Smart Cities & Buildings

Electric cars better for climate in 95% of the world

Study by universities of Exeter, Nijmegen and Cambridge found that electric cars lead to lower carbon emissions overall. Under current conditions, driving an electric car is better for the climate than conventional petrol cars in 95% of the world. The study projects that by 2050, every other car on the streets could be electric. This would reduce global CO2 emissions by up to 1.5 gigatons per year. In 53 of these regions, electric cars and heat pumps are already less emission-intensive than fossil fuel alternatives. Study also looked at electric household heat pumps, and found they too produce lower lower emissions than fossil-fuel alternatives in95% of. the world, study finds. "The idea that electric vehicles or electric heat pumps could increase emissions is essentially a myth," said lead author Dr Florian Knobloch, from the University of NijMegen in the Netherlands, said: "We hope our work can inform the policy process here.

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Zero waste system: Rebuilding capital for a circular economy
Smart Cities & Buildings

Zero waste system: Rebuilding capital for a circular economy

The number of zero-waste city projects is growing in Asia. But traditional development capital for waste systems is often misaligned with zero waste approaches. Incineration is the most expensive waste treatment system for construction, maintenance, and operations.

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Taking control of the energy transition… 5 ways our cities can tame the energy beast!
Smart Cities & Buildings

Taking control of the energy transition… 5 ways our cities can tame the energy beast!

Cities of any size need to draw a line in the sand and assess where they are today. Assess what is the cities current consumption, what infrastructure assets already exist, how is energy already used? Take small steps now in the direction you want.

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An initiative to establish battery cell production in Germany and Europe
Smart Cities & Buildings

An initiative to establish battery cell production in Germany and Europe

Two large-scale European projects are currently being developed in Europe to innovate and manufacture battery cells. The projects are to cover the entire value chain of battery cell manufacturing, from the materials to manufacturing and recycling. European Commission gave go-ahead for .

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China is investing $13 trillion in construction. Will it pursue zero carbon buildings?
Smart Cities & Buildings

China is investing $13 trillion in construction. Will it pursue zero carbon buildings?

China has the largest buildings market in the world, making up 20% of all construction investment globally. China is expected to spend nearly $13 trillion on buildings by 2030. Building operations are responsible for 28% of global energy-related carbon emissions.

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Dubai announces that 25% of its buildings will be 3D printed in 2030
Smart Cities & Buildings

Dubai announces that 25% of its buildings will be 3D printed in 2030

Dubai recently announced a 3D printing strategy to make it a leading hub for additive manufacturing in construction. The Emirate expects to reduce average building construction costs by 50 to 70%, and labour costs by as much as 80% with 3D-built structures.

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The future of flight – Three energy futures (electric, hydrogen or just less?)
Smart Cities & Buildings

The future of flight – Three energy futures (electric, hydrogen or just less?)

Every minute 84 flights take off somewhere in the world with over 4 Billion journeys being made by plane. Burning nearly 300 million tonnes of Jet Fuel annually making up 2.7 percent of global CO2 emissions and global air travel is expected to double over the next.

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How energy efficiency upgrades can benefit building owners and tenants
Smart Cities & Buildings

How energy efficiency upgrades can benefit building owners and tenants

E3 Prime Environments President, Curt Monhart, took a tour of a business operation with a high monthly utility bill. Monhart was keenly aware that simply replacing the obsolete HVAC system and upgrading the existing outdated lighting would yield significant cost savings.

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5 Things you need to know about 5G Heat (Fifth Generation Heat!)
Smart Cities & Buildings

5 Things you need to know about 5G Heat (Fifth Generation Heat!)

In my blog ‘How will energy look in 2030? My 10 predictions for the next 10 years! I predicted that by 2030 all city centres will have some form of fifth generation heat network - taking heat networks share of heating beyond the 18% currently forecast.

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In and out with 10-minute electrical vehicle recharge
Smart Cities & Buildings

In and out with 10-minute electrical vehicle recharge

Penn State engineers have demonstrated that they can charge an electrical vehicle in ten minutes. Lithium-ion batteries degrade when rapidly charged at ambient temperatures under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The rapid cooling of battery would be accomplished using cooling system designed into .

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