Kontrol Technologies is in the thick of the commercial building upgrade supercycle

March 12, 2022

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kontrol-technologies-is-in-the-thick-of-the-commercial-building-upgrade-supercycle-972005.html

The cumulative total addressable market of commercial building heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment and controls replacement is expected to increase by $140 billion over the next 15 years to nearly $350 billion

Commercial buildings are set for an “upgrade supercycle” to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and advance building sustainability, which spells good news for Canadian technology firm Kontrol Technologies Corp (OTCQB:KNRLF, NEO:KNR).

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analysts, whp coined the term "upgrade supercycle" in 2021, are adamant that the market is underestimating the scale of the opportunity for companies operating in the building retrofit market, as sustainability efforts and supportive legislation fuel upgrades.

They estimate the cumulative total addressable market of commercial building heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment and controls replacement will increase by $140 billion over the next 15 years to nearly $350 billion.

READ: Kontrol Technologies partners with trading company to bring its BioCloud technology to Japan
“We see commercial building modernization as one of the best points of convergence between sustainability and technology in our coverage universe with one of the largest installed bases in the world,” the Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analysts said in a research note.

“Technology, awareness, an aging installed base, post-Covid changes, and funding mechanisms are coming together at what we believe are the early stages of a commercial building modernization supercycle in the US and Europe,” they added.

Commercial buildings account for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, according to some estimates, and North American buildings waste up to $60 billion in energy every year. There is impetus on both sides to reduce those numbers significantly by adopting smart technologies.

'Real demand for improvements'
A number of companies stand to benefit, from larger names like Carrier Global, Johnson Controls and Honeywell (NYSE:HON) to smaller outfits like Toronto’s Kontrol Technologies. Kontrol develops proprietary technology and solutions to help customers improve energy management, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create sustainable buildings.

“There is a real demand for improvements in how commercial buildings are operated and managed, which has driven a need for more technology and better operating systems,” Kontrol CEO Paul Ghezzi told Proactive in an interview. “On one hand, commercial and industrial real estate was hurt by the pandemic in terms of vacancy rates, but on the other hand, there is a big improvement cycle that’s coming.”

Kontrol offers real-time energy management of an entire building system through multi-year contracts. Going public in 2016, the group started with a portfolio of 10 buildings and quickly grew that number to over 400 buildings under management, a figure it is hoping to double in the near future.

The team is confident that it can reach its goal of 800 buildings under management. “We have delivered our highest revenue quarter and have a stable firm order book to support our continued growth,” Ghezzi said. “The question is how fast can we keep growing?”

Monitoring air quality with proprietary technology
One area where Kontrol is making a name for itself is with its unique air quality sensor technology known as BioCloud, an unobtrusive wall-mounted technology with a real-time analyzer designed to detect airborne viruses by sampling the air quality over time. The unit has a proprietary detection chamber that can be replaced as needed if and when viruses are detected. An alert system is created in the cloud or over local intranet.

“You need multiple tools and technologies to deal with pandemics,” Ghezzi said. “We’ve got vaccines, rapid tests and masks right now, but what’s becoming increasingly important is air quality. It’s the lane that we fit really well.”

Interest is starting to pay off in the form of revenue growth for the company. During its third quarter, Kontrol reported record revenue of $21.5 million - up 614% year-over-year - and record net income of $2.1 million for its second consecutive quarter of positive net income.

The firm’s performance comes at a time when funding is at an all-time high in the commercial building retrofit industry. In the first half of 2021, more than $5.1 billion was poured into the space. Over 30% of this money went to property technology which addresses the management and operations of commercial and industrial buildings.

Market research group Memoori reported 58 acquisitions in the smart buildings sector in the first quarter of 2021 alone, noting the trend of acquiring Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that improve building performance.

All of this could position Kontrol as an attractive takeover target, especially once it accomplishes its 2022 goal of uplisting to a major US exchange.

“We continue to expand opportunities within our existing customer base while working diligently to scale into additional markets with new customers,” Ghezzi told shareholders recently. “Our core focus on sustainability, energy conservation, and greenhouse gas emission reduction are key drivers of our operating platform’s expansion.”

https://www.civilengineering.ai/kontrol-technologies-is-in-the-thick-of-the-commercial-building-upgrade-supercycle-2/

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I-Bhd, China Mobile team up to build Malaysia’s first green smart building

March 12, 2022

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KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 26): I-Bhd has struck a partnership with China Mobile International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (CMIM) to further enhance i-City, by building the first smart green building in the country.

In a statement to the bourse Wednesday (Jan 26), I-Bhd said its subsidiary i-City Properties (i-City) is teaming up with CMIM.

i-City director Monica Ong said a corporate tower will be equipped with 5G internet-enabled cameras and sensors to monitor the environment, energy consumption and human traffic flow for data gathering purposes.

She said with artificial intelligence (AI) technology incorporated into the building fabric, energy used to power lights, air conditioning and other electrical equipment can be tuned automatically based on the weather and number of people inside the building.

“Conversely, resource planning for security and cleanliness too can be managed more effectively adding that with sufficient data gathered, machines connected to the building will be able to identify and highlight to the building management peak hours and number of cleaners and security personnel required ahead of time with the capability of AI.

“This will improve sustainability and building tenant experience which is the key priority and at the same time placing emphasis on the sustainability and environment of our Smart City,” she said.

Ong said that with the rollout of 5G this year, i-City will be working on numerous AI enhancements to ensure that the ultrapolis maintains its position as Malaysia's first and most progressive smart city.

Meanwhile, CMIM director of enterprise Jackie Chen Jiang Long said the tech solution provider was heartened by i-City’s commitment in optimising the use of AI in environmental conservation.

“We look forward to working with i-City to continuously develop innovative ICT-based solutions to help save energy and reduce carbon footprints in order to protect the environmental ecosystem,” Chen said.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/i-bhd-china-mobile-team-up-to-build-malaysias-first-green-smart-building/

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FedEx launches AI-powered sorting robot to drive smart logistics

March 12, 2022

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FedEx launches AI-powered sorting robot to drive smart logistics - Parcel and Postal Technology InternationalFedEx launches AI-powered sorting robot to drive smart logistics - read more about this with Parcel and Postal Technology International

FedEx Express has launched DoraSorter, an AI-powered intelligent sorting robot, in Guangzhou, China, collaboration with Dorabot, a leading robotics solution provider for logistics. The sorting robot represents the company’s latest push in digitizing its operations and building a smart logistics network to handle the ever-growing volumes of e-commerce-related shipments in the region.

The first of its kind in China for FedEx, the DoraSorter robot is being deployed at the 5,200m2  FedEx South China E-Commerce Shipment Sorting Center in Guangzhou. DoraSorter is already part of the daily sorting operations and is capable of handling small inbound and outbound packages from e-commerce customers in South China.

While FedEx and Dorabot teams continue to fine-tune the robot based on operational requirements and explore more application scenarios, DoraSorter’s core function of sorting parcels based on destination matches the sorting center’s operation process.

Key features of DoraSorter include:

- At approximately 40m2, the robot can carry up to 10kg of packages, covering up to 100 destinations simultaneously;

- The robot has a special drawer-shaped gripper that can connect with the conveyor belt seamlessly;

- Equipped with a barcode reader that scans packages to obtain destination information, the robot uses its gripper to receive a package inward from the conveyor belt and moves it outward to the corresponding destination slot.

“With e-commerce taking center stage in the future of retail in our region, the speed with which a parcel can be picked up and delivered to customers’ doorsteps has become a dominant factor in driving the adoption of sorting robots,” said Kawal Preet, president of the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region at FedEx Express. “Bringing DoraSorter to China as a pilot program is a natural choice for us given it’s the world’s biggest e-commerce market with an expected valuation of US$3.3tn by 2025.

“As we look to build a data-driven, smart logistics network to help our customers thrive in the digital economy, this alliance with Dorabot is part of becoming the network for what’s next. AI-powered technology will continue to change how we support customers in the region and enhance supply chains for the future.”

Xiaobai Deng, founder and CEO of Dorabot, commented, “The use of DoraSorter helps FedEx sort a higher volume of cross-border e-commerce shipments. It is the starting point of a global collaboration between Dorabot and FedEx. We hope that we can work together to bring AI and robotics applications to more businesses and consumers.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/fedex-launches-ai-powered-sorting-robot-to-drive-smart-logistics-2/

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DC joins growing list of cities requiring new buildings to include EV parking

March 12, 2022

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DC joins growing list of cities requiring new buildings to include EV parkingA make-ready rule requires 20% of parking to be ready for EV charging in certain new and refurbished buildings. But a parking reform expert said the rules ignore a bigger climate question: Is new parking necessary at all?

A previous version of this story erred in the date it gave for the District of Columbia's goal to achieve 25% zero-emissions vehicle registrations. We have corrected that date and removed a link to a D.C. website that contained the erroneous information. We also have corrected Eric Campbell's title.

Dive Brief:

- New and refurbished commercial and multi-unit buildings in Washington, D.C., that have at least three off-road parking spaces will be required to make at least 20% of those spaces available to accommodate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, under a new law that took effect this year. 

- The new requirement came in response to public concern that families in apartment buildings or without garages did not have access to EV chargers, a barrier to purchasing a car, said Eric Campbell, program analyst for the District of Columbia's Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE). The make-ready rule, which was approved unanimously by the city council in November 2020, is part of the city’s goal to have at least 25% of new vehicles registered by 2030 be zero-emissions.

- Similar make-ready requirements have been adopted or introduced over the past year in cities including Orlando, Florida, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City as part of a broad effort to increase EV access. The California Public Utilities Commission also approved rules requiring utilities to provide certain make-ready infrastructure to customers at no cost, reducing the price to install new chargers at homes and businesses.

Dive Insight:

The make-ready approach is a recognition of some of the district's unique characteristics, Campbell said, like the high volume of commuters to downtown areas and a concentration of multi-unit dwelling that are traditionally more difficult to outfit with chargers. Having at least 20% of parking spaces in downtown buildings and apartment buildings be outfitted for chargers, will make it easier for people to drive EVs in the district and ensure that chargers are distributed throughout the city, he said. 

With transportation accounting for 24% of the district's greenhouse gas emissions, any tools to incentivize EVs are crucial to meeting its climate goals, Campbell said. 

"It can be easy to focus narrowly on the chicken or egg problem, whether policies are needed to boost purchases of EVs or to create infrastructure," he said. "What we’re trying to do is make a chicken omelet and grow both sides at the same time."

The bill passed by the city council will require that DOEE incentivize developers to go beyond the 20% space requirement, while also allowing the mayor to promote regulations that would allow financial hardship waivers, accounting for concerns that EV chargers can add to housing and development costs. 

The parking requirements also come as the Biden administration is working to use funds from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to ramp up EV infrastructure. Under a plan released in December, the administration is seeking to create a "convenient and equitable network" of 500,000 chargers using $7.5 billion from the bill. 

Andrea McCarthy, program manager for the Electrification Coalition, said make-ready ordinances are "a quick way" to increase EV adoption by not just putting more charging at multi-unit dwellings, but also at other major buildings or parking structures in cities. More than 30 municipalities have passed such requirements, according to Electrification Coalition data, with policies tailored to the needs and dynamics of each region, McCarthy said.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/dc-joins-growing-list-of-cities-requiring-new-buildings-to-include-ev-parking/

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Using data’s ‘invisible’ influence to build smart wastewater networks

March 12, 2022

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Using data’s ‘invisible’ influence to build smart wastewater networks - Utility WeekIsle Utilities’ Chris Thomas outlines the roles of technology and data in building successful wastewater asset management strategies and the creation of ‘smart’ networks.

Isle Utilities’ Chris Thomas outlines the roles of technology and data in building successful wastewater asset management strategies and the creation of ‘smart’ networks.

Discussing the digitalisation of networks to achieve pre-emptive asset maintenance and preventing the need for major intervention at the Utility Week Innovate WWT Wastewater 2022 Conference, Isle Utilities’ head of enterprise and innovation, Chris Thomas, highlighted that wastewater lagged behind other sectors – such as gas and networks – in implementing new digital systems.

He caveated, however, that this afforded the industry unique insight into the dos and don’ts from the digitalisation process, with one of his main observations being that, far from a technical challenge, the smooth creation of “smart” networks revolves around organisational improvements.

Smart network building blocks

Breaking down the creation of a smart wastewater network into five simplified components – applications, communications, sensors, data and the business process – Thomas said that the latter two were the most significant hurdles in his view.

He explained that, from a technical standpoint, a wealth of application and sensor software and technology was readily available to tee up smart networks, while options such as 5G networks and radio spectrum to communicate are already widespread.

Yet in terms of the business process behind creating smart networks, he outlined four-phases of analytical maturity – describe, diagnose, predict and prescribe – and emphasised the importance of spending more time focusing on the often neglected early phases.

Thomas explained that when deploying solutions at scale “being dependable is more important than being clever” – meaning that rather than kickstarting a project based on prediction, spending time to describe and diagnose challenges as a foundation for project work was paramount.

He summarised that at the heart of effective digitalisation was “good operational reporting and integration with business processes before clever predictive activity” – or doing “the boring stuff” at scale bolstered by robust data architecture.

This spans reliable KPI reporting, automated checks, balances and processes across a business and detailed performance management of data and people.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/using-datas-invisible-influence-to-build-smart-wastewater-networks-2/

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Fight climate crisis with machines

March 10, 2022

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AI and climate - University of VictoriaHumans are going to need the help of machines in fighting climate crisis.

The heat dome baked parts of the Pacific Northwest. Wildfires raged around the world. Torrential and destructive flooding displaced communities in British Columbia. The world in 2021 was fixated on the impacts of climate change.

But if humans are going to stop the damage they’ve caused, they’re going to need help from machines, researchers say. That’s where Yang Shi comes in.

Shi is director of the University of Victoria’s Applied Control and Information Processing Laboratory, and his focus is on the mathematic models and strategies behind the remote control and monitoring of complex cyberphysical systems. His research encompasses the theory underpinning large-scale systems such as smart buildings, communities and cities—work that will be crucial in ensuring the efficient use of energy to reduce carbon emissions.

That’s not just a matter of having energy efficient cooling systems, though. Rather, energy efficiency must be built into a design that actively considers carbon requirements because there’s a price associated with carbon.

“This cost needs to be considered in the individual control and optimization of each agent—that is, for example, a single room or a small building—and the community-wide control and optimization,” Shi says, noting each layer of such a hierarchical system must be co-ordinated with the others.

Putting this into context, he points to the example of a smart community, which has interconnected controls and technology designed to maximize energy efficiency. If such a community has renewable energy integrated into its grid—for example wind farms and solar panels—there will at times be an intermittent supply of electricity due to weather conditions.

The remote, artificial intelligence-enabled control systems he’s working on can balance out those fluctuations so that those communities are only using power from conventional, often carbon-producing grids when absolutely necessary, and supplying power back to those grids when they have an excess of renewable electricity.

These complex dynamic systems make realtime adjustments not just based on the control algorithms created by Shi and his colleagues, but on machine learning and AI that can make predictions based on information that is collected.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/fight-climate-crisis-with-machines/

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A MUST FOR HOME AUTOMATION

March 10, 2022

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Smart Keypads: A Must for Home AutomationSmart Keypads are the must have for home automation. Our new line of wireless smart keypads can control any appliance or device in your home. Choose the best home automation system in India based on your needs.

Homes these days have multiple types of lights – cove lights, chandeliers, wall décor lights, party lights and within these there is the added choice of dimmable lights, tunable lights, LED color strip lights and more. In addition to this lighting variety, there are other diverse comfort elements in a room. These are devices such as Fans, Air Conditioners , Curtains, Blinds, projectors, TVs and more. These various items in the home are rarely used one at a time, but rather they are turned on in some group combinations that suit the occupants requirement. These combinations are called ‘scenes’ or ‘profiles’ because they create the necessary ambience that the occupant wishes to experience.

Many home owners are adopting Home Automation solutions. Most Home Automation solutions allow users to create such ‘profiles’ or ‘scenes’ on their Smart Apps. Users can typically choose the various lighting, fans, AC, curtains and other combinations for each ‘profile’ and they can also change these profiles as their tastes or circumstances change. There can be profiles for when one wakes up in the morning (e.g ‘Good Morning’ profile) and another for when going to sleep. Similarly they may be for events, like when leaving the home (‘Good Bye’ profile) or when watching a movie (‘Cinema’ profile) and so forth.

While many Home Automation solutions allow the convenience of using profiles via Smart App or voice assistants like Alexa/Google, they do not offer physical ‘switch-like’ device on the walls that could trigger these same ‘profiles’. The introduction of ‘Keypads’ as a part of the Home Automation solution has changed that. Keypads now offers home automation users with tremendous flexibility to execute such ‘scenes’ or ‘profiles’ without needing to resort to a Smart App or Voice commands. BuildTrack’s keypads are designed to be identical to the Smart Touch Switches and can blend in within the switches. In fact they can also be part of a switch panel or independently on their own panel.

The advantages of the keypads are many,

- A keypad has a small footprint and does not occupy the space that multiple switches might take up on any wall. It can be used as an alternative to switches when home automation is deployed.

- BuildTrack keypads are unique in their ability to control not just lighting, but also curtains, blinds, ACs, Fans, TVs, Projector mounts and more. Most other keypads in the market can only handle lighting scenes.

- BuildTrack keypads are mapped to profiles that are defined on the Smart App, and since the Smart App profiles can be edited to add, remove or change specific devices (e.g. add/remove lights or change dimming levels or change desired AC temp settings) the keypads effectively serve as customizable switches.

- BuildTrack keypads support multi-way operation, i.e. they are 2-way, 3-way and more. If the same profile is set on multiple keypads across the home, then triggering one will show you the correct status on all

- Even if a home only choses BuildTrack Keypads instead of switches, BuildTrack still allows control of individual devices as switches on the Smart App.

- Keypads are available in wired and wireless formats. The wireless formats do not require any change to existing wiring.

- BuildTrack Keypads can co-exist with smart touch switches on the same switch panel, creating tremendous flexibility.

If you are interested in home automation, then take a look at BuildTrack smart keypads and smart touch switches for your home.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/a-must-for-home-automation/

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A New Robot That Cleans? Yes, please!

March 10, 2022

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A New Robot That Cleans? Yes, please! | eTurboNews | TravelWireNews | TravelNewsOnlinePudu Robotics, the global leader in commercial service robots, has enhanced its rich product portfolio with its new Afra C1 cleaning robot, which made its global debut on day one of CES 2022. The first international appearance of Afra C1 marks Pudu Robotics’ official entry into the commercial cleani…

Afra C1 is designed for a variety of cleaning scenarios and is capable of multiple functions, including scrubbing, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, automatic water refilling and debris discharge, autonomous driving, auto elevator taking, e-gate and auto-gate passage, auto access control, and multi-floor operations. Afra C1 is also equipped with a built-in roller brush, squeegee and removable dust vacuum that allows it to adapt to various floor types in buildings and residences, including hard floors and soft carpet.

In addition to its comprehensive capabilities, Afra C1 offers multiple shell options that enable it to adapt to different settings and enhance the overall image and perception of cleaning services. Moreover, the robot is a delight to use with its large 10.1-inch touch screen and support for custom operation panel heights and angles.

In order to adapt to the growing “Internet of Everything” trends, Pudu Robotics designed Afra C1 to be connected to various IoT devices, ranging from building elevators and e-gates to access control systems, communications, and upper-layer software. With its powerful connectivity capabilities, the cleaning robot promotes the standardization, digitalization and development of intelligent cleaning services, which is integral to smart building management.

High-quality professional deep cleaning products have become an apparent need for most people in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cleaning robots offer the advantages of contactless and intelligent cleaning, especially when compared to manual services, presenting a rare strategic development opportunity in the commercial cleaning robot industry. Pudu Robotics’ Afra C1 cleaning robot is designed to help the traditional cleaning industry meet the challenges of smart transformation.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/a-new-robot-that-cleans-yes-please/

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Getting climate smart

March 10, 2022

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Getting climate smart | Dialogue | thenews.com.pkOn climate smart low-income housing in Pakistan

In Pakistan nearly 20 million people are homeless. Many live in poverty, in slums and informal settlements, near shrines, under bridges and flyovers, one sidewalks and road dividers. Pakistan is Asia’s fastest-urbanising country, where 40 million people will live in metropolitan centres and towns by 2023. This is a vast and rapid shift from rural to urban areas. In addition, Pakistan’s existing housing shortage of 10 million people is predicted to grow to 13 million by 2025. The country is in a housing deficit of roughly 32 percent of the population, which is much higher than the neighbouring countries with similar demographics. Both India and Bangladesh have a 12 percent housing shortage. In addition, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) estimates that the average cost of an urban house/ apartment is Rs 12 million, whereas the monthly average wage in urban regions is Rs 34,000. This means that the average person will have to pay it off over 30 years. This makes it extremely difficult for people to own livable places.

At the same time, melting glaciers, unpredictable monsoons and increased catastrophe activity driven by climate change, make Pakistan one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. The magnitude of these impacts is exacerbating the existing social and economic conflicts and environmental risk drivers, especially for marginalised and low-income communities who lack essential services. The current building infrastructure, spur of need and the outdated construction regimes in Pakistan are thus, worsened by the impacts of climate change (large portion of emissions are from building sector which has pushed the world towards sustainable and affordable housing and healthy living conditions by addressing energy efficiency through active and passive techniques and existing infrastructure (water supply, sanitation, storm and wastewater drains, solid waste disposal, transportation and telecommunications, health care, education and emergency response).

In pursuit of this goal, several initiatives are being taken by the government and the private sector in efforts to provide affordable housing schemes like Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority, Orangi Housing Society, Khuda ki Basti, etc. Modulus Tech, Agha Khan Agency for Habitat etc are working on low-cost climate-friendly technologies. A pilot programme was started in seven districts and at present the benefits from this programme can be availed in 10 cities. Financing for affordable homes can be availed through commercial banks, intended to incentivise the low-cost housing schemes. However, the challenge lies in designing and implementing sustainable and affordable housing as the ratio of mortgage is relatively low in developing countries including Pakistan. Having a great potential to empower communities and individuals by advocating for a rethinking of municipal climate action and urban planning that prioritises policies and programmes that cut GHG emissions from the built environment, Pakistan needs to address the affordability issues by expanding financial opportunities.

This is where the concept of “low-income, climate-smart housing” emerges from. The idea is to build houses that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change. This includes promoting water conservation, energy-efficient appliances and sources that don‘t only have a lower environmental footprint but are also cost efficient. This calls for the development of new technologies and strategies. Using recyclable materials in housing and construction s one such idea. Use of fibre cement and wood-plastic composites, energy efficient lighting, water saving, waste management, insulation and ventilation can improve carbon neutrality. These are the core passive techniques that can be employed in the housing sector. The energy efficiency component combines technology with high efficiency so that less energy is required to perform the same operations - for example, replacing worn-out weather stripping, repairing leaking ducts, adding insulation and replacing inefficient lighting and appliances/ equipment. These techniques can reduce cumulative energy demand by roughly 24 percent. These dwellings are built to minimise cooling/ heating needs, higher insulation levels, little thermal bridging and maximal availability to utilise solar radiation for heating, better ventilation and heat recovery systems. Many of the house elements are geared towards increasing production and supporting families in becoming more self-sufficient and better prepared to deal with adverse weather.

However, it may be hard to construct cost-effective and environmentally sustainable homes, especially in low-income countries like Pakistan. (According to World Bank low income countries have a per capita gross national income (GNI) of less than $1,026. Pakistan has a GNI ratio of $1,190). Along with high poverty, unawareness, willingness to adapt to climate change, and non-availability of financial opportunities in Pakistan are the primary problems. While there is a boom in housing societies and construction in Pakistan, basic information on the needs and assessment to opt towards climate smart housing practices is lacking. There is a need not only for policy level interventions on monetary and macroeconomic stability, but also capacity building among stakeholders to educate them on the cost-effectiveness of climate smart housing that is sustainable, affordable and reliable. Pakistan Mortgage Refinance Company (PMRC), a secondary mortgage facility owned jointly by private sector banks and the Ministry of Finance, was founded in 2016 to expand the housing sector and provide fixed-rate long-term loans to financial institutions to help them satisfy their liquidity needs. A portion of the PMRC’s lending portfolio to PMLs is designated for product development and low-income lending. It doesn‘t incorporate the techniques to move towards environmentally friendly housing and construction which has a lower carbon footprint.

To have economic stability and green credibility, green bonds have been shown as a promising financial instrument for raising funds. Pakistan has initiated green bonds and blue bonds to combat challenges of climate change- (Green bonds are for clean/ renewable energy projects; the blue bonds are for ocean ecology and related industries). The SBP devised a framework for introducing green banking in 2017 and WAPDA bonds in 2021. Further, Pakistan has plans to launch green bonds for the building and transport sector through which climate-smart housing prospects can be availed. However, a lack of implementation of such policies, and capacity issues in relevant organisations and among stakeholders are the primary challenges to paving the way in low income and climate smart housing in Pakistan.

Pakistan must overcome the coordination gaps between various levels of the government to ensure implementing of such programmes at the ground level. To this end, there is a need to take a multi-stakeholder approach and form a steering committee, consisting of all stakeholders i.e., the federal, provincial and district governments, along with private sector investors and developers to institutionalise a process that brings all players to the table and develop a plan of action for affordable and climate smart housing that helps fight climate change in Pakistan.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/getting-climate-smart/

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New smart-roof coating keeps homes warm in winter and cool in summer

March 10, 2022

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New smart-roof coating keeps homes warm in winter and cool in summerBreakthrough regulates household temperature without consuming natural gas or electricity.

Berkeley Lab engineers have developed an all-season smart roof coating that keeps homes warm during the winter and cool during the summer without consuming natural gas or electricity. The all-season roof coating automatically switches from keeping you cool to warm, depending on outdoor air temperature.

The problem with many cool-roof systems currently on the market is that they continue to radiate heat in the winter, which drives up heating costs, explained Junqiao Wu, a faculty scientist who led the study. “Our new material – called a temperature-adaptive radiative coating (TARC) – can enable energy savings by automatically turning off the radiative cooling in the winter, overcoming the problem of overcooling,” he said.

The key to the technology is a strange compound called vanadium dioxide (VO2). In 2017, Wu and his research team discovered that electrons in vanadium dioxide behave like metal to electricity but an insulator to heat. Below about 67 degrees Celsius, vanadium dioxide is also transparent to thermal-infrared light. But once vanadium dioxide reaches 67 degrees Celsius, the material switches to a metal state, becoming absorptive of thermal-infrared light. This ability to switch from one phase to another – in this case, from an insulator to metal – is characteristic of what’s known as a phase-change material.

Wu and his team engineered a 2-centimeter-by-2-centimeter TARC thin-film device to see how vanadium dioxide would perform in a roof system. A wireless measurement device set up on Wu’s balcony continuously recorded responses to changes in direct sunlight and outdoor temperature from a TARC sample, a commercial dark roof sample, and a commercial white roof sample over multiple days.

According to researchers’ measurements, TARC reflects around 75% of sunlight year-round, but its thermal emittance is high (about 90%) when the ambient temperature is warm (above 25 degrees Celsius), promising heat loss to the sky. Researchers said that TARC’s thermal emittance automatically switches to low in cooler weather, helping to retain heat from solar absorption and indoor heating.

The researchers found that the new smart roof coating outperforms existing roof coating for energy saving in 12 of the 15 climate zones, particularly in regions with wide temperature variations between day and night or between winter and summer. With TARC installed, the average household in the U.S. could save up to 10% electricity.

Researchers plan to develop TARC prototypes on a larger scale to further test its performance as a practical roof coating. They say TARC may also have the potential as a thermally protective coating to prolong battery life in smartphones and laptops and shield satellites and cars from extremely high or low temperatures. It could also be adapted as a temperature-regulating fabric for tents, greenhouse coverings, and even hats and jackets.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/new-smart-roof-coating-keeps-homes-warm-in-winter-and-cool-in-summer-2/

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Smart materials with Copenhagen Fashion Week

March 10, 2022

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The Sustainability Series: How to identify and buy smart, responsible materialsRepresentatives from By Malene Birger, Ganni and Henrik Vibskov discuss why working with smart materials is key for a greener future

Copenhagen Fashion Week boasts some of the industry’s most exciting brands, and as we welcome the return of catwalks once more, we can’t wait to see what this season has to offer. The Danish capital is home to many chic Scandinavian labels, which can all be found hanging in the most stylish of women’s wardrobes, and is also the home of some particularly inspiring street style.

Not only is the event (which takes place for autumn/winter 2022 over 1-4 February) aesthetically pleasing, it also takes the lead with highlighting one of the most important conversations in fashion: sustainability.

This season, we’ve worked with Copenhagen Fashion Week and Creative Denmark to understand what it really means to be a responsible brand in the current climate, and what both designers and consumers can do better to look after the planet we call home.

Below, Caroline Fjelddahl (chief product officer at By Malene Birger), Lauren Bartley (sustainability director at Ganni), and Henrik Vibskov (designer at Henrik Vibskov) discuss why working with smart materials is vital for a greener future, as well as how shoppers themselves can apply this to their own wardrobes and attitudes to fashion.

WHAT DOES A HEALTHY SUPPLY CHAIN LOOK LIKE?

Caroline Fjelddahl: "A healthy supply chain is simple, lean and agile, with a limited number of suppliers for better communication. It focuses on expertise before price; when working with different product types such as woven, knitwear, bags, shoes, jewellery, we as a brand need the support of experts in each respective area. Lastly, it’s about partnership for us - our suppliers that have been onboard for a long time are more likely to be the best and most flexible partners in turbulent times, such as Covid-19 has proven to be."

Lauren Bartley: "It’s a broad term, but essentially it’s a traceable and transparent supply chain. Fashion supply chains are immensely complex, and a product can have up to 10 suppliers. Ganni currently has 100 per cent traceability on stage one to four of our supply chain, and we’re in the process of collaborating with our long-term suppliers on ensuring workers' rights for all people involved in making our designs come to life."

Henrik Vibskov: "Communication, honesty, trust and longevity."

https://www.civilengineering.ai/smart-materials-with-copenhagen-fashion-week/

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Switchable smart window coating can heat or cool a room

February 18, 2022

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Switchable smart window coating can heat or cool a roomPhase-change material can convert sunlight into heat or reflect it while staying transparent

Phase-change material can convert sunlight into heat or reflect it while staying transparent

Anew window coating absorbs the sun’s warm near-infrared rays in the winter and reflects them in the summer while keeping the glass transparent (ACS Photonics 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.1c01128). Windows with the switchable glaze could cut the energy use of a house by up to 25% compared with windows used in new construction today.

Energy-efficient windows could play a key role in reducing the energy needed to heat and cool buildings, which makes up more than one-fifth of all the energy used by developed countries. Today’s efficient windows have two glass panes with low-emissivity coatings that improve insulation by preventing heat transfer. Smart windows that can be electrically triggered to darken and block the sun’s visible and near-IR light are also now on the market.

But smart windows that remain see-through would be more desirable to building inhabitants, which inspired Nathan Youngblood of the University of Pittsburgh, Harish Bhaskaran of the University of Oxford, and their colleagues to make the new coating. Their ultrathin material heats or cools a building’s interior without affecting visibility by absorbing or reflecting the sun’s near-IR rays. “The unique twist on smart windows is that the visible light transmission is pretty much unchanged,” Youngblood says, “so it is energy-saving, aesthetically pleasing, and also provides thermal benefits.”

The heart of the coating is a 12 nm layer of a phase-change material, Ge20Te80, which can switch reversibly from a crystalline to an amorphous state when heated to 280–450 °C. As a proof-of-concept, the researchers deposited the coating on 25.8 cm2 samples of glass. For commercial, double-pane windows, they propose putting it on the outside-facing side of the interior pane of glass.

Using transparent heating wires integrated on the glass sample, they showed that the glaze could be switched to the amorphous state, which reflects the sun’s near-IR energy. In the crystalline state, the coating absorbs the energy, which is transferred to the silica glass window and radiated into the building as heat. The transparency changes by only 10% between the two states.

The coating’s performance depends on the amount of near-IR solar energy it can harvest or reflect, so the researchers also modeled how much energy the window would save when used in nine different geographical areas around the globe. Compared with commercially available double-pane windows, the glazed windows cut energy use by 8–25%, working better in sunnier climates. Those calculations took into account the energy required to control the phase-change material’s state.

Still, Youngblood admits “the material is not ready for primetime yet” because of the high temperatures it needs. The material can also be controlled using electrical pulses, but that would take a lot of power for large windows, he says. “Future work would be to reduce the amount of heat it takes to switch between states” by doping the materials to reduce switching temperature, he adds.

The glaze’s ability to convert IR radiation to heat without affecting transparency is “a much-coveted feature,” says Juejun Hu, a materials scientist and engineer at MIT. The technology would be even more promising if the researchers could further improve visible transmission with improved material and layer designs, he says. “I would like to see the technology being scaled to actual windows.”

https://www.civilengineering.ai/switchable-smart-window-coating-can-heat-or-cool-a-room-2/

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LIC tower is the tallest building in New York City with Smart Windows

February 18, 2022

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LIC tower is the tallest building in New York City with Smart Windows | amNewYorkView, Inc. (View), the foremost innovators in smart building technology, has made history by having their Smart Windows installed at the Durst Organization’s

View, Inc. (View), the foremost innovators in smart building technology, has made history by having their Smart Windows installed at the Durst Organization’s 71-story, 755 foot skyscraper, the Sven, in Long Island City — making it the tallest residential building in North America to feature smart windows.

“View glass reduces energy use and provides access to natural light and unobstructed views,” said Durst. “It epitomizes Sven’s approach to sustainability by simultaneously using energy and our natural resources efficiently and creating a place where people are healthy, productive and happy.”

The Smart Windows are a reinvention that will change the future of the real estate industry, said the View team, referring to the significant advantages that the Smart Windows have on homes when compared to the heat-strengthened glass typically chosen by developers. The Smart Windows differ from common glass in that they utilize artificial intelligence to remotely adapt to heat and glare, completely eliminating the need for blinds, minimizing energy intake from all home mechanical systems (such as HVAC) “by as much as 20 percent,” according to View, while also providing substantial health benefits to their users.

According to View analysts, a recent study discovered that individuals living in buildings with View Smart Windows “slept 16 minutes longer and experienced 11% less anxiety” than those living in homes with standard windows and blinds.

“View is on a mission to transform all buildings into smart, healthy, and sustainable occupant experiences,” said, CEO of View, Dr. Rao Mulpuri. “We are gaining significant traction in the multi-family sector and are thrilled to partner with Durst to bring the game-changing benefits of our technology to residents of Sven.”

The Durst Organization (Durst) is one of the country’s leading real estate developers, owners and managers, with about 13 million square feet of office space and three million square feet of residential space. Durst heavily prioritizes environmental sustainability when constructing their buildings, according to their website, which is why they weave “residential wellness” into the Sven building’s design and management, as seen by their water-efficient fixtures and all of the building’s mechanical systems set to reduce energy consumption, further limiting Sven’s C02 emissions. Durst installed the View Smart Windows as another layer of their sustainability mission, according to the Durst Organization, due to the Window’s enhanced energy efficiency, natural light optimization, and its source for continuous outdoor views.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/lic-tower-is-the-tallest-building-in-new-york-city-with-smart-windows/

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