Low Carbon Devon Test and Deployment Facility

The Sustainability Hub: Low Carbon Devon project will provide an exciting new catalyst for low-carbon economic growth in Devon.

Supported by an investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the three-year £2.6 million programme, will support Devon-based organisations to access research, business support, and engage with the University of Plymouth around the low-carbon agenda.

The University of Plymouth is looking to appoint a contractor for construction of the controlled test facility on the main campus that will: 1.

Test and develop new innovative solutions and products for reducing energy and CO2 emissions with businesses, including SME's 2.

Deploy and demonstrate a range of existing innovative, commercially available energy efficient technologies 3.

Allow the Energy Efficiency in Buildings (Occupant Behaviour) Research Fellow to undertake research into human factors and responses to the solutions and products.

The test and deployment facility will be designed as a "plug and play" environment, allowing businesses to apply to test their solutions and products for a period of time in the facility's controlled environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity) and where appropriate also access Low Carbon Devon's research expertise in human factors and responses to those solutions and products (e.g. occupant behaviour, usability testing, comfort, thermal stress, productivity, performance, mood, creativity, etc.).

The test facility will allow businesses to demonstrate or validate the potential energy and carbon savings of their solutions and products.

The controlled environmental conditions in the facility would also allow businesses and the researchers to demonstrate or validate the energy and carbon savings of the solutions and products for both current and future climates (i.e. changes triggered by climate change) as well as for other global regions allowing businesses to consider potential for export.