Analysis of ground-source heat pumps in north-of-England homes

YesThe performance of Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems for domestic use is an increasing area of study in the UK. This paper examines the thermal performance of three bespoke shallow horizontal GSHP systems installed in newly built residential houses in the North of England against a control house which was fitted with a standard gas boiler. A total of 350 metres of High Density Polyethylene pipe with an external diameter of 40 mm was used for each house as a heat pump loop. The study investigated (i) the performance of a single loop horizontal Ground Heat Exchanger (GHE) against a double loop GHE and (ii) rainfall effects on heat extraction by comparing a system with an infiltration trench connected to roof drainage against a system without an infiltration trench above the ground loops. Parameters monitored for a full year from October 2013 to September 2014. Using the double GHE has shown an enhanced performance of up to 20% compared with single GHE. The infiltration trench is found to improve performance of the heat pumps; the double loop GHE system with an infiltration trench had a COP 5% higher than that of the double loop GHE system without a trench

Waste to energy in the UK: policy and institutional issues

A sustainable waste management policy is necessary to manage the growing stream of municipal solid waste in ecologically sustainable ways. Although landfill has been the dominant form of waste management in the UK there is a need to comply with the European Union landfill directive. Waste to energy (WtE) is a viable waste management option to reduce the reliance on landfills and reap the energy benefits of waste. The first waste-fired power plant was built in the UK in 1885 but several barriers have constrained the use of WtE. This paper assesses the policy and institutional context for the development of WtE in the UK. It discusses how public opinion and choice of technology are important factors in achieving a wider acceptance of WtE in the UK. There is a need to devise coordinated policies on sustainable waste management at the regional and local levels. Furthermore, making all WtE technologies eligible for renewable obligation certificates could support the development of the technology and divert waste from landfills. The absence of efficient heat delivery networks is also a barrier to fulfilling the potential for WtE in the UK

Valuing the manufacturing externalities of wind energy: assessing the environmental profit and loss of wind turbines in Northern Europe

This study draws from a concept from green accounting, lifecycle assessment, and industrial ecology known as 'environmental profit and loss” (EP&L) to determine the extent of externalities across the manufacturing lifecycle of wind energy. So far, no EP&Ls have involved energy companies and none have involved wind energy or wind turbines. We perform an EP&L for three types of wind turbines sited and built in Northern Europe (Denmark and Norway) by a major manufacturer: a 3.2 MW onshore turbine with a mixed concrete steel foundation, a 3.0 MW offshore turbine with a steel foundation, and a 3.0 MW offshore turbine with a concrete foundation. For each of these three turbine types, we identify and monetize externalities related to carbon dioxide emissions, air pollution, and waste. We find that total environmental losses range from €1.1 million for the offshore turbine with concrete foundation to €740,000 for onshore turbines and about €500,000 for an offshore turbine with steel foundation—equivalent to almost one-fifth of construction cost in some instances. We conclude that carbon dioxide emissions dominate the amount of environmental damages and that turbines need to work for 2.5 to 5.5 years to payback their carbon debts. Even though turbines are installed in Europe, China and South Korea accounted for about 80% of damages across each type of turbine. Lastly, two components, foundations and towers, account for about 90% of all damages. We conclude with six implications for wind energy analysts, suppliers, manufacturers, and planners. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Heat pipe based municipal waste treatment unit for home energy recovery

A heat pipe based pyrolysis chamber has been developed and tested as an efficient, cost effective and space saving municipal waste treatment unit. The performance of the chamber was evaluated based on the temperature distributions inside the chamber, its electricity consumption and the chemical characteristics of the final pyrolysis products (bio-chars and pyro-oils) obtained from the process and validated by three test runs. In all the three tests, the type of waste treated was municipal waste obtained from households. In addition, special cases of challenging waste configurations, such as mixed domestic plastics and PVC are reported. The chemical analysis of the pyrolysis and the ash residues from the municipal solid waste showed no toxic elements in their composition. The main component of the char was calcium, the fluid oil obtained from the initial stages of pyrolysis had a similar composition to that of water, while the dense oil produced during the final stage of the process showed traces of iron and a potential composition match to commercial additive oils. The chemical analysis of the chars and ash obtained from the mixed domestic waste showed no toxicity for the mixed plastic char but a potential toxicity of the PVC char due to the existence of lead and chlorine. Calculations regarding the coefficient of performance (COP) of the heat pipe based pyrolysis unit indicated that the COP decreased with the increase of moisture content of the waste stream. For 0% moisture content in the waste stream the COP of the unit was 9.4 and the carbon footprint of the unit was 0.0782 kg CO2e per kg of treatment. On the other hand, for a maximum moisture content of 100% the COP was 0.53 and the CO2 emissions were 0.3873 kg CO2e per kg of treatment

Of embodied emissions and inequality: rethinking energy consumption

This paper situates concepts of energy consumption within the context of growing research on embodied emissions. Using the UK as a case study I unpack the global socio-economic and ecological inequalities inherent in the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions on a territorial basis under the international climate change framework. In so doing, I problematise questions of distribution, allocation and responsibility with regards to the pressing need to reduce global GHG emissions and the consumption that generates them. I challenge the disproportionate emphasis that energy policy places on supply as opposed to demand, as well as its overriding focus on the national scale. Consequently I argue that any low carbon transition, in addition to a technological process, is also a geographical one that will involve the reconfiguration of "current spatial patterns of economic and social activity" (Bridge et al., 2013:331), as well as relationships both within countries and regions and between them

The political sustainability of climate policy: the case of the UK Climate Change Act

This paper assesses the forces working for and against the political sustainability of the UK 2008 Climate Change Act. The adoption of the Act is seen as a landmark commitment to action on climate change, but its implementation has not been studied in any depth. Recent events, including disagreements over the fourth carbon budget and the decarbonisation of the electricity sector, shows that while the Act might appear to lock in a commitment to reducing emissions through legal means, this does not guarantee political lock-in. The assumption, made by some proponents of the Act, that accountability of political leaders to a public concerned about climate change, via Parliament, would provide the main political underpinning to the Act is criticised. An analysis of alternative sources of political durability is presented, drawing on a framework for understanding the sustainability of reform developed by Patashnik. It is argued that the Act has helped create major institutional transformations, although the degree to which new institutions have displaced the power of existing ones is limited. The Act has produced some policy feedback effects, especially in the business community, and some limited investment effects, but both have been insufficient to withstand destabilisation by recent party political conflicts. The Climate Change Act remains at risk

A laboratory study on cold-mix, cold-lay emulsion mixtures

This paper describes laboratory experiments and presents results for the performances of cold-mix, cold-lay emulsion mixtures. The main objective of the experiments was to evaluate and improve the properties of the cold mixtures. The mixture properties evaluated were: volumetric properties, indirect tensile stiffness modulus (ITSM), repeated load axial creep and fatigue. These properties were compared with conventional hot asphalt mixtures not containing any waste/recycled materials. To optimise the performances of the mixtures, a target of ITSM value of 2000 MPa was selected. At full curing conditions, the stiffness of the cold mixes was found to be very similar to that of hot mixtures of the same penetration grade base bitumen (100 pen). Test results also show that the addition of 1–2% cement significantly improved the mechanical performance of the mixes and significantly accelerated their strength gain. The fatigue behaviour of the cold mixes that incorporated cement was comparable with that of the hot mixtures

A conceptual framework for negotiating public involvement in municipal waste management decision-making in the UK

The technical expertise that politicians relied on in the past to produce cost-effective and environmentally sound solutions no longer provides sufficient justification to approve waste facilities. Local authorities need to find more effective ways to involve stakeholders and communities in decision-making since public acceptance of municipal waste facilities is integral to delivering effective waste strategies. This paper presents findings from a research project that explored attitudes towards greater levels of public involvement in UK waste management decision-making. The study addressed questions of perception, interests, the decision context, the means of engagement and the necessary resources and capacity for adopting a participatory decision process. Adopting a mixed methods approach, the research produced an empirical framework for negotiating the mode and level of public involvement in waste management decision-making. The framework captures and builds on theories of public involvement and the experiences of practitioners, and offers guidance for integrating analysis and deliberation with public groups in different waste management decision contexts. Principles in the framework operate on the premise that the decision about ‘more’ and ‘better’ forms of public involvement can be negotiated, based on the nature of the waste problem and wider social context of decision-making. The collection of opinions from the wide range of stakeholders involved in the study has produced new insights for the design of public engagement processes that are context-dependent and ‘fit-for-purpose’; these suggest a need for greater inclusivity in the case of contentious technologies and high levels of uncertainty regarding decision outcomes

Appraising infrastructure for new towns in Ireland

Copyright © 2013 ICE Publishing Ltd. Permission is granted by ICE Publishing to print one copy for personal use. Any other use of these PDF files is subject to reprint fees.Over a 20 year period 1996–2016, a new 223 ha town is being developed 10 miles west of Dublin's city centre on the south side of Lucan, County Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). This €4 billion ‘Adamstown’ development is the first of four planning schemes in ROI to be approved as a strategic development zone – an integrated planning framework deemed suitable for creating sustainable neighbourhoods in sites of strategic economic or social importance to the state. The creation of sustainable neighbourhoods in ROI is facilitated through the implementation of a checklist of 60 indicators. This paper critically examines the attempts being made to consider sustainability within the development's overall infrastructure plan, specifically: transport, energy and water services, information technology and waste. Inadequacies in the existing development are linked to shortfalls in the sustainability checklist, by way of a comparison of infrastructure-related indicators from the ROI checklist with those derived for the UK and exemplar European projects (i.e. Bedzed, UK and Freiberg, Germany). The subsequent legacy for future residents of Adamstown is then considered in the context of ‘what if’ scenarios