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

An impact assessment for urban stormwater use

The adoption of stormwater collection and use for a range of non-potable applications requires that the perceived risks, particularly those associated with public health, are addressed. Pollutant impacts have been assessed using E. coli and a scoring system on a scale of 0 to 5 to identify the magnitude of impacts and also the likelihood of exposure to stormwater during different applications. Combining these identifies that low or medium risks are generally predicted except for domestic car washing and occupational irrigation of edible raw food crops where the predicted high risk would necessitate the introduction of remedial action

The changing regulatory environment for speculative housebuilding and the construction of core competencies for brownfleld development

Speculative housebuilding in the United Kingdom faces an ever tighter regulatory environment owing to the increasing impact of the sustainable development agenda. For example, 60% of all new homes in England are now expected to be constructed on previously developed land or provided through the conversion of existing buildings. As speculative housebuilders are responsible for about 80% of all new dwellings built in the United Kingdom, the achievement of this important government target is critically dependent on the ability and willingness of the private sector to respond to public policy. By exploring the main components of the residential development process, the author investigates how far speculative housebuilding will need to change to ensure the successful implementation of the government's brownfield housing target. He suggests that those speculative housebuilders that are enthusiastically building up core competencies in brownfield housing are likely to emerge as the market leaders of the future whereas those companies that continue to rely on past practices and technologies will face an uncertain future as greenfield development opportunities begin to reduce

A UK practitioner view of domestic energy performance measurement

There is a growing body of evidence concerning the energy efficiency performance of domestic buildings in the UK, driven by policy-based agenda, such as the need for zero carbon dioxide homes by 2016 for new build homes, and Green Deal and energy company obligation for sustainable refurbishment. While there have been a number of studies funded and results presented in this area, little work has been done to understand the drivers, practices and issues of data collection and analysis. There are a number of major building performance evaluation (BPE) studies in the UK, yet behind many of these research projects are practical issues of data loss, experimental error, data analysis variances and resident issues that are common when studies move from the actual to the living lab. In this paper the issues of domestic energy are addressed by leading BPE practitioners in the UK. They identify issues of client demands, technical failure, costs and implementation. The work provides insights of both academic and industry-based practitioners and considers not only the practicalities of building performance studies, but also implications for these types of studies in the future

Assessing the distribution of volatile organic compounds using land use regression in Sarnia, "Chemical Valley", Ontario, Canada

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Land use regression (LUR) modelling is proposed as a promising approach to meet some of the challenges of assessing the intra-urban spatial variability of ambient air pollutants in urban and industrial settings. However, most of the LUR models to date have focused on nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. This study aimed at developing LUR models to predict BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene and o-xylene) concentrations in Sarnia, 'Chemical Valley', Ontario, and model the intra-urban variability of BTEX compounds in the city for a community health study.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Using Organic Vapour Monitors, pollutants were monitored at 39 locations across the city of Sarnia for 2 weeks in October 2005. LUR models were developed to generate predictor variables that best estimate BTEX concentrations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Industrial area, dwelling counts, and highways adequately explained most of the variability of BTEX concentrations (<it>R</it>²: 0.78 – 0.81). Correlations between measured BTEX compounds were high (> 0.75). Although most of the predictor variables (e.g. land use) were similar in all the models, their individual contributions to the models were different.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Yielding potentially different health effects than nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, modelling other air pollutants is essential for a better understanding of the link between air pollution and health. The LUR models developed in these analyses will be used for estimating outdoor exposure to BTEX for a larger community health study aimed at examining the determinants of health in Sarnia.</p

Achieving sustainable sanitation chains through better informed and more systematic improvements: lessons from multi-city research in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Environmental Science: Water Research Technology and the definitive published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C5EW00255A.This paper presents the synthesised findings of the SPLASH Urban Sanitation research programme through the framework of the sanitation service chain. Urban sanitation service chains are complex and fragmented, involving a multiplicity of service providers and typically resulting in unsustainable or inadequate services. The aggregate data set covers a wide range of research methods including; household surveys, a randomised control trial, a willingness to pay survey prototype testing of technologies, focus group discussions and deliberative forums. Thorough the research, it has been possible to identify situations where incremental improvements are being made with varying degrees of success. Most importantly, it has identified weaknesses to the sanitation service chains where progress is either slow or extremely limited. It is through these weaknesses that key questions affecting the long term sustainability of sanitation service chains need to be answered

Contaminant issues in production and application of biochar

For widespread use of biochar in agriculture and horticulture, it must be ensured that application will neither adversely affect soil and plants, nor exceed legislated contaminant concentrations. The most relevant groups of contaminants in biochar are potentially toxic elements (PTEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). In this thesis, the concentrations of these groups of contaminants were analysed in 90 different biochars produced by slow pyrolysis. Subsequently, the concentrations were compared to legislation/guideline threshold values and linked to production conditions. The risk these contaminants pose to plant growth was also assessed, to give recommendations on production of safe biochar. PTEs can neither be formed nor destroyed, which means their presence in biochar is predominantly determined by feedstock type. However, significant levels of Cr, Fe and Ni were introduced into biochar from the furnace steel, whilst PTEs with low boiling points, such as As, Cd and Zn, partially evaporated during pyrolysis. PTEs were not responsible for phytotoxic effects observed for PTE-rich biochars despite biochar’s exceedance of available and total PTE threshold values for soil and soil amendments. Although initial tests were promising, the risk that PTE-rich biochars as amendment for soil and growing media pose, needs further investigation. The PAH concentration in biochar was markedly reduced by increasing carrier gas flow rate, and the type of feedstock also influenced the PAH content. However, there was no clear dependence of pyrolysis temperature on PAH concentrations, which was attributed to PAHs being increasingly formed and evaporated at higher pyrolysis temperatures. Ultimately, condensation of pyrolysis vapours and deposition on biochar was identified as the main risk for biochar contamination with PAHs, as this resulted in elevated concentrations of high-risk, higher molecular weight PAHs. Weaknesses in the pyrolysis unit design, such as cold zones, resulted in elevated concentrations of VOCs, as well as PAHs, in biochar. Comparing concentrations and phytotoxic potential of both compound groups, it was concluded that observed toxic effects were much more likely caused by VOCs in biochars containing both contaminants. Overall, formation of VOCs and PAHs cannot be prevented, but their presence in biochar resulting from retention and deposition can be minimised

Engaging residents' groups in planning using focus groups

Involving residents in decisions on the planning and design of the built environment can deliver numerous benefits, but soliciting their productive and meaningful engagement is not easy. There are various pitfalls to navigate and issues to address. This paper reflects on several of these by drawing on the experience of conducting focus groups with a variety of residents' groups where attitudes to environmental design were discussed. The paper considers issues around the process of identifying and selecting groups to engage with, barriers to group and individual participation in engagement exercises, and the process of opinion formation and evolution in a group setting (and the implications of this for the interpretation of focus group data). Interestingly, for some residents' groups, preferences for the design and development of the built environment appeared to be rather conservative although there was scepticism of the agenda and activities of local government and property developers. The paper considers what this might mean for efforts to involve these groups in consultation and engagement activities on planning and development matters. Overall, it is hoped that this paper will form a useful resource for those embarking on consultation and engagement activities, particularly those wishing to work with residents' groups or seeking to employ focus group