January 18th 2024
Research suggests sustainable technology can make existing homes emission free
New findings suggest that if homes were to be retrofit with a combination of existing renewable technologies, they could help achieve net zero targets.
The study, which was led by experts at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), focused on combining existing insulation technology with solar panels, air, or ground-source heat pumps, shared small-scale wind turbines, and shared large-scale batteries and heat storage facilities.
Published in Elsevier’s Smart Energy journal, the study looked at 27 homes in Nottingham that were insulated with external wall insulation, with a 200mm core of glass wool. In addition, with various upgrades, experts discovered homes could reach zero-carbon.
To reach zero-carbon, the homes required various technological upgrades which include:
- Two small-scale vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) – that spin vertically as similar to a helicopter blade
- Three 41.4kW ground-source heat pumps
- A 40kW battery to store excess electricity which can be used during peak periods of demand
- A 12 cubic metres water-based thermal energy store to save excess heat energy for peak periods
- 21 photovoltaic solar panels per home to harness up to 2.7 kilowatt (kW) per home per day
Professor Ianakiev, of the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, said: ‘In urban areas, vertical access wind turbines have low noise emissions and can harness wind energy from any direction, during low and high winds, 24 hours a day, making them particularly useful during the windy winter months.
‘To complement these turbines, when the potential for wind energy is reduced during mild summer months, photovoltaic solar cells can harness the energy from the sun during the long daylight hours.
‘All the excess electricity can be stored in a large, shared battery which can be drawn on during peak periods, such as during the winter evenings.
‘In turn, just three ground-source heat pumps can provide heat energy all year round, with a shared heat store facility available to be drawn on during peak demand.’
Dr Naik, who worked on the study as part of his PhD at NTU, said: ‘This research presents a pragmatic approach for achieving zero-energy homes by harnessing wind and solar power.
‘It has proven that the technologies needed are already available, and when combined, create the critical mass which is required to power homes sustainably from renewable sources to help avert a looming climate catastrophe.’
Image: Ricardo Gomez Angel
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