The mass of underground services buried beneath our streets is a major hurdle to creating smart, resilient cities, say Nicole Metje and Dexter Hunt, who consider sustainable methods of managing 4 million km of buried infrastructure in the UK
Category: Technical
Street smart
Local electrical power networks have the potential to slash household energy bills by half, but are being held in check by regulations on domestic energy management. A pilot project in Wiltshire is showing how modern controls, clever algorithms and more enlightened legislation could transform UK energy supply. Encraft’s Matthew Rhodes and Paula Quintela, of e2E Services, explain
For those about to dock
The installation of PV panels means more UK homes are moving from AC to DC generation. This makes electrical distribution more efficient, says Ian Billington, since most electricity demand in households – such as LEDs, digital devices and, in future, electric cars – are DC loads
Urban reality
Passive design for new London homes is being thwarted by external noise and the desire for glazing. Ashley Bateson says MVHR and shading are the most viable solutions