Millions of British homes have been digitized by Tesla cars, one of the first steps towards mass energy rehabilitation in the UK.
Between March and May this year, unique Tesla cars, like the Google Street View vehicles, drove around the United Kingdom with sophisticated cameras and sensors to survey and photograph the streets.
However, apart from photographs, these cars also collected detailed data on the buildings’ dimensions, heat loss, materials, age and state of disrepair.
Known as Built Environment Scanning System (BESS)These vehicles analyzed thousands of streets and millions of buildings in cities like London, Liverpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, etc.
Data collected by BESS is now being combined with thermal images taken by drones and aircraft in a four million pound project funded by the British Government, the UK Space Agency and Innovate UK.
How does it New ScientistThe aim is to create a digital database detailing the condition of buildings in the United Kingdom to help landlords, local authorities and other owners plan rehabilitation projects, particularly with a view to Carbonization of buildings.
Mass energy rehabilitation
One of the biggest challenges to achieving net zero emissions is decarbonising the UK’s housing stock.
The country’s 30 million buildings account for a third of greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to warming.
New Scientist reports that many houses in the United Kingdom have insulation problems because they are old. Critical energy rehabilitation.
Currently, the only tool for assessing the sustainability of buildings is Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). However, this is an expensive, slow and imprecise method.
Purpose of the new database Digitize much of this process. Is it like this? Using machine learning, it can calculate energy savings and return on investment and inform local authorities about the condition of windows, insulation and feasibility of installing solar panels.
If it works as planned, the method will tell you, for example, which properties already need double-glazed windows, or which homes need reinforced cavity wall insulation.
You can quickly find out which homes have space and sunlight for rooftop solar panels; And you can calculate expected savings on energy bills, providing information on return on investment so companies can open up access to green financing.
7.5% houses In England, Scotland and Wales are already digitized. The goal is to release a beta version of the database later this year.
In the future, data collected by BESS may be used for other purposes Monitor tree cover and identify holes in pavement.
