Plumbing students from City Skills at Salford City College were given a tour of Bellway’s Future Home to learn about the new technologies expected to shape their careers.
The Future Home at The University of Salford is Bellway’s experimental eco home, which will test carbon-zero technologies.
It forms part of the Energy House 2.0 research project run by the university and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Bellway is building a three-bedroom home inside a chamber at the university. It will test innovations in building materials, recovering heat from wastewater, storing solar energy, double versus triple glazing, and the use of different heating systems including air source heat pumps.
The new technologies will be operated in varying climate conditions, with temperatures ranging from -20oC to +40oC. University of Salford researchers will analyse how each element performs when testing starts next year.
Chris Griffiths, work experience and employability coordinator at City Skills, said: “We were very pleased to be offered the opportunity to visit Bellway’s Future Home facility. To see new technology is always a positive experience and ensures our learners are engaged with cutting-edge ways of working.
“This project is especially exciting. We haven’t seen anything similar to this before and it has definitely enhanced out learners’ experience at college. This visit has opened their eyes to the direction their trade is moving in and the different ways they can expect to work once they are in the industry.”