Friends of Energy House 2.0 Impact Fund
About the University of Salford
Founded in 1896 as the Salford Royal Technical Institute, the University of Salford is the fastest growing University in the North-West and the fifth fastest in the UK, with over 25,000 students, 2,300 staff and a global alumni community of over 175,000. We are a proud civic institution based in the heart of the Salford community. Collaboration with industry is in our DNA and is the driving force in all we do. We develop work-ready talent and have pioneered exceptional industry partnerships for over 100 years, leading the way in real-world experiences that prepare our students for life.
Transforming lives. Stimulating discovery. Realising potential.
We have always played a major role in improving the lives of our communities. We now take this challenge more seriously than ever on a global scale. Climate change is arguably the single greatest threat that we face. The University of Salford recognises this and is playing a leading role in the fight against the climate emergency. More than 25% of all the energy used in the UK is used in our homes. Understanding how to use this energy more efficiently is therefore critical in the move to achieving net zero. That is why, in 2011, Salford built Energy House; the world’s first full sized, two-bedroom, brick built terraced house constructed inside an environmentally controllable chamber. The facility mimics real-life weather conditions and, in collaboration with industry, has enabled cutting-edge research, product innovation, and testing to improve energy efficiency at home.
Building on the foundations of success with Energy House, in 2022 the University of Salford is opening the doors of Energy House 2.0: the largest test and research facility of its kind. It contains two environmental chambers, each able to accommodate two detached houses. The chambers will be able to replicate environmental conditions experienced by 95% of the world’s population, creating temperatures ranging between -20˚C to +40˚C and simulating wind, rain, snow, and solar radiation. This new facility will provide exceptional opportunities to collaborate with industry, carry out unique research, and provide innovative solutions to help the international move to net zero, especially within the built environment sector.
Friends of Energy House 2.0
The University of Salford is now in its second year of holding a Friends of Energy House 2.0 community. The mission behind this network is for industry partners to join forces in raising the profile, amplifying the activity, and enhancing the impact of the world-leading Energy House 2.0 research facility.
To become a Friend, industry partners have donated £10,000 to the Friends of Energy House 2.0 Impact Fund.
The EH2.0 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, covering the following social impact areas:
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Women in STEM PhD Studentship
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Educational Outreach Programmes
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Supporting Student & Local Community Initiatives
Industry partners supporting the programme this year include Barratt Developments, Bellway Homes, D+H UK, Electricity Northwest, Elmhurst Energy, HG Capital, Ibstock, Persimmon, Project Better Energy, RSK, Seddon Construction, Thermocill and Veritherm.
The £16 million Energy House 2.0 is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and will provide exceptional opportunities to collaborate with industry, carry out unique research, and provide innovative solutions to help the international move to net zero, especially within the built environment sector.
Friends of Energy House 2.0: Invitation to Apply for Funding
We are inviting organisations to apply for funding to support in areas (2) and (3) of the Impact Fund:
- Educational Outreach Programmes
- Supporting Student & Local Community Initiatives
Building on the success of last year, the overall ambition of the Friends of Energy House 2.0 community is to raise awareness, improve education and understanding, and to build a talent pipeline in the areas of energy efficiency, sustainability, and climate change.
The Energy House 2.0 facility is at the heart of the University of Salford campus; therefore, it is critical for us that the impact of the fund primarily supports beneficiaries within the local community – Salford, Greater Manchester, and the Northwest.
We know that young people and teachers want to access more quality information and resources around climate change. Research conducted by YouGov and Oxfam found that 75% of teachers feel they haven’t received adequate training to educate students about climate change and 69% think there should be more teaching about climate change in UK schools. A survey by Green Schools Project / NUS found that 68% of pupils want to learn more about the environment and climate change.
We are also fully aware of the crippling impact that the energy crisis is having within homes across the UK currently, impacting the cost of living significantly and leaving many households facing deprivation. Salford is the 18th most deprived of England’s 317 local authorities and 34.8% of children within Salford are already living in poverty. We therefore know the significant challenges being faced on our doorstep, specifically around the question of how to effectively heat your home – something that Energy House Labs is tackling head-on, not just for the benefit of our climate, but also to help keep energy costs down for the average household.
We are, therefore, seeking projects to support via the Friends of Energy House 2.0 community to address the above.
What are we looking for?
We are looking for impact-driven programmes that will raise awareness, provoke interest, improve knowledge, and deliver benefits on the themes of sustainability, energy efficiency and climate change. This work must impact the communities of students, residents and/or the wider public, particularly within Salford and Greater Manchester, although will consider national programmes.
We are open to hearing from you on how your project will most effectively achieve the outcomes outlined above – it could be a community-based initiative or an education programme within Schools. We are open to programmes that impact children (all ages) as well as the adult community.
We are interested in embedding some of the work and impact of Energy House 2.0 within project delivery, such as via an educational workshop on campus or integrating the facility within the content or information that is shared. We want to share with our community the relevant research that is happening right here in Salford. We would love to hear how you think you might be able to build this into your project or model.
The Friends of Energy House 2.0 industry partners are also keen to get involved, where possible, with delivery. If there is the opportunity for engagement of the Friends, then please do let us know.
The University of Salford also has a network of Schools and FE Colleges within Salford and Greater Manchester, so if you have a programme but need our support in communicating it with local Schools, we’re happy to help.
Most of all, we want the work to be impactful. We are not setting expectations on the number of beneficiaries to be targeted, nor specific outcomes - we want to focus more on impact and engagement. It’s your call on how you think that balance could be reached.
Last year the three successful projects that received funding were:
1. Digital Advantage’s The Sustainable Box Project - The creation of the Energy House in kit form to be used in classrooms alongside a set of challenges to provide students with a hands-on, experimental programme that encouraged them to explore STEAM subjects and careers.
2. University of Salford Arts Collection Team’s Artist in Residence - Supporting two artist residencies in Energy House Labs to create awareness of the vital work of the Labs and engage the public in developing a better understanding of energy efficiency, sustainability, and climate change in thought-provoking and meaningful ways. The project will close with an exhibition at Castlefield Gallery in Spring 2025, alongside a public engagement programme.
3. Marple Education and Spotlight School of Speech and Drama’s The School Green Summit - Designed to raise awareness of sustainability issues by developing the work of the Greater Manchester Green Summit to be more accessible for young people. The team worked with experts to create impactful lessons and spoken word exercises to improve the understanding of sustainability for teachers and young people; the spoken word exercises took the form of a competition, with the winning students performing at The School Green Summit.
How much is the grant size?
We are welcoming applications up to a total grant value of £30,000.
However, we are expecting to fund just a handful of projects and will only consider exceptional projects at the higher level of funding, so please do bear that in mind when presenting your costs.
Timelines?
An independent Board has been assembled to review applications and make the decision on funding. The Board will meet in early September, successful applicants will be notified shortly after, and we expect delivery to start between October and December 2023. Project duration can vary.
What would we expect from you?
We know how time-consuming reporting can be. Therefore, we won’t ask you for lengthy or complicated forms. However, we do want to hear the impact of the programme / project so we can share it back with our funders – the Friends.
We will request that you share updates with us as and when relevant (such as a short blog, or quick summary of delivery), and would like at least one impact report to be shared at completion of the programme – this can be written or presented by you in whatever form you think best reflects your work.
Please note that this funding is for a one-off programme, however, we would love to hear if there is an opportunity to grow or continue your work in the future as we review the next phase of our Friends of Energy House 2.0 programme.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the application for funding, please contact Hannah Fox, Development Officer.