Energy House Labs has been awarded a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education, the UK’s highest national honour for educational achievement, in recognition of its pioneering research into sustainable building design and efforts to tackle fuel poverty.
The award highlights the impact of the labs’ world-leading testing facilities, including Energy House 2.0, which can recreate 95% of global weather conditions to accelerate the development of low-carbon, energy-efficient homes. Working with partners such as Bellway and Barratt Redrow, the team is helping shape the design of around a quarter of all new homes currently being built in the UK.
Since its establishment, Energy House Labs has collaborated with hundreds of businesses, from start-ups to multinational companies, including more than 50 that have benefitted from the £3 million Innovation Accelerator programme funded by UK Research and Innovation.
Professor Nic Beech said:
“We are deeply honoured to receive a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education. This award is recognition of the extraordinary talent and dedication of our researchers at Energy House Labs, who are accelerating the transition to net-zero building design and delivering solutions that address one of society’s most urgent challenges – fuel poverty.”
Professor Will Swan, Director of Energy House Labs, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to receive a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education. It’s testament to the hard work and dedication of every single person who has played a role at Energy House Labs over the past 15 years, as well as the invaluable support of our partners.”
The prize also reflects the labs’ significant national impact, from research that helped 5.2 million households reduce energy bills, to major studies informing how future homes will be heated as the UK transitions away from gas boilers.
The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education are awarded every two years by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister, following an independent review process conducted by The Royal Anniversary Trust. The 2025 winners were announced at St James’s Palace on 25 November, with a formal honours ceremony to follow in 2026.