scholarly journals Identifying the Lack of Energy-Conscious Behaviour in Clinical and Non-Clinical Settings: An NHS Case Study

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 2468
Author(s):  
Ahmad Taha ◽  
Tim Hopthrow ◽  
Ruiheng Wu ◽  
Neil Adams ◽  
Jessica Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Savings ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Negative Energy ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The Uk

The race against climate change has been a great challenge for years, and the UK government has taken serious steps towards achieving the net-zero carbon target by 2050. Technology is leading the way and innovation is believed to be a key solution. Nevertheless, tackling the issue, by attempting to limit the waste in energy, due to negative energy usage behaviour, has proven to be a successful approach that is capable of complementing other technology-based initiatives. The first step towards this is to promote energy-conscious behaviour and pinpoint where savings can be made. Thereby, this paper contributes to the existing literature, by presenting a new methodology to identify potential energy waste and negative energy usage behaviour in an NHS hospital. The paper presents an analysis of electricity consumption vs occupancy during minimal consumption periods (i.e, bank holidays and weekends) and it presents a log of equipment left switched on outside of working hours, in order to highlight the level of energy-conscious behaviour. The results revealed that the proposed technique is not only able to identify negative energy usage behaviour amongst the hospital staff but helps identify areas where immediate energy savings can be made, with potential savings of more than 30,000 pounds, if action is taken.

Net zero carbon: Energy performance targets for offices

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-369
Author(s):  
Robert Cohen ◽  
Karl Desai ◽  
Jennifer Elias ◽  
Richard Twinn
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Minimum Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Extensive Consultation ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The Uk

The UKGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework was published in April 2019 following an industry task group and extensive consultation process. The framework acts as guidance for achieving net zero carbon for operational energy and construction emissions, with a whole life carbon approach to be developed in the future. In consultation with industry, further detail and stricter requirements are being developed over time. In October 2019, proposals were set out for industry consultation on minimum energy efficiency targets for new and existing commercial office buildings seeking to achieve net zero carbon status for operational energy today, based on the performance levels that all buildings will be required to achieve by 2050. This was complemented by modelling work undertaken by the LETI network looking into net zero carbon requirements for new buildings. In January 2020 UKGBC published its guidance on the levels of energy performance that offices should target to achieve net zero and a trajectory for getting there by 2035. This paper describes the methodology behind and industry perspectives on UKGBC’s proposals which aim to predict the reduction in building energy intensity required if the UK’s economy is to be fully-powered by zero carbon energy in 2050. Practical application: Many developers and investors seeking to procure new commercial offices or undertake major refurbishments of existing offices are engaging with the ‘net zero carbon’ agenda, now intrinsic to the legislative framework for economic activity in the UK. A UKGBC initiative effectively filled a vacuum by defining a set of requirements including energy efficiency thresholds for commercial offices in the UK to be considered ‘net zero carbon’. This paper provides all stakeholders with a detailed justification for the level of these thresholds and what might be done to achieve them. A worked example details one possible solution for a new office.

A qualitative assessment of the impact of smart homes and environmentally beneficial technologies on the UK 2050 net-zero carbon emission target

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghasson Shabha ◽  
Francesca Barber ◽  
Paul Laycock
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Smart Homes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Home Technology ◽  
Smart Home Technology

PurposeThere are 29 million homes in the UK, accounting for 14% of the UK's energy consumption. This is given that UK has one of the highest water and energy demands in Europe which needs to be addressed according to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). Smart homes technology holds a current perception that it is principally used by “tech-savvy” users with larger budgets. However, smart home technology can be used to control water, heat and energy in the entire house. This paper investigates how smart home technology could be effectively utilised to aid the UK government in meeting climate change targets and to mitigate the environmental impact of a home in use towards reducing carbon emissions.Design/methodology/approachBoth primary and secondary data were sought to gain insight into the research problem. An epistemological approach to this research is to use interpretivism to analyse data gathered via a semi-structured survey. Two groups of participants were approached: (1) professionals who are deemed knowledgeable about smart home development and implementation and (2) users of smart home technology. A variety of open-ended questions were formulated, allowing participants to elaborate by exploring issues and providing detailed qualitative responses based on their experience in this area which were interpreted quantitatively for clearer analysis.FindingsWith fossil fuel reserves depleting, there is an urgency for renewable, low carbon energy sources to reduce the 5 tonnes annual carbon emissions from a UK household. This requires a multi-faceted and a multimethod approach, relying on the involvement of both the general public and the government in order to be effective. By advancing energy grids to make them more efficient and reliable, concomitant necessitates a drastic change in the way of life and philosophy of homeowners when contemplating a reduction of carbon emissions. If both parties are able to do so, the UK is more likely to reach its 2050 net-zero carbon goal. The presence of a smart meter within the household is equally pivotal. It has a positive effect of reducing the amount of carbon emissions and hence more need to be installed.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research is needed using a larger study sample to achieve more accurate and acceptable generalisations about any future course of action. Further investigation on the specifics of smart technology within the UK household is also needed to reduce the energy consumption in order to meet net-zero carbon 2050 targets due to failures of legislation.Practical implicationsFor smart homes manufacturers and suppliers, more emphasis should be placed to enhance compatibility and interoperability of appliances and devices using different platform and creating more user's friendly manuals supported by step-by-step visual to support homeowners in the light of the wealth of knowledge base generated over the past few years. For homeowners, more emphasis should be placed on creating online knowledge management platform easily accessible which provide virtual support and technical advice to home owners to deal with any operational and technical issues or IT glitches. Developing technical design online platform for built environment professionals on incorporating smart sensors and environmentally beneficial technology during early design and construction stages towards achieving low to zero carbon homes.Originality/valueThis paper bridges a significant gap in the body of knowledge in term of its scope, theoretical validity and practical applicability, highlighting the impact of using smart home technology on the environment. It provides an insight into how the UK government could utilise smart home technology in order to reduce its carbon emission by identifying the potential link between using smart home technology and environmental sustainability in tackling and mitigating climate change. The findings can be applied to other building types and has the potential to employ aspects of smart home technology in order to manage energy and water usage including but not limited to healthcare, commercial and industrial buildings.

scholarly journals Impact on Renewable Design Requirements of Net-Zero Carbon Buildings under Potential Future Climate Scenarios

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Dongsu Kim ◽  
Heejin Cho ◽  
Pedro J. Mago ◽  
Jongho Yoon ◽  
Hyomun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Climate Scenarios ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Generation System ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The U.S

This paper presents an analysis to foresee renewable design requirement changes of net- zero carbon buildings (NZCBs) under different scenarios of potential future climate scenarios in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. A climate change model is developed in this study using the Gaussian random distribution method with monthly temperature changes over the whole Northeast and Midwest regions, which are predicted based on a high greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenario (i.e., the representative concentration pathways (RCP) 8.5). To reflect the adoption of NZCBs potential in future, this study also considers two representative future climate scenarios in the 2050s and 2080s of climate change years in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. An office prototype building model integrates with an on-site photovoltaics (PV) power generation system to evaluate NZCB performance under the climate change scenarios with an assumption of a net-metering electricity purchase agreement. Appropriate capacities of the on-site PV system needed to reach NZCB balances are determined based on the building energy consumption impacted by the simulated climate scenarios. Results from this study demonstrated the emission by electricity consumption increases as moving toward the future scenarios of up to about 25 tons of CO2-eq (i.e., about 14% of the total CO2-eq produced by the electricity energy source) and the PV installation capacity to offset the emission account for the electricity consumption increases significantly up to about 40 kWp (i.e., up to more than 10% of total PV installation capacities) as the different climate scenarios are applied. It is concluded that the cooling energy consumption of office building models would significantly impact GHG emission as future climate scenarios are considered. Consequently, designers of NZCBs should consider high performance cooling energy systems in their designs to reduce the renewable energy generation system capacity to achieve net-zero carbon emission goals.

scholarly journals Load Management in Distribution Networks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Azuatalam
Keyword(s):  
Power Flow ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Load Management ◽  
North East ◽  
Generating Capacity ◽  
The Uk

Load management is a top concern for utilities all over the world as the total electricity consumption in most countries continues to rise. Current DECC forecasts suggest a 60% rise in the total electricity demand in the UK between the years 2030 and 2050 due to the high uptake of heat pumps and electric vehicles. Since major nuclear plants that supports base load in the UK are scheduled to shut down in ten years time due to their end of life, there will definitely be a need for extra generating capacity if this trend continues and existing loads are not well managed. Conservation voltage reduction (CVR) has proved productive in North East Utilities in the US to reduce peak demand and provide energy savings, and similar savings can be achieved in the UK. This may help defer the need for extra generating capacity and provide environmental savings. The power flow simulations carried out in this work was to estimate the demand savings on UK type residential feeders in terms of the CVR factor. The analysis showed that the CVR factor is sensitive to temporal variations in load. The amount of savings realizable through CVR depends on the composition of loads on the feeder and the season effected.

scholarly journals Thermal enhancement of a building integrated photovoltaic/thermal system coupled with an air source heat pump

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Vuong
Keyword(s):  
Heat Pump ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Solar Air Heater ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Building Integrated Photovoltaic ◽  
The Hours

Enhancements of a building integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) system intended for coupling with an air source multispeed heat pump (MSHP) is presented. The systems were analyzed using a modified version of EnergyPlus, a quasi-steady state building energy simulation program. A sensitivity analysis of the internal channel surface and cover emissivity parameters of the Opaque BIPV/T, transparent BIPV/T, and building integrated solar air heater collectors (BISAH) was conducted. In addition, collector arrangement analyses were performed. A BIPV/T- BISAH array design was selected based on the results of the analyses and evaluated using a net-zero energy house and an energy efficient house. The integrated BIPV/T-BISAH coupled ASHP system reduced space heating electricity consumption of the net-zero house by 6.5% and the energy efficient house by 3.4%. These low levels of savings were largely due to the passive design of the houses that reduced heating loads during sunny hours; this resulted in a mismatch between the hours when the integrated system could provide energy savings and the need for space heating.

scholarly journals Sustainability in Quality Improvement (SusQI): challenges and strategies for translating undergraduate learning into clinical practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Marsden ◽  
Philippa Clery ◽  
Stuart D’Arch Smith ◽  
Kathleen Leedham-Green
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Change Theory ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Clinical Workplace ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background The healthcare sector is a major contributor to climate change and there are international calls to mitigate environmental degradation through more sustainable forms of clinical care. The UK healthcare sector has committed to net zero carbon by 2040 and sustainable healthcare is a nationally mandated outcome for all UK graduating doctors who must demonstrate their ability to address social, economic, and environmental challenges. Bristol Medical School piloted successful Sustainability in Quality Improvement (SusQI) workshop, but identified challenges translating classroom learning into clinical practice. This paper aims to identify and address those challenges. Methods We conducted five focus groups that identified and iteratively explored barriers and facilitators to practice among medical students, comparing a range of experiences to generate a conceptual model. We then combined our findings with behaviour change theory to generate educational recommendations. Results Students that applied their learning to the clinical workplace were internally motivated and self-determined but needed time and opportunity to complete projects. Other students were cautious of disrupting established hierarchies and practices or frustrated by institutional inertia. These barriers impacted on their confidence in suggesting or achieving change. A minority saw sustainable healthcare as beyond their professional role. Conclusions We present a series of theoretically informed recommendations. These include wider curricular engagement with concepts of sustainable clinical practice; supportive workplace enablement strategies such as workplace champions and co-creation of improvement goals; and time and headspace for students to engage through structured opportunities for credit-bearing project work.

scholarly journals Coordinating UK trade and climate policy ambitions: A legislative and policy analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 280-295
Author(s):  
Emily Lydgate ◽  
Chloe Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Trade Policy ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
World Trade Organisation ◽  
Trade Restrictions ◽  
Climate Target ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
Major Increase ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Liberal Trade

The UK Government has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 but also champion open multilateral trade and pursue new trade relationships with geographically distant partners. The dynamism of policymaking in both areas, as the UK leaves the EU, provides a useful case study for the larger question of how to reconcile liberal trade policy with a net-zero target. After setting out the relevance of trade policy to the climate target, we examine areas at their intersection: current and proposed UK green subsidies, regulatory trade barriers, potential carbon border adjustment, fossil fuel subsidies and free trade agreements. We apply two analytical tests: compliance with relevant World Trade Organisation obligations and coherence with the net-zero climate target. The analysis is hindered by uncertainty, primarily regarding the extent of future global climate ambition, but there are clear areas in which the UK could strengthen its approach to climate change mitigation without undermining its commitment to open trade. Barring a major increase in global ambition, achieving the net-zero target will, however, likely require new trade restrictions. The implication is that, rather than being situated at the margins, the climate target must comprise a central objective of trade strategy.

scholarly journals Thermal enhancement of a building integrated photovoltaic/thermal system coupled with an air source heat pump

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Vuong
Keyword(s):  
Heat Pump ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Solar Air Heater ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Building Integrated Photovoltaic ◽  
The Hours

Enhancements of a building integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) system intended for coupling with an air source multispeed heat pump (MSHP) is presented. The systems were analyzed using a modified version of EnergyPlus, a quasi-steady state building energy simulation program. A sensitivity analysis of the internal channel surface and cover emissivity parameters of the Opaque BIPV/T, transparent BIPV/T, and building integrated solar air heater collectors (BISAH) was conducted. In addition, collector arrangement analyses were performed. A BIPV/T- BISAH array design was selected based on the results of the analyses and evaluated using a net-zero energy house and an energy efficient house. The integrated BIPV/T-BISAH coupled ASHP system reduced space heating electricity consumption of the net-zero house by 6.5% and the energy efficient house by 3.4%. These low levels of savings were largely due to the passive design of the houses that reduced heating loads during sunny hours; this resulted in a mismatch between the hours when the integrated system could provide energy savings and the need for space heating.

scholarly journals Sustainability in Quality Improvement (SusQI): Challenges and Strategies for Translating Undergraduate Learning Into Clinical Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Marsden ◽  
Philippa Clery ◽  
Stuart d'Arch Smith ◽  
Kathleen Leedham-Green
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Change Theory ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Clinical Workplace ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background The healthcare sector is a major contributor to climate change and there are international calls to mitigate environmental degradation through more sustainable forms of clinical care. The UK healthcare sector has committed to net zero carbon by 2040 and sustainable healthcare is a nationally mandated outcome for all UK graduating doctors who must demonstrate their ability to address social, economic and environmental challenges. Bristol Medical School piloted successful Sustainability in Quality Improvement (SusQI) teaching, but identified challenges translating classroom learning into clinical practice. This paper aims to identify and address those challenges. Methods We conducted five focus groups that identified and iteratively explored barriers and facilitators to practice among medical students, comparing a range of experiences to generate a conceptual framework. We then combined our findings with behaviour change theory to generate educational recommendations. Results Students that applied their learning to the clinical workplace were internally motivated and self-determined but needed time and opportunity to complete projects. Other students were cautious of disrupting established hierarchies and practices or frustrated by institutional inertia. These barriers impacted on their confidence in suggesting or achieving change. A minority saw sustainable healthcare as beyond their professional role. Conclusions We present a series of theoretically informed recommendations. These include wider curricular engagement with concepts of sustainable clinical practice; supportive workplace enablement strategies such as workplace champions and co-creation of improvement goals; and time and headspace for students to engage through structured opportunities for credit-bearing project work.

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