eHome2, University of Salford
Hager is contributing to a ground-breaking research project designed to accelerate progress towards low carbon and net zero housing.
Hager's Tailored Design 50 Consumer Unit Provides Solution For Research Project
Hager is contributing to a ground-breaking research project designed to accelerate progress towards low carbon and net zero housing. Alongside industry leaders and academics, Hager is helping with a project to establish a best practice template for the future construction of sustainable, comfortable, and efficient homes at scale.
With the nation’s homes contributing nearly 40% of the UK’s total carbon emissions, the way homes are built in the future will be pivotal if the Government’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 are to be achieved.
To support this, innovative approaches are required to deliver the newly built homes that utilise future-proofed technologies as well as sustainable building materials and methods to underpin low carbon and energy efficiency ambitions.
As the construction sector moves towards the implementation of the Future Homes Standard in 2025, efforts are underway to make this a reality.
Working with construction solutions provider, Saint-Gobain and long-term partner Barratt Developers, Hager is playing its part in a landmark project by providing electrical distribution expertise and bespoke product support.
Looking at how sustainable housing can be delivered at scale using construction solutions manufactured off-site is eHome2, a futuristic three-bedroom family test home built inside the world-leading Energy House 2.0 research facility situated at the University of Salford. Energy House 2.0 is a testing facility that is part-funded by the European Research Development Fund (ERDF).
"It is great to be able to contribute our product innovation and expertise to the important construction, running and testing of the eHome2 project"
A tailored solution from Hager
The University’s research team is examining how sustainable housing designs such as eHome2 can be delivered at scale using construction solutions that are manufactured off-site and incorporate next generation technologies.
To support this Hager has supplied a bespoke Design 50 consumer unit to power and control the energy around the entire eHome2. Constructed from galvanised steel, the consumer unit was installed in October 2022 and supplied to site pre-assembled and in a standard white finish.
Ash Knowles, Hager’s National Residential Specification Manager says the manufacturer was delighted to be involved in such an important venture. “We were approached by long-term partner Barratt Developers to support the project by providing our electrical power expertise and product innovation.
“In answer to the brief, our Tailored Solutions team designed and created a bespoke Design 50 consumer unit which is now powering and controlling the energy around the entire eHome2. The team reengineered the consumer unit to include a double stack board as a future-proofed solution. It is also dual row to provide additional capacity to meet any future needs of the project.”
Hager’s Design 50 is specified alongside many other innovative home features such as an air source heat pump, mechanical ventilation, heat recovery, solar panels, battery storage, heated skirting boards and infra-red panel heating solutions.
"Tapping into the expertise and product innovation from companies such as Hager means we can gain a better understanding for the type of high performing homes we need”
The unit has been installed in a recessed location and fits flush within the wall cavity to provide an aesthetically pleasing and discreet answer within the eHome2 space. This complements the overall design aspirations set out as part of the future home template.
With the ability to add additional circuits as the needs of the house change and the eHome2 project progresses, Hager’s Design 50 solution is flexible enough to make an ongoing and significant contribution to the project as future research is undertaken.
From a practical installation perspective, the bespoke Design 50 consumer unit also provides the benefit of adjustable frames to allow for a range of installation depths within the wall and cable clamps which prevent any movement of meter tails being transmitted to the terminals of the main switch.
Outlining the importance of the project, Tom Cox, Technical and Development Director at Saint-Gobain, says: “It is only through expert-led collaboration and detailed research – such as on display at the Energy House 2.0 testing facility – that real progress can be made towards a sustainable future. Building better performing and sustainable homes for the future is essential if we are to tackle low carbon, energy efficiency and running cost housing issues. The research work at eHome2 within the Energy House 2.0 testing facility will be vital in this respect.
“Tapping into the expertise and product innovation on offer from companies such as Hager means we can begin to gain a better understanding so we can generate a new blueprint for the type of high performing homes we need, and which people want to live in going forward.”
Ash Knowles concludes: “It is great to be able to contribute our product innovation and expertise to the important construction, running and testing of the eHome2 project.
Sustainability sits at the heart of Hager’s commitment to building a better world and the Energy House 2.0 project is a prime example of leading companies in their sectors collaborating with purpose to provide the construction and technology answers needed to make a tangible difference to how future homes are built.”
Energy House 2.0 Project
Behind the scenes on Zed House & eHome2
Working with our long-term partner Barratt Homes and construction solutions provider, Saint-Gobain, see how we supported the project
