Energy Efficient Cities

由于80%的英国人口生活在城市地区，建筑和地面交通占英国能源需求的70%以上，城镇能源效率的提高将带来巨大的好处。城市是由许多相互联系的组成部分组成的综合系统：城市的密度与建筑物类型有关；交通系统取决于建筑物的性质和城市的绿地；使用当地形式的发电(热电联产、生物质、热泵、燃料电池、风能或太阳能)的机会取决于朝向、建筑物密度和形式；建筑物内自然通风的范围因外部风条件而异，因此取决于城市环境；等等。我们提出了一种综合方法来研究降低城市能源需求的方法。工程、建筑、化学等部门的一些现职工作人员。剑桥大学的计算机实验室、JBS和BP研究所已经在相关领域开展工作，但通过在精心挑选和补充的领域任命更多的讲师，可以取得更多成果。有了这个临界量，我们建议围绕节能城市这一主题建立一个跨学科的研究倡议。该倡议将开发一种针对建筑、交通和分散发电的综合方法，将设计和技术与减少能源需求的具体目标结合起来，同时认识到影响城市内人类选择和行为的其他因素。这项研究将致力于城市设计和规划，以整合低能耗建筑和交通，开发可量化的系统水平模型，以便评估权衡。对建筑物和建筑群的能源性能的研究还处于起步阶段。使用适当的预测工具对建筑物进行分析的很少，建成后监测和研究的就更少了。因此，我们对实际发生的事情的理解存在重大差距。重点将放在开发节能建筑的新技术上。例如：可以改变建筑物热性能的新型材料和表面处理；优化建筑物内的热传递和通风流动；优化能源利用的传感器和基于智能计算机的系统；以及利用从地源热泵到光伏屋顶和风力涡轮机等现场可用能源的技术。目前，相当大比例的建筑环境是围绕满足人们的移动性需求而设计的。目前，似乎可以肯定的是，城市居民将希望继续使用私人交通工具，但可能愿意接受更适合城市环境的更小、更轻的交通工具。目前的车辆在加速、最高速度、大小和重量方面远远超过城镇所需的性能。这部分是由客户偏好驱动的，部分是由耐撞性驱动的，但后者可以通过城市规划和对其他道路交通的速度、大小和重量的限制来改变。在极大地缩小发动机尺寸的情况下实现高效率的相关技术包括：增强涡轮增压器的性能；开发坚固、超轻的材料；传感器和基于智能计算机的系统；改进电动/混合动力汽车的储能装置；建筑和车辆电源的集成；以及关注车辆的一些子部件(例如，空调，目前在运行时可占燃料消耗的20%；轮胎，重新优化以减少滚动阻力和改善燃料燃烧，而不是高速)。除了这项研究外，另一项产出将是培训人员，在减少能源需求的重要领域建立英国的能力

Since 80% of the UK population lives in urban areas, and buildings and ground transportation account for over 70% of the demand for energy in the UK, there are large benefits to be had from improved energy efficiency in towns and cities. Cities are integrated systems composed of numerous components with interconnecting links: the density of the city is related to building type; the transport system depends on the nature of the buildings and the green spaces in the city; the opportunity to use local forms of power generation (combined heat and power, biomass, heat pumps, fuel cells, wind or solar power) is a function of orientation, building density and form; the scope for natural ventilation within buildings varies with external wind conditions and so depends on the urban environment; and so on. We propose an integrated approach to research ways of reducing the energy demand in cities. A number of current staff in the Departments of Engineering, Architecture, Chem. Eng., Computer Lab, JBS and BP Institute at the University of Cambridge already working in relevant areas, but more can be achieved by the appointment of additional lecturers in carefully chosen and complementary fields. With this critical mass, we propose to establish an interdisciplinary research initiative around the theme of energy efficient cities. The initiative will develop an integrated approach to buildings, transport and decentralised power generation, bringing together design and technologies with the specific goal of energy demand reduction, while recognising the other factors that affect human choices and behaviour within cities. The research would address urban design and planning to integrate low-energy buildings and transport, developing quantifiable systems level models so that trade-offs can be assessed. Research into the energy performance of buildings and groups of buildings is in its infancy. Very few buildings are analysed with appropriate prediction tools and even fewer are monitored and studied after completion. Thus there are major gaps in our understanding of what actually happens. Emphasis will be put on the development of novel technologies for energy efficient buildings. Examples include: novel materials and surface treatments that can change the thermal properties of buildings; optimisation of heat transfer through and ventilation flows in buildings; sensors and smart computer-based systems to optimise energy use; and technologies to exploit the energy available on the site from ground source heat pumps to photovoltaic roofs and wind turbines. A significant proportion of the built environment is currently designed around meeting people's mobility needs. For the time being it seems certain that urban residents will wish to continue to use private transport, but may be willing to accept smaller, lighter vehicles, better suited to the urban environment. The performance of current vehicles far exceeds that necessary for use in towns and cities in terms of acceleration, top speed, size and weight. This has been driven partly by customer preference, and partly by crash-worthiness, but the latter can be altered by urban planning and by restrictions on the speed, size and weight of other road traffic. Relevant technologies to achieving high efficiency with extreme engine downsizing include: enhancing the performance of turbochargers; development of strong, ultra-light weight materials; sensors and smart computer-based systems; improved energy storage devices for electric/hybrid vehicles; integration of building and vehicle power supply; and attention to some of the vehicle's sub-components (eg air-conditioning, which currently can account for 20% of the fuel consumption when operated; tyres, re-optimising for reduced rolling resistance and improved fuel burn rather than high speed). In addition to the research, another output will be trained people, building up the UK's capability in areas important for reducing energy dema