The Future of Home: Mira Showers, Bellway Collaborate with University of Salford
Residential housebuilder Bellway has created ‘The Future Home’ within Energy House 2.0 (EH 2.0), an unique £16 million research facility at The University of Salford in the United Kingdom.
EH 2.0 has been partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund and is the largest test and research facility which focuses on fuel-efficient technologies.
In anticipation of the Government’s Future Homes Standard in 2025, ‘The Future Home’ is an experimental eco-house built to trial low-carbon technologies.
Built to 2025 standards, this trailblazing home has been designed to generate significantly less carbon than homes that are currently being constructed.
Construction of The Future Home had its official launch in January 2023, with live trials beginning in February.
The chamber can replicate most of the world’s climate conditions including wind, rain, snow and solar radiation, ensuring that the home will be tested in temperatures ranging from minus 20°C to plus 40°C.
To determine the most efficient methods of operating a home, The Future Home will test a variety of new technologies including wet radiators, infrared panels and underfloor heating.
Committed to supporting specifiers and new property developers in their bid to reduce their carbon footprints, Mira Showers has provided its innovative bathroom products to the Energy House 2.0 project.
Founded in 1921, the company's product development is informed by over 100 years of innovation and manufacturing experience.
It says it is dedicated to providing solution-led products that meet the needs of its customers while prioritising sustainability.
Mira’s approach to development includes rigorous product testing to both an industry standard and Mira Showers’ own standards developed in accordance with in-depth industry research at the manufacturer’s in-house testing facility.
Mira mixer showers are tested in line with the latest TMV2 standard where products are tested in development to 200,000 lifecycles, which is equivalent to 136 years of daily use for a family of four.
Visit http://www.energyhouse2.com/ for more information about Energy House 2.0.
The Future Home and the wider Energy House 2.0 project will pioneer new ways to build homes, as well as teach us how we can live in a more environmentally-friendly and cost-conscious way.
Sensors located around the house will measure the difference between the energy it generates and the energy it loses in different climates.
They will also gauge the comfort of the home.
We have collaborated with many of our suppliers to bring together a wide variety of innovations that can reduce the carbon emissions generated by our homes.
The testing will teach us more about which are most effective in varying climate conditions.”
“In addition to limiting carbon emissions, we understand that people who buy our homes will be conscious of their energy bills.
How we manage the cost of running the home will therefore be an important component of the research.”
Marcus Hudd, Senior Product Manager at Mira Showers, adds: ‘We are delighted to be collaborating with Bellway and The University of Salford on this innovative project, designed to help UK housebuilders meet their sustainability targets.
Results from the study will be fed back into our product development programmes to refine future technologies.’
Testing at Energy House 2.0 began in February 2023, with the first results due later this year.
The results produced will influence the future of housebuilding, helping to support both the UK and European Union goal of achieving net zero by 2050.
Visit http://www.energyhouse2.com/ for more information about Energy House 2.0.
