Welcome to our News and Blog page where you can read the latest stories from the team. If you are interested in a particular topic – you can filter the stories via the tags below:
The Active Office recently turned 3 years old, and for its birthday it asked for more data charts! In this blog, Data Systems Technician, Luke Ardolino, takes a quick look…
The Active Building Centre owes a lot to SPECIFIC. It proved that Active Buildings could provide not simply an interesting concept for the future, but a game-changing solution available right…
In this vlog, SPECIFIC’s Technology Director, Justin Searle, discusses how the energy monitoring systems and capability within our demonstration buildings has evolved over time. Q&A Timings: Please introduce yourself and…
Purpose When we moved into the world of building demonstration back in 2014, constructing our first building demonstrator – the Active Pod – the aim was to demonstrate the Active…
At the Coed Darcy development in Swansea, Coastal Housing Group is bringing the Active Building design principle together with steel-framed modular construction for the first time. The result is two off-gas properties that will provide residents with…
It’s no secret that the UK construction industry has suffered from a poor reputation over the years, particularly around poor standards of performance, which have inevitably translated to poor building…
BIPVco is a successful SME specialising in building-integrated photovoltaics. It was founded in 2015, underpinned by SPECIFIC’s research into functional coatings applied to steel construction materials. In this blog, we…
SPECIFIC / SUNRISE PhD student Carys Worsley tells us about her first paper as lead author. Carys’ research replaced a psychoactive and toxic solvent currently used in perovskite solar cell…
We work with businesses in a variety of ways, from testing and demonstrating new innovative products and services, to improving processes and identifying decarbonisation opportunities. In this blog, we showcase an…
In this Q&A vlog, we speak to SPECIFIC’s Innovation & Engagement Fellow, Silvia Villarroya-Lidon, about the work we do with business at research level – both in the UK and…
It’s been one year since lockdown began. Our lives have all changed in so many ways. With the focus of the last year on increased hygiene and cleanliness, people wearing…
In the last of our photovoltaic research vlog series, we find out about the ATIP – Application Targeted and Integrated Photovoltaics – programme, led by Professor James Durrant from SPECIFIC…
The £7million Sêr Solar project was launched in 2013, led by Professor James Durrant (Imperial College London). Professor Durrant was appointed as Sêr Cymru Research chair in photovoltaics as part…
Perovskite solar cells are a relatively new breakthrough in photovoltaics, bursting onto the scene and rapidly advancing from lab scale all the way through to building demonstration size. We join…
Ten years ago this month, we brought together academic and industry partners with expertise in printed photovoltaics, electrical storage, thermal storage and industrial coatings; they were united under a shared…
Dr Cécile Charbonneau is the lead researcher of our Photovoltaic Nanomaterials Team. Cécile has been with the SPECIFIC team since the outset and her passion and enthusiasm for her work…
In November 2020, we launched the first version of our Active Building Toolkit. The main purpose of the toolkit was to share our experiences of designing, delivering and operating Active…
“We talk about our successes, but nobody wants to admit when there’s been a problem. We need a climate of honesty where people can say: we tried this, it didn’t…
Due to Government legislation and a ‘greener’ way of thinking amongst consumers, the electric car market is growing quickly. When comparing year-on-year data, September 2020 saw an increase of 184%…
SPECIFIC researcher Suzanne Thomas is working on integrating perovskite solar cells, which are cheap and easy to process, with the Internet of Things (IoT) for use in indoor settings. The…
In this blog Data Systems Technician, Luke Ardolino, looks at the Active Office energy data at a high level to see what changes have made to our energy usage profile.
We have recently completed a collaborative project with Safehouse Technology – whose smart sensors not only keep loved ones safe, but can also be used to monitor low-carbon tech used…
This week we threw a spotlight on one of the toughest challenges society faces in reducing carbon emissions. Thanks to everyone who took part in Heat Week! Here’s a review…
We are thrilled to announce that the Active Office has been ‘highly commended’ in its category, ‘Climate Resilience Project of the Year,’ at the British Construction Industry Awards (BCIA). Congratulations…
A new project involving Swansea University researchers and Tata Steel will investigate the potential for recovering waste heat from industry so it can be re-used. Heavy industries can release up…
FLEXISApp has just announced funding for MESH (Mobile Energy Storage as Heat), a partnership project between FLEXISApp, SPECIFIC and Tata Steel UK. MESH is a 24 month thermal energy storage…
Sharon Bishop, SPECIFIC’s communications manager and heating novice, calls for a joined-up collaborative approach. Many years ago, I sat next to a member of one of the government’s energy advisory…
The ‘Active Buildings Toolkit’ has been developed by Design Manager, Joanna Clarke, to share the principles and learnings from the Active Buildings, with the aim of encouraging others to adopt…
We’re throwing a spotlight on one of the toughest challenges society faces in reducing carbon emissions. Heating with fossil fuels accounts for about a quarter of global carbon emissions. Here…
Swansea University has achieved the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) sustainability award for many of its laboratories across campus including SPECIFIC‘s. The LEAF tool, devised by UCL (University College London)…
In our first ever vlog, we chat to one of SPECIFIC’s Business Development Managers about how we work with businesses across the UK, and some of the projects were currently…
Children returning to lessons at 12 local schools this week are the latest people to be protected by hand sanitiser made at Swansea University
Naked Energy is a British design, innovation and engineering business with a global outlook, redefining solar energy solutions. As a technology supplier for the Active Office, we caught up with…
In June this year, the UK Prime Minister delivered a “Build, Build, Build” speech that preceded the announcement of radical reforms to the current planning system in England. This has…
EPSRC Programme Grants are mechanisms to provide flexible funding to world-leading research groups to address significant major research challenges. This represented a great opportunity for Swansea University to strengthen links…
A £6 million award will drive next-generation solar technology into new applications. We’ve teamed up with Imperial College London and Oxford University for a new programme grant, ATIP, which will…
Professor Trystan Watson has won a student-nominated award for excellence in teaching and learning. The Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards are celebrated annually to members of staff who have made an outstanding contribution…
In 2011, SPECIFIC was one of six UK Innovation and Knowledge Centres (IKCs) created by the UK Government. Nine years on, and countless projects and collaborations later, SPECIFIC is celebrating…
The national St David Awards scheme recognises and celebrates the exceptional achievements of people from all walks of life in Wales. Dave’s contribution to Wales in this category has been…
Here at SPECIFIC, our PV team are looking at scaling up perovskite solar cells (PSCs). A recent paper published by the team notes that use of XPS in perovskite can…
Dr Matt Burton is part of our Thermoelectrics Group and is working on research to allow the widespread use of thermoelectric materials to harness waste heat. Here, he explains why…
The team at SPECIFIC have long been advocates of using electric vehicles (EVs), from adopting the first generation Nissan Leaf to now operating a “fleet” of electric cars and vans.…
Developing sustainable renewable energy technologies is vital in the move to decarbonise industry. Renewable energy technologies, including solar, have enormous socio-economic benefits and are significantly better for the environment than fossil-fuels, which continue to…
Frontline housing workers, homelessness support services and the people they look after, many of whom are vulnerable, are the latest groups to be using hand sanitiser made at Swansea University,…
Here, SPECIFIC researcher and one of the paper’s authors, Rahul Patidar, discusses the processes and research that led to the paper being published. A newcomer to the photovoltaic industry, PSCs have gathered…
At SPECIFIC, we are often asked: “What differentiates an Active Building from other “green” buildings?” This blog defines what we mean by an Active Building and also explores other environmentally-conscious…
Swansea University has successfully won funding to reduce the time it takes to sanitise ambulances after carrying a suspected Covid-19 positive patient. Students from the university are helping slash the…
Four sessions have been designed with a Sustainable Engineering theme in order to motivate young people to get involved with designing tomorrow’s solutions. The topics covered are similar to those…
SPECIFIC’s most recent Active Building demonstration is a rail-approved platform waiting shelter. The shelter has been installed at the Solar Heat Energy Demonstrator (SHED) site and is being used for testing and…
A solar tech lab at Swansea University has temporarily switched to producing 5000 litres of hand sanitiser a week, to help the NHS fight the Coronavirus outbreak.
Making solar modules is not like making single solar cells. When working on single cells, the main parameters that should be optimised include the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the…
SPECIFIC is committed to caring for the health and well-being of our staff and partners. Following guidance from Swansea University / UK Government, and to ensure the safety of our…
Having been running for 3 years, the Energy Storage System (ESS) in The Active Classroom is now being renewed to meet fresh challenges such as new electric vehicle charging ports,…
At Knowledge Transfer Network UK and Innovate UK‘s Materials Research Exchange in London last month, we brought 11 other Materials Engineering projects from Swansea University to exhibit as a group…
The UK has made significant progress in decarbonising the economy – overall emissions have fallen by 40% since 1990 and almost half our electricity came from renewable or low carbon…
The national St David Awards scheme recognises and celebrates the exceptional achievements of people from all walks of life in Wales. Dave’s contribution to Wales in this category has been…
Steel is the core product in manufacturing, national infrastructure and high-tech 21st century industries such as electric vehicles and Active Buildings. It is the most widely used material in the…
The Research & Innovation Awards celebrate the outstanding research and collaborations that are undertaken at Swansea University, and the enormous impact these are having across the world. The ceremony guests…
What type of research is being undertaken by SPECIFIC’s Industrial Coatings group? In basic terms, our work has two primary strands:– Developing ways of putting a liquid on a substrate–…
SUNRISE is an international project to address global energy poverty with partners from India, Mexico, South Africa, and Kazakhstan. Twice-yearly conferences have been essential to building collaborations and growing capabilities,…
There are existing protocols to evaluate emerging photovoltaic devices, but they are not appropriate for halide perovskite solar cells – a new generation of solar cells designed to overcome the…
The aim of the award is to recognise a woman who has made an outstanding contribution to engineering in the built environment and is a fitting role model for women…
Professor Watson has been a part of the SPECIFIC team for 12 years and is passionate about his work. Trystan and the group have gained a reputation within the PV community,…
This series of articles is a partnership between SPECIFIC, SUNRISE and the Active Building Centre. Our projects work with academic, industry and community partners in the UK and the Global South to research…
Blog by Simone Meroni Yucatan is a Mexican state, surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, where the Mayan civilization flourished. Here, the sun shines all year. The winter, as most Europeans known, never makes an…
This series of articles is a partnership between SPECIFIC, SUNRISE and the Active Building Centre. Our projects work with academic, industry and community partners in the UK and the Global…
[Written by Peter Bullock, Evergreen Smart Power] National Grid’s need to keep the electricity network balanced rarely makes for a stimulating topic of conversation, but the recent once-in-a-decade power outages…
Congratulations to Jenny Baker on being awarded a £1.3M, 5-year Early Career Research Fellowship by EPSRC to pursue her research in sustainable manufacturing of solid state batteries for fixed storage…
This Summer, we hosted the first ever UK-China Workshop on Organic and Perovskites Solar cells at Swansea University Bay Campus. The main objective of the 3-day event was to bring…
A Q&A with SPECIFIC’s Technology Director, Dr Justin Searle, on how the Active Office has performed, and what’s next… How has the Active Office run over the last year? It…
Airbus works with researchers at Swansea University to investigate the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells in a simulated stratospheric environment. Following a successful application to Airbus Endeavr, researchers at Swansea…
Innovative design and pioneering technology helped Swansea University scoop for a top award for one of its highest-profile new buildings. The Active Office, which demonstrates the Active Building concept developed…
A ‘Q&A’ with Chris Weirman on the latest solar PV and solar thermal project at SPECIFIC. Please introduce yourself and your role at SPECIFIC: My name’s Chris Weirman, and I’m…
[Article written by Kevin Sullivan, Swansea University Press Office] A new 3-D printed thermoelectric device, which converts heat into electric power with an efficiency factor over 50% higher than the…
Sêr Solar was devised in response to the Welsh Government’s Sêr Cymru programme, established in June 2013 to strengthen research capability in Wales. The £50m scheme sought to attract leading…
We’re thrilled to announce that the Active Office is following in the footsteps of its big sister, The Active Classroom, and has been shortlisted for numerous awards in 2019… The…
[Written by Gill Kelleher, Policy and Engagement Manager at SPECIFIC] David Attenborough’s poignant message at the opening ceremony of the United Nations sponsored climate talks, COP24 in December 2018, highlighted…
[written by Silvia Villarroya-Lidon, Ser Solar Fellow – Industrial Engagement] As 2018 came to an end, we looked back at our PV teams’ technical and personal achievements, and we can…
[By Adrian Walters, IP & Project Manager for SUNRISE] Background: In 2017 the photovoltaic groups at Swansea University (SPECIFIC IKC) and CINVESTAV, Merida were awarded a Newton Fund grant, funded by the UK Department for Business,…
(Written by Joanna Clarke, Buildings Integration Manager at SPECIFIC) The Active Office is now occupied by members of the new Active Building Centre (ABC) team, bringing the building to life…
[Written by Catherine Suenne De Castro from SPECIFIC’s Research Team] The RSC Photophysics and Photochemistry Group (PPG) meeting was held on the 20th and 21st of September 2018 at both the…
This month, we organised an event in response to the Welsh Government Low Carbon Pathway Consultation. The event was held at the Senedd and was arranged to raise awareness of…
The 16 homes, on the site of a former care home, have been designed to maximise solar gain and will use a combination of innovative technologies to allow the homes to…
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP has announced new £36 million UK Government funding to develop clean energy innovation at Swansea University. The new Active Building…
A schematic of photonic phenomenon observed in perovskite solar cells due to the doping of high conducting ZnO nanoparticle in absorber layer Perovskite solar cells have garnered much interest over…
A lot of very impressive technology has gone into the new Active Office at Swansea University’s Bay Campus. As the UK’s first energy positive office, its design combines a variety…
Humankind is on the brink of significant climate change and material resource shortages. We have reached the limits of our traditional ‘take-make-dispose’ linear economic models in which materials are extracted…
The PV upscaling team at SPECIFIC has been working hard in the last year and finally their efforts have been recognised. Their paper, “All printable perovskite solar modules with 198…
Solar cells convert the ubiquitous power of the sun into electricity, making them an especially attractive source of sustainable energy. To do so, however, the cells should maintain their performance…
The team at SPECIFIC has been working alongside the Swansea University Engineering Department and Queen Mary University of London to produce a paper on thermoelectric materials; “Thin Film Tin Selenide…
We are delighted to announce that the Active Classroom has continued its winning streak; picking up its 7th award since completion in 2016. Last night (Thursday 21st June), the classroom…
The UK’s first energy-positive office, which generates more solar energy than it consumes, will be opened at Swansea University on 21st June.
We’re delighted to announce that The Active Classroom has received huge recognition at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Wales Awards tonight (Wednesday 23rd May); which was held at…
Active Classroom picks up further recognition at the Neath Port Talbot Building Awards by winning ‘Best Public Service Building.’
Students from University of Wales Trinity St David’s School of Architecture and Built Environment were treated to an in-depth tour of the construction process behind the UK’s first energy positive…
A £6.5m grant has been awarded to pump naturally-heated water from an Caerau coal mine (Maesteg) and use it to heat 150 homes. The technology developed will pump water from…