Research's IaaC - Research Group - Self Sufficiency Agenda
Intelligent Infrastructure for Energy Efficiency
In the US, roughly 40% of the total energy (and 70% of the electricity) is consumed by buildings, with the greatest demand being for heating, cooling, and lighting. Preliminary trials have found that as much as 30% of this can be recovered by intelligent building infrastructure so that, for example, air handlers are turned off when windows are open, illumination is adjusted in response to natual light, and energy is not expended heating and cooling unoccupied spaces. This makes intelligent infrastructure one of the most accessible opportunities for significantly reducing the environmental and economic impact of energy consumption, but the challenge is that the contribution lies in a \\"long green tail\\" of a large number of small savings. To date, the cost and complexity of the required systems has been prohibitive. This event will review the background and discuss planning for a proposed large-scale testbed, initially on MIT\\'s campus, to collaboratively develop, deploy and evaluate the impact of intelligent infrastructure for energy efficiency. This effort will span from enabling research to rapid-prototyping of solutions to scalable commercial implementations.
MEPs adopt written declaration on establishing a green hydrogen economy
The European Parliament adopted a written declaration on establishing a green hydrogen economy and a third industrial revolution in Europe through a partnership with committed regions and cities, SMEs and civil society organisations with 420 MEPs signing the declaration. The President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering announced at the beginning of the session in Strasbourg, that with more than half of all MEPs signing the declaration it had been adopted. The written declaration calls upon the EU Institutions to: - pursue a 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2020, - reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels), - produce 33% of electricity and 25% of overall energy from renewable energy sources by 2020, - institute hydrogen fuel cell storage technology, and other storage technologies, for portable, stationary and transport uses and establish a decentralised bottom-up hydrogen infrastructure by 2025 in all EU Member States, - make power grids smart and independent by 2025 so that regions, cities, SMEs and citizens can produce and share energy in accordance with the same open-access principles as apply to the internet now. more see...->
Download PDF Presentation of IaaC (3.4MB)