The world’s first energy positive office, capable of generating more energy than it uses, is to be built in Swansea.
Swansea University’s Specific Innovation and Knowledge Centre has received an £800,000 grant towards the scheme from government funding body Innovate UK.
The “Active Office” will be built using offsite manufacturing techniques and will incorporate energy harvesting, storage and release technologies.
The building will be completed by April 2018 and occupied immediately by up to 40 members of staff.
The Active Office will be linked to the Active Classroom, an existing area which provides teaching space and a laboratory for Swansea University students, as well as a building-scale development facility for Specific and its industry partners.
Specific works with more than 50 partners from academia, industry and government to deliver its vision for buildings as power stations.
Ruth McKernan, chief executive of Innovate UK, said: “Building the UK’s first office that creates more power than it uses is a significant step, and I’m proud that it is Innovate UK funding that is making it happen.
“The Active Office heralds the future for building design and is a testimony to the fantastic work being done at Swansea University by the Specific team. This flagship demonstration of the ‘buildings as power stations’ concept will draw visitors from around the world and give us a glimpse of the future.”
Professor Richard Davies, vice chancellor of Swansea University, said: “It is exciting to see Specific’s innovative ‘buildings as power stations’ concept becoming a practical reality. The Active Office at our Bay Campus follows closely on the heels of the ground-breaking Active Classroom.
“As well as demonstrating what is now possible off the grid, the new building will share energy with the Active Classroom, showing how buildings can work together to create energy resilient communities.”
