USW joins £5m project to develop net-zero buildings

The University of South Wales (USW) is part of a project which has received a £5m grant to speed up the development of net-zero buildings.

Buildings – such as homes and offices - are responsible for 40% of all UK carbon emissions. This project, called Switch to Net Zero Buildings, will enable buildings across south Wales to generate, store, and release their own heat and electricity.

Crucially, buildings would be linked together in a regional energy system that is not only low carbon but also gives energy users more control.

The project is a consortium led by Swansea University with Cardiff University and USW, in partnership with Neath Port Talbot Council, Welsh Government, and Net Zero Industry Wales.

The idea is to see ‘buildings as power stations’, a design concept pioneered by Swansea University for both homes and non-domestic buildings. The principle has already been shown to work in the Active Buildings on Swansea University’s campus.

The new project’s aim is to speed up the rate at which innovations are adopted, meaning that these technologies become more affordable and more widely deployed. This innovation ecosystem will also create strong local supply chains, boosting economic growth in the region.

The £5 m funding has been awarded by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), in the form of a Place Based Impact Acceleration Account

The SWITCH to Net Zero Buildings is one of 10 projects to receive this award from the EPSRC, three of which involve Welsh collaborators.

Professor Alan Guwy said: “We are delighted to be involved in this exciting project which builds on the strong collaborations in net-zero research and development that we have cultivated in Wales for many years. SERC’s work in SWITCH will focus on the production of clean energy, sustainable materials and the reduction of green-house emissions from the built environment."

George Freeman, UK Government Science Minister, said: “South Wales is a growing hub for sectors of the future, playing a pivotal role on our journey to net zero buildings, driving forward the UK’s hydrogen economy and through its pioneering semiconductor companies.

“Our more than £9m investment in projects led by Cardiff and Swansea universities will support comprehensive training and thousands of new jobs, while laying the groundwork that brings further private investment for years to come – growing the economies of Wales and the wider UK.”

The SWITCH to Net Zero Buildings account will be part of SWITCH, Wales’ Net Zero Accelerator. SWITCH is a wide collaborative network across academia, government and industry, coming together to support the region’s net zero ambitions.

This funding follows other recent announcements in the SWITCH network, including the appointment of contractor Morgan Sindell to build SWITCH Harbourside and N0W Skills, which creates a green skills escalator in manufacturing related industries.