Greg Barker MP Officially Opens University of Salford’s Energy Hub Facility
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker yesterday addressed delegates at Retrofit Salford 2011 - the UK’s first conference dedicated to the challenge of how to sustainably retrofit existing housing stock. The conference was organised and hosted by University of Salford.
During his visit Greg also officially opened the University of Salford’s new Energy Hub – a multi-disciplinary research centre drawing on the expertise of over 25 academics from 13 departments, and a centre of excellence for energy research in the UK.
While visiting the Energy Hub the Minister also was given a tour of The Energy House. The Energy House, known as Number One Joule Terrace, is a full-size and fully functioning Coronation Street-style terraced house that has been reconstructed in a sealed environmental chamber. The house has been built to monitor domestic energy consumption within aged housing stock and act as a test-bed for new materials, behavioural studies and innovative theories linked to sustainability.
Addressing Retrofit Salford 2011, Mr Barker told delegates about how he had cut his political teeth in Salford and had first stood (unsuccessfully) as prospective Conservative candidate for Eccles in 1997. He further recounted that this experience had given him great insight into the specific challenges conurbations like Salford presented with regards to housing renewal and energy efficiency, before highlighting his and the coalition government’s aspiration and commitment to be “the greenest government ever”.
The Minister went on to tell delegates - drawn from technology, construction, retail, housing, governmental and academic sectors - about the dire need to tackle domestic energy usage and energy waste.
He further spoke about how the government’s Green Deal will increase the scale and pace of improved energy efficiency and about the positive economic benefits of a greener economy. The Minister also outlined how industry needs to work closely with universities such as Salford to drive innovation and to develop pragmatic solutions to achieve the government’s ambitious emissions targets.
Greg then praised the University of Salford for creating the Energy Hub facility and described it as being at the “cutting edge of research” before describing The Energy House as being “a house from the past, working for the future.”
Professor Martin Hall, Vice Chancellor of University of Salford, said of the Minister’s visit: “We really appreciated that Greg agreed to participate in our ground-breaking retrofit conference and that he was able to take a tour of our new Energy Hub and the Energy House.
“His presence at Retrofit 2011, and his enthusiasm for our work at the University, clearly demonstrates that our innovative, cross-disciplined and partnership approach to the issue of energy is in tune with the government’s ambition to make the UK one of world’s lowest carbon economies by 2020.”
In addition to hearing from Greg Barker, delegates at Retrofit 2011 enjoyed speeches from a range of organisations and companies. This included BRE, the Energy Saving Trust, ISG, Envirolink Northwest, the NWDA and the Greater Manchester Environment Commission.
Academics from the University of Salford also presented a variety of research and papers to conference, as did Professor Michael Kelly, Prince Philip Professor of Technology at University of Cambridge.
opies of the speakers’ presentations and other outcomes from the conference will be uploaded to www.energy.salford.ac.uk
