Built Environment

In this EngShort we look at the migration from no electricity to plentiful, reliable, affordable electricity, which is not a smooth one. Most of us are familiar with 12V direct current or DC and 110 or 230V alternating current. We are interested in the gap between these two as 12VDC is limited in power and grid AC is often unnecessarily powerful and unaffordable.

In the UK, those in the most deprived neighbourhoods live 9 years less than those in the least deprived neighbourhoods. What does this say about our homes impact on our health and wellbeing?

Our current homes do not meet the needs of our future housing either. We need our homes to be people-centred, low carbon, adaptable and comfortable.

We all understand the need to decarbonise quickly to hit our net-zero targets but how are UK homes attempting to achieve this goal?

27 million UK homes are primarily heated by fossil fuels, which represents 13% of the UK’s carbon footprint. Our homes need to be more energy-efficient and sustainable. 

The built environment is complex and amazing but the relationship between buildings and our needs is still poor.

The COVID-19 pandemic is locking down many countries around the world in an effort to control the spread of the virus.

There have been many restrictions placed on travel, work and social gatherings. This, however, has had an unexpected impact on the environment.

Should some of these practices continue to be in place?

Are you confused about smart meters? We’ve all seen them in the news recently but how important are they and should we invest in them?

You might not think so now, but they have a big part to play in managing our energy use in the future, so it’s good to know the facts…

The UK is investigating the supply of hydrogen to homes and businesses by “repurposing” the gas network, which has not yet been done anywhere else in the world.

But what are the engineering risks and uncertainties involved?