Case studies

David Wilson Homes, BASF, Tarmac, Roger Bullivant and Saint Gobain have resulted in the building of the multi award winning project Creative Energy Homes. This is a research and educational showcase of innovative state-of-the-art energy efficient homes and technologies.

Aims

The project aims to stimulate sustainable design ideas and promote new ways of providing affordable, environmentally sustainable housing that are innovative in design.

The seven houses built under the project title, at Green Close on the University Park campus, serve as live laboratories to investigate the inevitable relationship between occupants and energy performance. 

The project also explores the feasibility of smart-grid energy technology to meet the next generation housing demand. 

Outcomes

The results have informed the UK Government's 'Green Deal' strategy, the Nottingham Community Climate Change Strategy and received widespread acclaim through a number of public engagement activities reaching out to over 5 million people. 

Impacts from the research have been widespread and can be seen across three key areas: industry, influence on policy, and public engagement. 

Contact

Professor Mark Gillott or ceh@nottingham.ac.uk

at The University of Nottingham began to work to reduce energy consumption and avoid the use of refrigerant chemicals in potential systems. 

A simple way to satisfy the growing demand for high-efficiency, lower-energy cooling systems would be to incorporate concrete beams within a structure, exploiting the effect of night cooling to discharge heat stored in the thermal mass during the day.

However, this solution is unsuitable for retrofit in existing buildings, which is where the greatest energy saving potential lies. The University of Nottignham liaised with industry to gain commercial expertise in product design and manufacture, as well as specialist input into how the research could be disseminated and marketed.

Extensive research and testing resulted in the production of a demonstration system, using heat pipes embedded in a phase-change material with a fan to provide the necessary air movement. 

This innovative phase-change materials alternative to conventional air conditioning has delivered a range of economic and environmental benefits since its successful commercialisation in 2008.

Awards

The contribution COOL-PHASE has made to industry was recognised by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), which named the system 2012's Energy-Using Product of the Year. 

Recently, COOL-PHASE won an IMPAX Ashden Award for Energy Innovation, which is widely recognised sustainability award, due to its low energy requirements. The product consumes 90% less energy compared to alternatives on the market.

Contact

Professor Saffa Riffat

the low energy demands of the system. As well as delivering economic benefits for the company, this work has had a positive impact on building owners and occupiers and the wider environment.

Research and hypotheses

The research started with the investigation of the possibility of using natural lighting and ventilation as a means to deliver low carbon solutions for lighting and ventilation, especially in places that are away from the façade of the building and can only be ventilated from above. 

Light pipes were identified by The University of Nottingham team as having great potential to address this challenge. The hypothesis was that if a light pipe is put in a larger duct, the annular space surrounding the light pipe can facilitate natural ventilation. 

The reflective liner inside a light pipe usually has a high reflectance for visible light, but is less reflective in the infrared region of incoming solar radiation. 

Absorption of this infrared radiation by the wall of a light pipe will heat up the air in the annular space to cause a stack effect (buoyancy), like a solar chimney. This ventilation can also be driven by wind or by both wind and buoyancy. 

Suitability

The system is particularly suitable for the deep interiors of large buildings and especially in schools, warehouses and other settings where security considerations might limit the availability and effectiveness of conventional forms of ventilation (e.g. windows). 

Launched by Monodraught in 2005 as Sola-Vent, the system won the Best Interior Product award at the 2006 Interbuild show.

Contact

Professor Saffa Riffat

total electrical energy demand and peak electrical energy demand. Evaporative cooling was identified by The University of Nottingham as a viable option for hot and dry climates.

Collaboration

The EC funded project: 'Passive Downdraught Cooling Systems using Porous Ceramic Evaporators' (2001 – 2003) involved collaboration between University of Nottingham, E. Ibraheem, WSP Environmental (UK) and Axima (Switzerland). 

This involved the design, manufacture and laboratory testing of two innovative systems incorporating porous ceramic evaporators, which led to three patents granted in 2001, 2002 and 2005. 

The project was followed by the project 'Promotion and Dissemination of Passive & Hybrid Downdraught Cooling' (2005 – 2010) that involved eight partners in Europe, China and India. 

It included original post-occupancy studies of five buildings in the USA and Europe that revealed that downdraught cooling can achieve significant energy and life-cycle cost savings compared with conventional air-conditioning.

Outcomes

One of the key outputs from the research has been the mapping of climatic applicability in Europe and China. 

Mapping applicability is of major benefit to architects and their clients wanting to establish preliminary feasibility. 

Research at The University of Nottingham has directly influenced: the design and construction of exemplar buildings in the Middle East, India and southern Europe, which demonstrate the benefits of passive downdraught cooling. It has also led to the development of components in Spain and Israel; and has indirectly influenced architects and engineers around the world, with consequent environmental, social and economic impact. 

a substantial amount of electrical energy besides their major contribution in greenhouse gas emissions and the global warming problem. 

Therefore, it is necessary to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly cooling systems which are CFC-free and driven by alternative renewable energy resources as solar, biomass and hydro power. 

In this context, desiccant dehumidification and cooling systems provide an attractive and wise solution to control both the temperature and the humidity in a conditioned space. 

Research focus

Research on desiccant dehumidification/cooling at The University of Nottingham focused on:

• developing novel materials for air-to-air heat/mass transfer in micro-channels
• experimenting with a liquid desiccant filmed cellulose fibre heat and mass exchanger
• testing a range of desiccant liquids
• desiccant liquid regeneration techniques
• designing and modelling liquid desiccants

Outcomes

Findings have been incorporated into the design of cooling systems sold by ISAW Hangzhou Xinghuan Technology Corporation Ltd. 

ISAW products incorporating the new developments have been sold to organisations worldwide including China, USA, UK, India, UAE, Sudan, Lebanon and Portugal for use in industrial, commercial and residential applications. 

The systems have been demonstrated in several buildings in countries including the UAE, China, Sudan and UK.

Contact

Professor Saffa Riffat