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Cambridge Study into the Energy Saving Potential of SPD Glass

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The study of building physics is becoming an ever more popular and necessary direction for engineering research and development worldwide. This includes in particular the energy conditions and efficiency surrounding the usage and maintenance of everyday buildings. For the majority of commercial and domestic buildings worldwide it is a desirable requirement
to maintain a comfortable interior environment, and due to the extremes of external environmental conditions this requires energy.

Energy consumption and wastage is a worldwide concern with global warming caused by excessive greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as well as rapidly diminishing non-renewable resources. There are two important directions associated with tackling these problems; to convert energy generation to renewable ‘non-carbon’ resources and to reduce the amount of energy consumed by society.

The Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge recently released a paper outlining the results of a study into the energy saving potential of suspended particle devices for chromogenic switchable glazing (also known as “smart glass”) in comparison to regular clear glazing on glass.

This study focuses on such new ‘smart’ technologies that aim to reduce the high energy wastage in buildings. These ‘smart glasses’ have the ability to modulate optical and thermal properties, and therefore are able to adapt to prevent undesired energy flow through a glass faade.

While briefly looking at the various smart glass devices this project focused on the performance evaluation of electrotropic switchable technology, and more specifically, suspended particle device (SPD) glass. SPD glass is able to control its optical properties by the application of an electrical current to the glass, and holds great potential in being able to reject solar heat gain into an internal environment. A reduction in solar heat gain during summer months and hotter climates could result in significant energy saving in terms of
cooling and air conditioning.

Performance data was measured using SPD glass in an actual real-world environment and compared with measured data using clear float glazing. In addition to this, environmental modeling was carried out using computer software to analyze the energy performance of the SPD windows.

With such comparisons available, the performance conclusions between a real-world and virtual environment also allowed the research team to comment on the accuracy of such simulation modeling.

From the real-world performance data of the SPD windows it can be concluded that SPD glass is able to provide a much more uniform and comfortable internal room temperature than regular single float glazing. This was shown by data measurements detailing how the room temperature only fluctuated by 2C with SPD windows, in comparison to 8C in the reference office.

SPD windows were shown to be significantly more energy efficient than regular clear float glazing. The solar heat gain was reduced by 90% through SPD glass, which partially results in a 65% reduction in annual cooling loads.

This investigation into the performance of SPD glazing has shown that this switchable smart technology has important advantages over the use of regular clear float glazing. It was identified before experimental measurements that SPD glass had a lower visible light transmission, and similar solar heat transmission to other smart switchable glazing, such as thermotropic, gasotropic and electrochromic. All of which can be used to reduce energy consumption and wastage in buildings.

Domestic Energy Assessors Help Homeowners Show the Energy Efficiency of Their Homes When Selling

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There is a new breed of professionals who you will get to know about now when you start out to sell your home. They are called Domestic Energy Assessors and are out now in England and Wales performing a brand new service.

The role of the Domestic Energy Assessor is to produce Energy Performance Certificates for inclusion in Home Information Packs. If this is complete news to you then just think of these as being certificates, like those you see on new fridges, which will provide A-G ratings on the energy efficiency of a home, plus advice on how to make further energy savings.

Energy Assessors will use their in-depth knowledge and practical understanding of the thermal performance of your home to judge on the thermal energy efficiency of properties.

This requirement has been introduced by the UK government working on the theory that these assessments of the the capability of all buildings about to be sold will encourage us all to be energy efficient. This will be good for the nation as it will be thoroughly green. It will the idea is, help avoid the need for the energy whether renewable or not.

This type of certificate is required whenever the building is constructed, sold or rented.

In the short term home owners directly, and home buyers indirectly, will need to pay for these Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and in order to possibly carry out work to improve poorly insulated properties, they will need to pay for general advice to clients on energy efficiency measures.

This is all very good in principle, but the UK government has chosen exactly the wrong time to do this. The credit crunch is hitting the house sales market hard, it is already very difficult to sell properties, and the value of most of them is falling.

The staff that produce Energy Performance Certificates are very experienced in construction technology, building condition surveying and domestic energy assessment and are Degree qualified professionals. They do not come cheap!

Now we do accept that most assessors will not simply stop at inspecting your property, they should also take the time to explain exactly what they are inspecting, how they are going to go about it and gladly answer any questions that you may have. But, most sellers are going to deeply object to being forced by the state to take on this additional burden of cost.

The energy assessor takes measurements to analyse the cost of heating, water and lighting for a house and makes recommendations to improve the energy performance of the house. To me it looks like you the government may think that an assessment is a quick hour in the property and thats it. I doubt they have fully considered the travel time to and from the houses to be assessed, time taken to assess, time to prepare and check the report, input the data, produce the certificate and then charge a fee which includes the professionals insurance, accountant fees, advertising and many other costs – the list goes on and on, after all they will have to make a living like everyone else.

Are Energy Companies and Brand Marketing Strategy Like Oil and Water

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Every so often, an oil company experiences an environmental catastrophe of disastrous proportions. As evidenced by the recent Gulf oil spill, the Exxon Valdez oil spill and countless other eco-disasters, these occurrences are a tragic occupational hazard of the energy industry. In theory, they should not be a surprise — anymore than an earthquake in California would be a shocker. Of course, a big enough tremor in Los Angeles will generate nationwide news coverage. The question from a brand marketing standpoint is simple: is there anything oil companies can do, given the probability of an oil spill?

In order to answer this question, it is helpful to back up and look at the consumers’ view of the industry. When it comes to the consumer, oil companies have a unique advantage over, say, a perfume company. This is that the oil companies offer a necessity. Everyone needs oil; perfume is a luxury.

From a branding and marketing standpoint, this advantage actually has negative connotations. The oil companies are really big and really profitable — even when the economy is in the proverbial toilet. In the deep recession year of 2009, when almost everyone was suffering financially, the oil companies made billions of dollars in profits. A 2006 FTC study of gas price manipulation found that the record increases in gasoline prices were “not substantially attributable to higher costs.” It seems the oil companies always take advantage of their financial opportunities with no regard to consumer goodwill. These companies are often viewed as monopolistic, money-grubbing, price-gouging, predatory goliaths. In a 2008 Harris poll of 20 major industries, only the tobacco industry had a lower rating than the oil companies on the topic of how good or bad a job they perform in serving the needs of consumers.

You could say, from a branding perspective, energy companies are already starting off on the wrong foot. After all, what is there to love about an oil company? Do you trust them? Do you have any affinity to any oil company? Do they do anything for you as a person? Do they make you feel good in any way? This makes it all the more difficult for an oil company to perform branding and marketing tactics that prepare for the worst. The energy industry has to rank among the worst PR and branding industries. We know all about the 1989 Exxon Valdez nightmare which was widely considered the worst corporate PR fiasco of all time. But what has the industry done to counter its image since then?

One could argue they actually have made some positive strides. Let’s take the current Gulf oil spill. BP has a real disaster on its hands, and they have clearly learned a lesson from Exxon’s PR disaster. The CEO of Exxon was nowhere to be found until six days after the Valdez disaster. When he finally did appear, it was only to hold a press conference to deny responsibility to disclose the plan to clean up the mess. He also blamed the media for turning the spill into a big deal. His refusal of media interviews and complete lack of remorse highlighted one of the worst PR gaffes in history. It conveyed an “ivory tower-esque” tone of arrogance. To his credit, the CEO of BP, Tony Hayward, has learned from Exxon’s PR mistakes and has been on air and is taking full financial responsibility for the spill cleanup.

How To Improve the Energy Efficiency of Baxi Boilers

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With energy prices seeming to be constantly on the rise, homeowners are always on the lookout for ways of saving money through lower energy bills. Fortunately, one of the best ways of cutting energy is by taking steps to make a Baxi boiler more energy efficient. While Baxi already produces some of the most energy efficient boilers on the market, homeowners can always take further steps to help improve the environment and save them money on their next energy bill. Energy saving tips can range from the simple, like fitting pipes with insulation, to the extreme, like getting a brand new boiler installed. This article will look at just a few of the measures homeowners can take to make their boiler systems more energy efficient and thus cut their energy bills at the end of the month.

Use Room Thermostats

Installing a room thermostat is a great way of being able to control the temperature in individual rooms. Having better control over a homes temperature will go a long way in cutting down on wasted energy. Room thermostats can save consumers about 70 a year and they will go a long way towards protecting the environment. Once the room thermostats are installed, homeowners should turn down the temperature until it is warm enough to still be comfortable. Turning down the temperature just one degree can make a world of difference, and could save families 65 a year.

Hot Water Cylinder

Similarly, most UK families keep the temperature of their hot water cylinders up too high, which is not only wasting energy, but costing consumers more in higher energy bills. The ideal temperature for a hot water cylinder is 60 degrees Celsius, which is more than hot enough to still be comfortable for most homeowners. Water that is kept any hotter than this is not only wasteful, but it runs the risk of scalding human skin it comes into contact with. To make the hot water cylinder even more efficient, the main tank should have a tank jacket wrapped around it. Additionally, any pipes around the tank that are exposed should be insulated. Insulation will not only improve energy efficiency, it will also help the system last longer and perform better. The total cost for the tank jacket and insulation should cost no more than 30, while it could save families 60 a year in lower energy bills.

New Boiler

While all of the above recommendations are good and cheap to follow, by far the best thing people can do in order to cut their energy bills and improve their homes efficiency is to invest in a new energy efficient boiler. It is usually fairly easy to determine if a boiler is in need of replacing. Older boilers usually have a pilot light which burns continuously. The pilot light itself is not only wasteful, but these older boilers also have much lower efficiency ratings overall. Newer boilers have pilot lights which light automatically whenever the boiler is put into use, meaning that less gas is wasted when it is not actually being used by the homes occupants. In fact, the newer energy efficient models have an efficiency rating of up to 90 per cent. From a consumer standpoint, this increased efficiency could translate into an annual savings of over 300, not to mention a household that is much gentler on the environment. Of course, the main disadvantage of getting a new boiler installed is that they are very expensive, often running into the thousands of pounds. However, compared to the savings possible, a new boiler may be worth the investment. Furthermore, grants and trusts have been set up that can help the most disadvantaged improve their homes energy efficiency thus saving them money.

Many consumers are seeking to improve their households energy efficiency for a variety of reasons, ranging from wanting to save money on energy bills to trying to do some good for the planet. One of the best ways of cutting down on carbon emissions is by improving a houses current Baxi boiler system. By taking the measures listed above, whether that means buying a new energy efficient boiler or simply reducing a homes temperature by just one degree, homeowners will be doing their part to make the planet a little greener and their utility bills a little lighter.

Save Money and Conserve Energy at the Same Time

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Energy conservation is of great interest at the moment. It is pretty obvious that energy and water conservation are an issue that affects everyone of us. Also, it is a salient point that energy conservation is perfectly possible practice in your own home.

Before we list some tips to help with your energy conservation, lets list a selection of the inspirational ways that energy conservation has been defined:

* Energy conservation is protecting the earth.
* Energy conservation is our duty to our children.
* Energy Conservation is usually the quickest and most economical method of reducing your energy costs.
* Energy conservation is doing anything you are able to that results in the use of less energy.
* Energy conservation is mostly about modifying habits and understanding.
* Energy conservation is the practice of optimising the way you use energy in order to achieve increased energy output for just the same energy consumption.
* Energy Conservation is important for lots of reasons; economic, social and environmental.
* Energy conservation is an important area where people of almost any age can have an immediate, helpful impact on the earth.
* Energy conservation isnt something that need only be practiced in the workplace.
* Energy conservation is perhaps the most practical way of both decreasing the problem of greenhouse emissions and cutting costs to the consumer.
* Energy conservation is advantageous to the national economy.

If energy conservation is so wonderful, why aren’t we doing more of it?.
Governments really want to improve our record on energy conservation, and a good method they may use to obtain sizable energy conservation improvements is to increase the cost of energy sources. Currently, energy conservation is fairly cost efficient with a fairly quick payback time and reasonable investment. As heads of state increase fuel prices, the fairly quick payback time gets even shorter and the cost advantages even greater.

Consumer awareness today concerning energy conservation is massively greater than it was twenty years ago, but it still isn’t enough. Indeed, improving awareness of energy problems is becoming signficantly more urgent because our gas and electric consumption is developing much quicker than our capacity to generate energy.

What should we do?
It is clear that there are a good few people worried about the cost of staying warm this winter.
Remember that heating and pumping water can sometimes be a big portion of your power bill. The price of gas still increasing and heating oil is not reducing in price either.

So, what steps can you take to help save some of your hard earned cash and help the environment?

The most important tip is to switch things off when you aren’t using them. Television, music center, room lights etc. Don’t even leave things on ‘standby’, it still uses power without cause.

Most power is used by heating, so changing the temperatures on your thermostat is the biggest energy conservation measure you should take.
It is also worth checking the air filters on your heating and cooling system every month.
Facny a cup of coffee? Use microwave ovens instead of hotplates or kettles for heating water.

Changing your heating system? Select energy-efficient equipment when you buy new heating and cooling equipment.

If you are considering buying a gas fire, opt for an efficient flueless design. With the most recent hi-tech designs, absolutely no energy is wasted and lost up the chimney as it is with a normal flued gas fire. Because of this all the heat generated heats your house. This means reduced fuel costs and much improved energy efficiency. They are also far better for the environment, as the most modern gas technology means the fire actually cleans the air it uses.

In conclusion, energy conservation is the sum total of a lot of small things that produce a significant impact.

If you make enough of those small changes, energy efficiency and energy conservation are a win-win combination.