and support young people into housebuilding, ensuring that the workforce is diverse, engaged and ready to make a positive impact as we work towards net zero.”
The Future Home @ Energy House 2.0 has also had a positive impact for Bellway’s supply chain, with suppliers providing products for the test home – and learning from the pioneering research being carried out – including Nuspan flooring, Donaldson Timber, Mira Showers, Worcester-Bosch and UK Cylinders.
Captions [IMAGE CREDITS – BELLWAY]
The Future Home, which was built by Bellway at The University of Salford’s Energy House 2.0 facility.
Bellway Homes is a FTSE 250 Index listed residential housebuilder based in Newcastle upon Tyne, employing almost 3,000 staff across 21 Divisions across England, Scotland and Wales.
Bellway began as a small family business in the North East in 1946 – with a passion for building exceptional quality homes in carefully selected locations, inspired by the needs of real families. We are proud of our heritage in the North East, and remain one of the region’s largest employers, with our Head Office still being located in Newcastle upon Tyne.
To this day, we maintain these same core values, combining our decades of expertise with the level of personalised care that Bellway is known for.
We are delighted to have been awarded 5 star builder status by the Home Builders Federation for the seventh year running, with 9 out of 10 customers saying they would recommend us to a friend.
