Carbon reduction technology pathways for existing buildings in eight cities

Abstract

We work with policymakers in eight cities worldwide to identify technology pathways toward their near- and long-term carbon emissions reduction targets for existing buildings. Based on policymakers’ interests, we define city-specific shallow and deep retrofitting packages along with onsite photovoltaic generation potential. Without further grid decarbonization measures, stock-wide implementation of these retrofits in the investigated neighborhoods reduces energy use and carbon emissions by up to 66% and 84%, respectively, helping Braga, Dublin, Florianopolis, Middlebury, and Singapore to meet their 2030 goals. With projected grid decarbonization, Florianopolis and Singapore will reach their 2050 goals. The remaining emissions stem from municipalities not planning to electrify heating and/or domestic hot water use. Different climates and construction practices lead to varying retrofit packages, suggesting that comparable technology pathway analyses should be conducted for municipalities worldwide. Twenty months after the project ended, seven cities have implemented policy measures or expanded the analysis across their building stock.

Dendrimer-Encapsulated Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals for Self-Powered White Light-Emitting Glass

“…The PL intensity could be retained to 37% (peak of 513 nm) and 41% (peak of 619 nm) at a 6 cm optical length when compared with the 2 cm optical length (Figure 6d). The optical loss was measured in 1.5 × 1.5 × 1 cm 3 LSCs in an integrated sphere, and the side edge coupling efficiency (η edge ) was calculated by the equation η edge = (PLQY total − PLQY surface )/PLQY total , where the PLQY total was PLQYs of whole LSCs, and PLQY surface was of the PLQYs of the surface, which was obtained by covering the side edge with opaque tape. PLQY total and PLQY surface were found to be 88% and 1%, respectively, and η edge was calculated to be 98.8%.…”

“…1,2 According to predictions, this number could further surge as the urban built-up area will more than triple by 2050. 3 Window glass is one of the essential components and is massively used in buildings; it supplies light by allowing the transmission of sunlight during the daytime and becomes useless at night. Ideally, window glass could better generate power without affecting the transmission of sunlight in the daytime as well, while emitting white light for indoor lighting at night utilizing the energy produced in the daytime.…”

“…Lighting accounts for 17% of all the total energy consumed in buildings, which are a major consumer of electricity in the commercial sector. , According to predictions, this number could further surge as the urban built-up area will more than triple by 2050 . Window glass is one of the essential components and is massively used in buildings; it supplies light by allowing the transmission of sunlight during the daytime and becomes useless at night.…”

An eight-step simulation-based framework to help cities reach building-related emissions reduction goals

“…The emissions reduction goals, local climate, building construction, and requirements of communities around the world vary widely [16]. Yet despite their differences, every community, from a small farming town to a big metropolis, can follow the eight-step framework outlined in figure 1 to create an UBEM that covers their entire building stock.…”

“…A key development in Ang et al was identifying the concept of three key personas critical to creating any UBEM: a GIS manager, a sustainability champion, and an energy modeler [20]. This manuscript builds on the three key personas and experience gained developing UBEMs in eight cities around the world that illustrated the needs and challenges policymakers face when trying to achieve their stated emissions reduction goals [16]. The authors leverage these experiences to prescribe an innovative framework for communities around the world to create and use uncalibrated UBEMs at the city-scale to develop retrofitting programs to meet their emissions reduction goals.…”