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 …
