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Tag: Carbon capture technology

Businesses aim to get green travel policies on track

Posted on by dishanth
Businesses aim to get green travel policies on track

New survey reveals four out of five SMEs intend to take steps to encourage employees to embrace lower carbon travel options.

Over 80 per cent of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) intend to increase their support for lower carbon business travel through corporate travel policies and budgets for 2024.

That is the headline finding from a new survey of over 500 decision makers at businesses with fewer than 250 employees commissioned by Trainline Partner Solutions, the B2B arm of Trainline.

The survey found nine in 10 UK SMEs expect to boost travel expenditure this year, while 92 per cent expect to see levels of business travel increase.

However, at the same time 83 per cent intend to strengthen their travel policy and/or financial support to make it easier for employees to opt for lower carbon travel modes in 2024. Specifically, 48 per cent are planning to use rail more to help reduce their emissions from business travel.

The survey also found 52 per cent of respondents have already set targets for reducing their emissions from business travel – and of those SMEs that have no such goals, two-thirds think it is likely their company will set a target this year.

“Businesses are telling us they expect to both travel and spend more this year as business travel continues to rebound post-Covid,” said Andrew Cruttenden, general manager at Trainline Partner Solutions. “We’re seeing a clear signal that sustainability considerations are a growing factor in setting travel policies and budgets, and rail is a great way to reduce the carbon emissions for travel versus flying and driving. Carriers and travel partners must ensure they can meet this growing demand by innovating and investing in the right tech that helps make rail a simple and seamless option for business travellers.”

Most businesses have slashed travel-related emissions in recent years, after the covid pandemic triggered widespread use of video conferencing platforms. However, business travels are expected to continue to recover this year, prompting calls for businesses and policymakers to incentivise wider use of lower emission forms of travel.

For example, the Climate Perks campaign has called on companies to offer employees extra days off if they use rail for their holidays, while green groups have repeatedly called for businesses to eschew the use of short haul flights wherever rail offers a viable alternative.

However, efforts to encourage wider use of rail have been hampered by the relatively high cost of rail compared to flights, with a Greenpeace analysis last month pointing to how popular rail routes across Europe over the festive period were on average 3.4 times more expensive than equivalent flights.

As such, campaigners are continuing to call on governments to introduce new policies and taxes to curb the availability of short haul flights and tackle the price differential between rail journeys and flights.

 

 

 

 

Source  –   BusinessGreen

Larger Cargo Bikes in NYC Transport More Goods

Posted on by dishanth
Larger Cargo Bikes in NYC Transport More Goods

City is considering larger cargo bikes in NYC to transport more goods in more places.

New York City may soon permit larger cargo bikes in NYC to legally operate on its streets in a move that could substantially grow urban freight delivery by cycling. The NYC Department of Transportation proposed new rules that would legalize pedal-assisted electric cargo trikes up to 10 feet long and 10 feet high.

If adopted, the larger trike dimensions would enable more goods to be transported by bikes rather than vans and trucks. Advocates say embracing cargo bikes tailored for commercial uses can reduce traffic, pollution, noise, and curbside congestion caused by urban delivery vehicles.

Under current regulations, only smaller cargo bikes meeting dimensions for standard bicycles are street-legal in NYC. Larger cargo bikes in NYC are all but inevitable; cargo trikes exceeding those size limits have become popular for urban logistics in other US and European cities.

The proposed guidelines for larger cargo bikes in NYC would align with size allowances for cargo trikes in cities like Seattle, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The NYC DOT stressed cycling freight remains supplementary to traditional truck delivery but offers environmental benefits.

Larger cargo bikes in NYC can “provide increased hauling capacity compared to smaller bicycles…potentially reducing reliance on truck trips and promoting a more sustainable city,” the agency stated.

Expanding cargo bike delivery supports sustainability goals in New York City’s 25-year master plan released in 2021 aimed at equitable climate action. The plan’s transportation section calls for transitioning to cleaner freight options to reach carbon neutrality.

Advocates say allowing larger cargo bikes in NYC tailored for commercial uses would align with the master plan’s priorities. They argue substituting just one fossil fuel-powered delivery truck or van with an electric-assisted cargo trike prevents significant emissions over time. Each trike potentially displaces those larger, polluting vehicles that are worsening both congestion and air quality on NYC streets.

Wider cargo bike adoption can make a meaningful dent in transportation emissions, accounting for nearly 30% of New York City’s total carbon footprint. Cargo bikes also alleviate other pressures urban delivery vehicles create, such as noise, parking limitations, road safety concerns, and decreased public space. Unlocking the potential of micro-mobility freight options like cargo trikes is key to reaching the sustainability vision outlined in the 25-year plan.

The larger cargo bikes in NYC would utilize electric assist motors to haul substantial loads up to 500 pounds with minimal strain compared to pedaling those heavy full loads. Their three-wheeled stable design and sturdy hauling strengths make these cargo trikes ideal urban delivery vehicles for short distances or last-mile trips from distribution hubs. Cargo bikes’ small size, maneuverability, and zero direct emissions also let them nip through urban traffic easily for swift point-to-point goods movement.

Commercial cargo trike models can have front buckets or storage bins to securely transport goods, food orders, packages and more. Some designs allow custom boxes or refrigerated containers to be attached.

Logistics companies like Amazon, UPS, and FedEx already use cargo trikes in a few American cities to shortcut traffic in dense areas. Smaller NYC firms have recognized their benefits as well. For example, Gotham Greens, an urban produce grower, relies on a fleet of cargo bikes to distribute fresh salad greens to local restaurants and stores from their rooftop greenhouses. Beer distributor TriBeca deployed heavy-duty e-trikes last year capable of carrying 800 lbs of beer kegs to pubs and restaurants. They aim to replace several delivery vans to cut diesel emissions.

Experts say each switched delivery from vans to bikes eliminates, on average, about 7 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Less truck traffic and parking also create safer, quieter streets.

But despite their promise, cargo bikes presently make up a tiny fraction of urban goods movement. Questions remain over whether larger cargo bikes in NYC could substantially dent air pollution and congestion woes created by the over 65,000 daily truck trips.

The NYC DOT will collect public feedback on proposed cargo trike regulations this spring before finalizing new rules. Customized trike manufacturers and logistics firms will be watching closely.

Larger cargo bikes have carved growing niches abroad in Amsterdam and London. For cycling advocates, allowing them in New York City could be a critical step to build momentum for sustainable urban freight.

 

 

 

 

Source  Happy Eco News

Low Carbon 3D Printed Homes – Lower Cost too

Posted on by dishanth
Low Carbon 3D Printed Homes – Lower Cost too

An emerging application of 3D printing technology is fabricating entire homes through additive manufacturing. Early adopters demonstrate that 3D printing residential buildings carry significantly lower embedded carbon than conventional construction methods.

By optimizing materials and printing processes, 3D home printing could provide affordable, efficient, low-carbon housing to growing populations if adopted at scale.

Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing builds structures by depositing materials layer by layer according to digital models. Concrete is typically extruded through a moving print nozzle onto a substrate, hardening upon deposition to gradually form walls and roofs of low carbon 3D printed homes.

Companies pioneering low carbon 3D printed homes include Icon, SQ4D, and Mighty Buildings. Their printed concrete or polymer designs streamline manual labor of framing, insulation, and finishing. Architectural designs are also easier to customize versus cookie-cutter manufactured units.

But the sustainability benefits are among the most significant advantages over current construction. Architect Sam Ruben, an early adopter of 3D printing for eco-homes, states that 3D printing can reduce lifecycle emissions by over 50% compared to standard building techniques.

Part of the savings comes from more efficient material usage. Conventional construction methods are wasteful, generating excessive scrap materials that go to landfills—3D printing deposits only the needed amount layer-by-layer, eliminating waste.

Printing also allows easier integration of recycled components like crushed concrete aggregate into prints, diverting waste streams. And lightweight printed structures require less embedded energy to transport modules. Optimized print geometries better retain heat as well.

But the biggest factor is speed – printed homes can be move-in ready in days rather than weeks or months. A standard SQ4D home prints in just 8-12 hours of machine time. Accelerated production means less energy consumed over the total construction period.

And speed has financial benefits, too, reducing the logistical costs of prolonged projects. Combined with simplified labor, 3D printing can cut estimated construction expenses up to 30%. Those cost savings make printed homes more accessible to low-income groups while stimulating large-scale adoption.

To quantify benefits, Mighty Buildings completed a life cycle assessment comparing their printed composite polymer dwellings against conventional homes. They estimated their product cut emissions by over one-third during materials and construction. Waste production dropped by over 80%.

Such data helped the company achieve third-party verified EPD declarations certifying their low carbon 3D printed homes. Mighty Buildings believes printed homes could eliminate over 440 million tons of carbon emissions if comprising 40% of California’s housing needs by 2030.

Despite advantages, barriers remain to limit widespread 3D printed housing. Printed buildings still require finishing like plumbing, electrical, windows, and roofing. Developing integrated printing around and including those elements will maximize benefits.

High upfront printer costs also impede adoption, though expected to fall with scaling. And building codes need updates to cover novel printed structures despite proven duribility. Some jurisdictions like California are pioneering efforts to add low carbon 3D printed homes as approved models in housing codes.

But if technical and regulatory hurdles are resolved, additive construction could offer meaningful emissions cuts. With global populations projected to add 2 billion new urban dwellers by 2050, low carbon 3D printed homes may become a go-to sustainable building technique, especially in growing developing countries.

The urgent need for dense, low-carbon housing solutions to accommodate global populations makes 3D printing’s advantages stand out. Printed homes advance from gimmick to viable strategy against climate change.

Eco-conscious homebuyers on a budget have a new choice – low carbon 3D printed homes made from low-carbon cement. A new housing tract in Round Top, Texas has introduced small dwellings printed using concrete that produces just 8% of the carbon emissions of traditional Portland cement manufacturing.

Habitat for Humanity last year unveiled its first low carbon 3D printed home in Williamsburg, Virginia. The project represented Habitat for Humanity’s first completed 3D printed home in the country.

By combining 3D printing techniques with more sustainable cement mixtures, homebuilders can reduce the carbon footprints of affordable printed housing even further.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source  Happy Eco News

New Carbon Capture Tech Turns CO2 into Solid Carbon

Posted on by dishanth
New Carbon Capture Tech Turns CO2 into Solid Carbon

New capture technology turns CO2 into solid carbon, a coal-like product that can be safely reburied.

Scientists may have discovered a groundbreaking new method to pull out of the air and convert CO2 into solid carbon flakes. Researchers at Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have pioneered an efficient carbon mineralization process using liquid metal catalysts. This technology could provide a sustainable way to capture atmospheric CO2 and safely store it long-term as a stable solid.

Most carbon capture techniques today focus on compressing CO2 gas into a liquid that is injected deep underground. However potential leakage risks make this method less than ideal for permanently storing billions of tons of carbon dioxide. We urgently need innovative solutions to remove and safely store the CO2 already overburdening our atmosphere.

That’s why RMIT’s new mineralization approach to turn CO2 into solid carbon is so promising. It converts greenhouse gases into inert carbon solids at room temperature. This offers a potentially cheaper, more secure form of carbon storage compared to current methods.

RMIT’s method utilizes molten liquid metals to trigger a chemical reaction, transforming gaseous CO2 into solid carbon flakes. This occurs at ambient temperature inside a simple glass tube device. The process works by sending CO2 into the glass tube containing a liquid metal alloy of gallium, indium, tin, and cerium. Running an electric current through the metal accelerates the carbon mineralization reaction.

Carbon steadily accumulates as a layer of solid flakes on the liquid metal surface and the only byproduct of the process is pure oxygen. The flakes are then removed allowing the process to continue indefinitely. Because this process occurs are room temperature, the energy requirements are far lower than other systems.

The researchers experimented with different metal compositions and temperature conditions to optimize the carbon conversion process. Once optimized, the system can continuously pull in and convert atmospheric CO2 into solid carbon without additional heat or pressure.

Unlike underground injection techniques, solid carbon can easily be collected for safe, permanent storage. The carbon solids could even be processed into materials like carbon fiber. And since the process only needs a small amount of electricity and air, it has minimal environmental impact or manufacturing costs.

Turning CO2 into solid carbon could be a more predictable, sustainable and longer lasting approach to carbon capture and storage. The RMIT team is already investigating ways to scale up the liquid metal carbon mineralization method. Adoption by power plants or heavy industry could significantly cut CO2 outputs.

Finding viable ways to remove excess greenhouse gases is critical to slow global warming. Since the Industrial Revolution, over 1.3 trillion tons of carbon dioxide have entered the atmosphere – and the pace is accelerating. New solutions like RMIT’s carbon mineralization technology will be essential to extracting legacy emissions already dangerously heating our planet.

 

 

 

Source   Happy Eco News

GAC and Toyota develop ammonia engine for 90% CO2 reduction

Posted on by dishanth
GAC and Toyota develop ammonia engine for 90% CO2 reduction

Chinese state-owned manufacturer GAC has revealed a prototype engine that burns liquid ammonia, which could be an alternative fuel to electricity and hydrogen.

Developed in partnership with Toyota, the new-age ICE takes its inspiration from the maritime and haulage industries, which are exploring ammonia as an alternative to diesel for container ships and trucks.

Although not the first engine to be developed to run on ammonia, this is the first to be proposed for possible use in a passenger car.

At an annual technology presentation, GAC said it had overcome several issues, such as excess nitrogen emissions and an increase in combustion pressure compared with petrol engines.

“We’ve overcome the pain point of ammonia being difficult to burn quickly and put the fuel to use in the passenger car industry,” said Qi Hongzhong, an engineer at the GAC R&D centre in Guangzhou, China.

“Its value to society and for commercial uses are worth anticipating.”

Ammonia is a highly toxic substance used primarily as a fertiliser, but its combustible nature has brought it under the spotlight for future transport needs.

It possesses around half of the energy density of petrol, at 3.6kWh per litre, but emits no carbon, hydrocarbon or CO2 when combusted.

The traditional production method for ammonia is considered energy-intensive, but recent developments have led to small-scale production of ‘green’ ammonia, which uses renewable energy sources for carbon-free output.

More than two-thirds of the world’s annual production of ammonia is used in agriculture as fertiliser. It’s also used as a refrigerant gas and in the manufacturing of plastics, textiles, explosives and pesticides.

 

 

 

 

Source  Autocar

 

JDE Peet’s announce new sustainable coffee packaging

Posted on by dishanth
JDE Peet’s announce new sustainable coffee packaging

JDE Peet’s is an American-Dutch coffee and tea company with a portfolio of over 50 brands including L’OR, Peet’s, Jacobs, Senseo, Tassimo, Douwe Egberts, Old Town, Super, Pickwick and Moccona.

In 2022, JDE Peet’s generated total sales of US$9.2bn, employed a global workforce of more than 20,000 employees and served approximately 4,200 cups of coffee or tea per second.

Pioneers: Sustainable packaging launch

JDE Peet’s have launched a first-of-its-kind packaging for its soluble coffee ranges as part of its net zero sustainability initiatives.

The paper packaging is recyclable and encourages consumers to reuse glass and plastic jars already in circulation.

“This is an important step in driving the sustainability agenda of our company and yet another sign of our leadership in innovation. We know that reducing packaging and promoting recyclability and reusability are increasing consumer needs,” says Fabien Simon, CEO of JDE Peet’s.

“By providing more sustainable solutions within soluble coffee, one of the world’s most beloved and consumed beverages, we can maximize our positive contribution in decarbonizing our own portfolios and the coffee market as a whole.”

Sustainability at the heart of coffee production

The packaging launch supports JDE Peet’s efforts to use 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2030 — 78% of its packaging is currently.

The company’s ESG initiatives operate throughout the brands, from sustainable sourcing, to burning waste coffee at factories to save landfill.

The Common Grounds programme champions an inclusive and regenerative ecosystem comprised of three pillars:

  • Responsible Sourcing — championing regenerative agriculture to enhance livelihoods and positively impact our planet. JDE Peet’s achieved its goal of 100% responsibly sourced palm oil by 2025 three years early.
  • Minimizing Footprint — striving towards a planet-positive supply chain through innovation and collaboration on sustainable solutions. JDE Peet’s has achieved zero waste-to-landfill at 22 of its 43 manufacturing facilities, and is aiming for all 43 by 2025.
  • Connecting People — engaging colleagues and communities to support wellbeing and promote equal opportunity. JDE Peet’s have 40% women in leadership positions, a target it had set for 2025.

“Having set carbon reduction targets with the science based targets initiative, we priorities energy efficiency projects,” says Dyfrig Davies, Engineering Manager at the JDE Coffee Manufacturing Factory in Banbury, UK.

“We’ve committed to these targets and now we have to deliver them. we’re taking action for humanity — and doing right by the planet is the right thing to do for our business as well.”

Robot Jellyfish Show Promise for Ocean Cleanup

Posted on by dishanth
Robot Jellyfish Show Promise for Ocean Cleanup

Where are we Now?

Many different negative outcomes have been observed due to reckless disregard for our environment and ecosystems. The main focus in the environmental movement has been on GHGs, reasonably so, as carbon accumulation in the atmosphere poses the largest existential risk for our species and all other animals on our planet.

However, plastic pollution and pollution, in general, have been and continue to be a large risk for many animals and living things across the globe, this fact being amplified in the ocean. Marine ecosystems are delicate; many plants and animals depend on specific conditions to survive and thrive.

As such, cleaning up our oceans and other marine ecosystems is paramount. While numerous technologies have been developed to combat plastic pollution in our water, many of them have their own risks associated with them.

Some machines are too loud, driving animals away from their natural habitats. At the same time, others are too damaging in their efforts to clean up pollution, destroying delicate plants and animals while clearing away plastic.

However, a new technology developed by scientists out of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems may be able to solve these problems with minimal impact of its own, and that revolves around imitating jellyfish.

 

How Does a Robot Jellyfish Work?

When jellyfish move in the water, what happens is by flapping their bodies, they create an upward current, moving objects and nutrients up to be consumed by them. This new robot jellyfish more or less does the same thing.

It works by using artificial muscles called HAZELs, which are oil-filled sacs covered by electrodes. When the electrodes receive a current, they discharge it to the surrounding negatively charged ocean water. This causes the oil sacs to get pushed back in forth, creating the flapping movement.

This mechanism is the main draw behind these robotic jellyfish, as by using these robots, they can pull the plastic out of delicate areas like coral reefs without ever touching the reef itself. Another benefit is that these robot jellyfish are almost completely noiseless, so their presence won’t disturb other animals.

In a report in Science Advances speaking on how their technology is different from existing technology, they said, ​​“Existing prototypes cannot interact with aquatic species gently in a noise-free manner while accomplishing diverse tasks.” These jellyfish robots, however, can, and that is where the promise of what they’re doing lies.

 

Moving forward.

While these small robot jellyfish are an exciting development in plastic cleaning tech, there are hurdles still to be overcome in their creation. The main one presenting itself is that, as of writing, they still require a wired connection for power, thus limiting their scope to areas where they can be plugged in. There are ongoing trials for battery packs, but so far cannot be controlled remotely.

However, that is a small issue that can be resolved quickly. It is an interesting concept to imagine cute little robot jellyfish cleaning our oceans, but it is, in all reality, much closer than we realize. The importance of realizing efficient and non-disturbing ways of cleaning our oceans is critical, as plastic pollution’s damage to ecosystems and species worldwide is innumerable.

While in some areas of the environmental movement, we can help the ongoing natural processes, like reforestation for carbon capture, in plastic pollution in marine environments, we must develop new tools to reverse the damage we have caused. What an interesting world to live in, where robot jellyfish could be a major factor.

 

 

 

 

Source  Happy Eco News

Old Growth Trees Sequester More Carbon, Help Prevent Wildfires

Posted on by dishanth
Old Growth Trees Sequester More Carbon, Help Prevent Wildfires

As we progress through the 21st century, one of the most important issues of our time is carbon. We create much of it by burning fossil fuels, extracting natural resources, or simply by living our day-to-day lives; we create carbon.

We create much more of it than we should, and the research into climate change backs this up. Many of us have devised innovative ways to counteract and slow down our carbon output, while good solutions are ultimately artificial. As it turns out, nature is our most important ally in fighting the devastating effects of climate change.

According to Frontiers in Forests and Global Change research, old-growth large-diameter trees are the most important carbon sinks we have and are significantly more effective at removing and storing carbon from our atmosphere than any other technology we have available in the present day.

Oregon, USA, and the Blue Mountains Complex region, in particular, has been world-renowned for its natural beauty and resources for hundreds of years. The timber industry makes up much of the natural resource extraction sector. However, despite this fact, this area significantly lacks protections guaranteeing the safety of its natural beauty from those who would profit from taking what is there until there is nothing left.

One of the central issues for those living in Oregon is wildfires, which destroy land and towns and devastate those living there. Thus, “chainsaw medicine,” as it’s called in the region, is implemented to reduce the number of trees that can be burned to safeguard their communities from destruction and to turn a profit at the same time. However, recent developments in research in forestry have concluded that this might actually be accelerating the problem and making it worse, not better.

Large-diameter trees comprise only 7% of the total number of trees in the Blue Mountains Complex, yet they sequester 50% of the carbon emitted in the region into their bodies. These trees are incredibly carbon-dense and eat up the carbon in the atmosphere cleaning the air and providing important stability to the soil that prevents landslides.

On top of that, trees that are standing or dead actually prevent wildfires due to wind and humidity. The two main contributors to massive wildfires that spiral out of control are dry, windy conditions that lead sparks that would otherwise be contained and extinguished to engulf an entire forest. The forestry industry cuts down large swaths of the forest leading to large open areas with no shade to regulate the temperature and no obstructions to the wind that blows through freely.

And while global climate change does make historic wildfires much worse than they otherwise would be, indigenous peoples for hundreds of years used controlled burns in order to modify their landscape and regenerate the soil that benefits from ash in the dirt.

This new research has the capability to seriously challenge the conventional view on wildfires, as legislation is currently being introduced that can protect the pristine forests of Oregon from the industry that seeks to extract the trees and release all that carbon that otherwise would be contained in the bark.

As the world changes and new technologies are being developed and implemented in order to address our climate crisis, mother nature once again proves to us that often the right choice is to use what we already have. We like to believe that we are the most ingenious and intelligent life on the planet, but ultimately we come from the dirt and will return to it.

It only makes sense that we should begin respecting the solutions that come from the ground and dig our roots deeper to protect what is already here. New legislation that can bring about what is good for the environment has to be of top priority because, at the end of the day, we are not defending nature; we are nature defending itself.

 

 

 

 

Source Happy Eco News

Sustainable smart cities for the future

Posted on by dishanth
Sustainable smart cities for the future

Ian Todd, EVP of Automated Parking at Westfalia Technologies explains the importance of automated parking tech in developing smart cities of the future
There are currently roughly 150 smart cities under way around the globe with highly ambitious environmental and livability goals. From full fibre connectivity to prioritising minimising carbon footprints, (more than 75% of global carbon emissions and energy consumptions are from cities) key decision makers must address smart city infrastructure with a realistic, community-based approach.

Proven successful IoT technologies are in demand, and a crucial piece to that interconnectivity puzzle is automated parking. Given that more than 50% of the world’s population currently inhabit urban areas and that number is expected to rise to 66% by 2050, smart city governments, privately owned housing units, and businesses need to consider parking in their overall architectural design plans. Because vehicles themselves are becoming more interconnected and powered by alternative energies like electricity, smart cities don’t and won’t mean the end of private car ownership.

Automated parking is an innovative solution in a variety of ways. Real estate developers in urban areas must find contemporary and reliable solutions to everyday issues, like parking vehicles. Property owners, developers, and architects can obtain a sensible and cost effective solution with an advanced automated parking system (APS).

 

 

Here are some ways that automated parking will impact the future smart city:

The maximisation of urban green space

Sometimes expanding the footprint of a structure is not possible, whether it be too costly or simply geographically impossible.With an intelligently designed APS that utilises vertical storage in its designs, parking can extend up or down instead of contributing to urban creep through further development of green space. APSs enhance urban green space through their ability to park twice as many vehicles in the same amount of space as a conventional garage. This ability to park more vehicles in a dramatically smaller footprint contributes to the smart city overall goals. Considering that there are roughly four parking spots for every car in the US, consolidating those spaces, whether they are mixed-use, residential, or commercial, is essential to enhancing urban green space.

EV Charging: A must have for sustainable smart cities

Electric vehicles (EV) are the future of transportation. With major steps being taken to walk away from fossil fuels and turn reliance on clean, carbon neutral energy, parking infrastructure must include EV charging. The only difference in parking an EV in an APS versus a non-EV is that when the driver pulls into the transfer area, they need to plug the EV adapter into their vehicle and answer a few additional questions on the kiosk screen—such as estimated time of retrieval and desired charge percentage. After the vehicle is parked, the driver can monitor the charging status of their vehicle in real-time via a smartphone app. An expertly designed APS is able to charge more vehicles with less charging infrastructure thanks to the nature of cycling vehicles to be charged via automation. Offering EV charging stations is an absolute must for the future built environment of smart city infrastructure.

Reliable and consistent technology

APSs are at the forefront of integrated IoT smart cities. With the ability to integrate with other IoT systems like payment stations, automated parking is a vital piece of the smart city puzzle.  For example, drivers are able to schedule the retrieval of their vehicles with a real-time countdown display on their smartphone of when their vehicle will be ready in the transfer cabin.

An expert APS partner will highly emphasise the importance of reliability and redundancy of their systems and you should look for a vendor with availability ratings greater than 99%. Additionally, the right APS partner will test their equipment and develop software solutions all in-house, providing total control and understanding of the system.

Environmental sustainability

In addition to requiring a smaller footprint, APSs are a truly sustainable parking option. In densely populated areas, both noise and air pollution are serious concerns, both of which can be addressed by an APS. In fact, emissions are decreased by 80% with an APS compared to a conventional garage thanks to the elimination of cruising for a parking space.

Conventional parking garages are one of the most likely settings for violent crime to occur. By completely eliminating public access to the garage, not only are vehicles protected from vandalism and burglaries, people are protected as well. Given that 20% of car accidents occur in parking garages annally, automated parking eliminates the issue. APSs provide positive impacts on surrounding communities through its environmental benefits and elimination of parking crime and accidents.

The future of IoT connected smart city infrastructure requires robust and reliable parking. A customised APS offers a plethora of benefits to the urban environment, all while contributing to carbon neutral goals. With the trends of increasing urban populations and the consistent reliability of privately owned vehicles, automated parking is a must-have for the smart city.

 

 

 

 

Source Sustainability

Could Paint Really Be A Solution For Carbon Capture?

Posted on by dishanth
Could Paint Really Be A Solution For Carbon Capture?

A college graduate by the name of Kukbong Kim has come up with an incredible new formula for indoor and outdoor paint made of recycled concrete. The amazing thing about this new paint is that it actually has two major benefits for the environment.

Firstly, it uses discarded concrete from the construction industry, which otherwise would end up at a landfill site. This has negative effects on soil pH levels, making them a lot more alkaline and limiting the ability to reclaim landfill sites.

Secondly, the paint is capable of absorbing up to 20% of its weight in CO2. Now imagine if this kind of paint made it onto all the walls and how much that could impact atmospheric CO2 levels.

DeZeen has reported some interesting facts about carbon capture capabilities.

“Cement is the most carbon-intensive ingredient in concrete and is responsible for eight per cent of global emissions. But when concrete is recycled, only the aggregate is reused while the cement binder is pulverised to create waste concrete powder and sent to landfill, where it can disturb the pH balance of the surrounding soil.”

And here’s the interesting thing about this story. If a college graduate can come up with such an idea for paint, what other construction and household materials could be coming our way that will achieve the same thing?

 

 

Source Greencitizen