A UK university has been awarded £36m to develop building materials which generate power. The British chancellor Philip Hammond has announced that Swansea University will be given government funding to work on new technologies and new building materials that will use heat and light to make electricity. The aggregates industry will be called upon to supply raw materials and different mixes as part of the project. The objective is to replace conventional walls, roofs and windows with new products.
According to a report on the BBC this week, the power generated could be used in homes, workplaces, schools and hospitals, with the energy stored and released by "smart energy systems". Hammond said the aim was to cut energy bills and carbon emissions and excess power could be sold back to the National Grid.
"Swansea University and the innovative companies working with it are world-leaders in clean energy," said Hammond. "The UK government is backing the industries of the future (and) this £36m new funding will support exciting green technology that could cut energy bills, reduce carbon emissions and create better homes and workspaces."
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns added: "Today's funding announcement, on top of the £68m commitment to Swansea University since 2010, will ensure that Wales and one of its most forward-thinking universities will play a key role in keeping the UK at the vanguard of innovation for years to come."
UK ministers have committed to at least halving the energy used in new buildings by 2030. The funding will go to Swansea University's Specific research institute. Another £6.5m is coming from the Welsh Government, including £5m from its Innovative Housing Programme budget. Britain's housing and regeneration minister Rebecca Evans said: "We are looking for projects that can help meet our affordable housing needs, projects that can tackle fuel poverty and improve the lives of people who live in them."
This report first appeared on www.bbc.co.uk.
