Green home designs put to the test in giant climate-controlled chamber

Roof-mounted heat pumps and heat-harvesting showers are among the green home technologies being put through their paces in a research facility in Manchester, UK



Environment



17 February 2023

A snow machine creates wintry conditions inside the Energy House chamber where home technologies are being tested in Manchester, UK

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

On a late winter’s day in Manchester, UK, the sky is a steely grey and the air temperature hovers shy of 10°C (50°F). But as I step inside the University of Salford’s latest state-of-the-art research building, the freezing 3°C (37°F) air bites immediately.

No, the heating system in this brand-new block hasn’t malfunctioned. In fact, this sleek hangar is a giant climate-controlled chamber, designed …

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