Enhancing the sustainability and energy conservation in heritage buildings:The case of Nottingham Playhouse

Today,there is a growing interest in developing energy efficient buildings since it is estimated that buildings account for about 40%of the total primary energy consumption in the world.In relation to existing buildings,energy efficiency retrofits have become an important opportunity to upgrade the energy performance of commercial,public and residential buildings that may reduce the energy consumption,demand and cost.In this paper we cover the energy efficiency deep retrofit process that has been carried out for Nottingham Playhouse theatre building for the aim of enhancing its environmental performance and analysing the energy efficiency gained after implementing certain proposed modifications.It is a nationally protected historic building,listed as Grade II*on The National Heritage List for England(NHLE).The building has had insulation enhancement,doors modifications,solar energy installations,energy-saving lights,in addition to improved heating and air conditioning system.The paper presents a novel methodology;and its results indicate significant improvements in the building’s energy performance which is demonstrated using infrared thermographic images and data logger sensors where significant energy savings to the building’s thermal performance are obtained.The energy saving measures have been completed while maintaining the heritage building’s general appearance and architectural features,which have received a Commendation Certificate from The Nottingham Civic Society for this achievement.

An innovative approach towards enhancing energy conservation in buildings via public engagement using DIY infrared thermography surveys

Energy consumption in urban environment in the EU accounts for about 40%of the total energy consumption,and the majority of this energy is utilised for heating and air conditioning of buildings.Hence the process of insulating and retrofitting of relatively old buildings is essential to enhance the thermal performance and hence contribute to energy and carbon emission reduction.There is a need to enhance people’s engagement and education in relation to such issues to inspire and encourage positive actions and investment from the public.This paper presents an approach of combining a novel training process using a low-cost infrared thermal camera with small scale building model to promote DIY(Do-It-Yourself)infrared survey for the public to evaluate the performance of their own homes in order to identify any issues related to insulation or air leaks from the building envelop to encourage them to take corrective actions.The work included the engagement of 50 people to survey their own homes to capture the technical findings as well as their personal reaction and feedback.The results show that 88%of participants have found the educational session helpful to understand the infrared thermography;and 92%have considered the infrared camera to be an effective tool to indicate location of heat losses.Additionally,90%of participants trust that the thermal camera has helped them to identify insulation defects that cause heat losses in their homes.Moreover,84%believe that the thermal imaging has convinced them to think more seriously about the heat losses of their homes and what they could do to improve that.The experimental thermography surveys have shown that many houses have limitations in terms of thermal insulation which have been identified by the participants.This DIY interaction has provided enhanced public engagement and energy awareness via the use of the technology.The financial issues are also found to be critical,as none of the participants would have done the survey if they had to pay for it.Hence,this paper provides a solution for households with limited budgets.

Enhancing the efficiency and scalability of perovskite solar cells through pseudo-halide salt addition

Organic-inorganic halide perovskites have significant potential for application in next-generation solar cells.However,their applications are limited by challenges associated with large-area processability and long-term stability owing to the presence of pinholes and defect sites.Here,we incorporated cesium formate in a perovskite active layer using a sequential perovskite fabrication process to eliminate the defect sites of perovskites and improve the film processability via roll-to-roll(R2R)processing.The addition of cesium formate salt to the PbI2 layer influences the perovskite crystal formation behavior as well as increases the perovskite crystallinity and decreases the defect density.Furthermore,cesium formate addition eliminated small PbI2 grains and smoothed the perovskite surface,resulting in a large crystal grain size.The formate ions interact with the PbI2 component and passivate halide vacancy defects,reducing nonradiative recombination and improving charge transfer.Additionally,the treated perovskite films were highly stable in air,exhibiting improved efficiency retention over time and achieving a power conversion efficiency(PCE)of>22%compared to the control.Furthermore,the additive-treated perovskite film was processed using the R2R method,achieving a high PCE of>14%with minimal hysteresis.

Methane mitigation: Learning from the natural marine environment

During the past decades,public attention regarding global warming has mainly focused on CO_(2) reduction;however,CH4,another important greenhouse gas,has a global warming potential that is 84 times higher than that of CO_(2) on a 20-year basis.The annual atmospheric amount of CH4 in 2020 reached its highest level since systematic monitoring began in 1983(Figure 1A).To date,despite coronavirus 2019 shutdowns,methane has contributed approximately 30%to global warming.Recently,a series of timely appeals,such as“The Global Methane Pledge”signed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference(COP26)and the“Global Methane Assessment”from the United Nations Environment Program,have called on global methane reduction and mitigation.