Buildings

CLIMATEWIRE | Solar panels are getting their moment in the sun after President Joe Biden yesterday invoked the Defense Production Act to jump-start the renewable energy sector. But just as important — if less flashy — are two other things Biden’s order seeks to boost: heat pumps and insulation. Those products will be essential for decarbonizing the hard-to-reach building sector. And in the best-case scenario, experts said, Biden’s order could rejuvenate U.S. manufacturing around green technology. “The importance of…

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. In an airplane hangar in Miami, engineers are recreating some of the most powerful hurricane winds to ever strike land. These Category 5 winds can shatter a test building in the blink of an eye. Yet they aren’t powerful enough to keep up with nature. When engineers built the Wall of Wind test facility 10 years ago at Florida International University, it was inspired by Hurricane Andrew, a monster…

(Image used for representation/News18)The existing terminal building at Surat Airport is of 8,474 square metres and it is being extended to have the size of 25,520 square metresPTI Last Updated:June 02, 2022, 20:00 ISTFOLLOW US ON:The Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) will be able to complete the extension work on the terminal building of Surat airport by December 31, an official statement said on Wednesday. The existing terminal building is of 8,474 square metres and it is being extended to have the size of…

During hot months, urban regions with concentrated concrete buildings, pavements and surfaces can experience extreme temperatures. Much of it is due to the heat island effect that gets aggravated due to the modern urban designs and techniques. These buildings trap and retain heat, and later emit them, causing neighbourhoods to reach extremely high temperatures as compared to city outskirts. Recently, a research team has developed a method of modelling urban building energy that takes into consideration heat waves and how…

KPMG LLP agreed to pay a fine after the Financial Reporting Council found shortfalls in its audit of Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC, the British jet engine manufacturer that settled bribery allegations in 2017. The U.K. audit regulator on Tuesday said it imposed sanctions of £3.4 million—equivalent to $4.2 million—against the professional-services firm and £112,500 against audit partner Anthony Sykes. The investigation, which the FRC announced in 2017, focused on…

Because GPS doesn't work indoors, it can be difficult for robots to determine where they are within a structure. A new system could help, by using a building's existing Wi-Fi access points to guide wheeled or walking robots.First of all, it is possible for robots to find their way through buildings, although they typically do so using optical cameras or LiDAR sensors to spot known landmarks or special markers. LiDAR modules can be expensive and power-hungry, however, plus cameras may be thwarted by dark or otherwise…

A huge chunk of energy usage goes towards heating and cooling homes and buildings, so it’s important to find new ways to regulate temperature passively. Engineers in China and Germany have developed a new wood-based foam that can drastically cool buildings, to a degree that can be easily tuned.Air conditioning is effective, but it’s not the most environmentally friendly way to cool off. In recent years scientists have been developing techniques that don’t guzzle so much electricity, including super-white paints or mirror…

A camera recognizes employees’ faces and hails an elevator programmed to bring them to their floor. Sensors on the walls measure particles and CO2 levels in meeting rooms, pumping in fresh air when levels rise too high. Higher levels of certain particles mean it is more likely that viruses could be present. In a control room, big screens show every floor in the 23-story building. The headquarters, completed in 2021, is at the forefront of a quiet revolution sweeping through commercial buildings across the U.S. Office…