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Ethical accessory brand celebrates heritage crafts
CategoriesSustainable News

Ethical accessory brand celebrates heritage crafts

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Social enterprises are a type of business that earns profits for the benefit of a local community. One such organisation in Malaysia, the Earth Heir accessory brand, works with weavers and jewellers to produce handmade bags, baskets, jewellery, stationery, and more. The company spent more than a year earning its Fair Trade certification by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), and works with refugees as well as local artisans.

Earth Heir helps individuals and groups of artisans design a product to sell. The company then provides additional support in the form of education and training for sustainable business longevity. As well as selling directly from its website, the company also accepts commercial commissions for events and individual products and matches artisans with requests.  

The Made51 jewellery line is the result of the brand’s partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Making the jewellery helps people in some of the most insecure situations improve their finances – something that is particularly powerful in locations where the host country does not allow refugees to work.  

With ethical consumption becoming a more common goal for many people, artists around the world are providing the means to shop sustainably. Springwise has spotted a South African social enterprise working with young people with disabilities and special needs to help them earn a living from their craftwork. And an e-commerce platform centred on Mexican handicrafts provides a transparent supply chain that supports some of the country’s most vulnerable artists.  

Written by: Keely Khoury

11th March 2022

Email: team@earthheir.com

Website: earthheir.com

Reference

Architectural Building Blocks: 5 AutoCAD Tips and Tricks
CategoriesArchitecture

Architectural Building Blocks: 5 AutoCAD Tips and Tricks

By Zarkon Group,

ArchiHacks is an online resource for architects dedicated to architecture visualization, portfolio, and design tips and tricks for students and professionals. This article was written by team member Tommy Minh Nguyen.

Not everyone may have the chance to use AutoCAD, but sooner or later, you will probably end up using some form of computer-aided drafting (CAD), which will have a similar workflow. AutoCAD was developed and marketed by Autodesk for architects, engineers, and construction professionals to create precise 2D and 3D drawings. The strides in architecture technologies in recent years catapulted the design and construction of amazing projects. For many emerging professionals, AutoCAD isn’t on the radar anymore (even if they are entering the workforce with extensive knowledge of new software). Yet, even if everyone talks about Revit, Grasshopper, Rhino, and all the sorts of BIM or 3D modeling software, AutoCAD is still utilized in firms all across the world.

If you aren’t familiar with or used AutoCAD much, it’s okay — we will be sharing five tips that will facilitate a quicker workflow of the industry’s staple that is still around! Besides, being familiar with AutoCAD can establish a good foundation for other programs. It’s important to note that the images below are stitched to illustrate the process better, so it will not look the same when attempting this.

Shortcuts + Customization

One of the greatest hacks for any software is learning the shortcuts. This may not be news, but what if I said you could customize the shortcuts in AutoCAD even further? I recently learned this trick and thought, ‘Had I known this sooner, I would have saved so much time.’

How do you set up your own shortcuts? When you open up AutoCAD, you’ll want to click on the “Manage” tab, then click on “Edit Aliases,” and this window should pop up.

From here, you can customize all the shortcuts you need to one or a few keys to do multiple tasks. It’s important to make sure there are no duplicates in this notepad, or AutoCAD will be confused about what you are attempting to achieve.

Interface Customization

Just like shortcut customization, interface customization is the next best thing to get situated with. When I’m opening a new software, the first thing I always ask is “How do I switch this to black or dark scheme?” Luckily, it’s effortless. Type “Settings” in the command bar, and a window will pop up, which will give you multiple options to adjust the display, drafting, or user preferences settings. Take the time to explore those options and adjust to your liking! In addition, there are other ways to customize your interface, and I’ll break down some things in the image below,

  1. This button controls the ribbon area, and you can cycle through multiple settings depending on how you like it. I normally go with the ribbon option shown in the image because it’s easier to navigate than the others.
  2. This option is available for most pop-up tabs that occur in AutoCAD. This symbol essentially asks if you’d like this window to be added to your sidebar. It also toggles whether you want the tool window to stay locked or hidden when not used.
  3. The sidebar is where you’d find any anchored tool window you’d like. I usually keep my properties tab locked but place my “Layer Properties” and “External References” anchored and automatically withdrawn if not used to the side for quick access.

Utilizing Blocks

Looking back, I realized how much time I wasted without using blocks. Instead of repeatedly deleting and copying objects, I could have made changes to one block and it will change all of them in AutoCAD! Blocks essentially allow you to edit multiple instances of the same block at once.

There are two effortless ways to access it: option 1 is found under the “Home” ribbon, where you can go over to the block tab to create or insert any blocks. Option 2 is housed under the “Insert” ribbon — there’s a bigger block tab that can help you learn what the image stands for, but either option will get you to the same result. Ideally, you’d want to create the object first using any tools under the option and modify tab. Once you’ve done that, select the lines, then click the “Create Block” button and this window should pop up.

You can choose to select the object after, but I find it easier and quicker to select the lines or objects first before creating the block.

  1. Click this button for the “Block Definition” window to pop up after selecting the lines and/or objects for the block.
  2. This is where you should name the block so it will save you time finding it!
  3. These are some settings you’d want to adjust eventually; for your sake, the settings shown will be ideal before adjustments.
  4. It’s ideal to uncheck this box because it’s unnecessary to edit the block right away if you’ve drawn it correctly beforehand. Don’t worry, you can always edit the block by right-clicking the object and finding the “Edit Block” option.
  5. Make sure to select this option to set the base point of the block. Otherwise, it may cause complications later on!

Utilizing xRefs or xReferences

Another great hack in AutoCAD is learning how to operate xRefs; they are essentially any viable file that can be placed into the drawing to use as a reference, like PDFs, JPGs, or other AutoCAD files (DWGs). This could be extremely helpful if you were making an addition to other projects, or your project has specific site conditions you’d want to display.

This is also great practice in professional settings for several reasons. First, it allows multiple people to work on different files and still reference each others’ work. Second, it keeps each file clutter-free, lightweight, and focused on the relevant parts of the project. Third, it allows you to swap out versions or iterations by replacing xRefs quickly. Here’s how you can bring one in:

  1. Click on the “Insert” ribbon.
  2. After that, go ahead and click on “Attach.”
  3. This window will pop up for you to select what file you want to use as a reference.
  4. After making your selection, a second window will pop up, and I have already set general settings for your convenience. You could make more adjustments to these settings once you have learned the process!

Sheet Layout + Viewport Control

Let’s say you want to export a drawing without certain features but don’t want to waste time to recreate it or copy multiple views causing your file to slow down. What do you do? Sheets and viewport control are your best friend! Now, I never really used this feature until I began working, but still, I’m sure it will save you some time too! Assuming that you have a drawing in AutoCAD and it’s situated near the origin (0,0) in the model space, here are the steps you can do to maximize your efficiency in exporting views.

  1. In AutoCAD, the space you work in is called the “Model” space, so if you want to control your sheets for drawings and views, you will want to click on the tabs below to set that up. You can add sheets by hitting the “+” sign or right-click on a tab to add a sheet.
  2. You should confirm the sheet size or settings you will want to export the drawing in by right-clicking the sheet tabs and clicking the “Page Setup Manager” option. From there, another window will open and a few more adjustments based on your needs.
  3. Select this tab to create a viewport or view on the sheet. Viewports is another way to see your drawing, imagine it’s a camera snapshot of the model space, which you can control certain settings that won’t affect the model space!
  4. To create a viewport, click on this item. Now, you can have organic-shaped viewports, but in this scenario, let’s keep it simple. Once you click on it, all you have to do is draw a rectangle that fits your sheet, and you can always adjust if needed.
  5. This is the rectangular viewport.
  6. You can double-click into the viewport and use the mouse wheel to locate what you want visible in the box. If you want to exit the viewport space, double-click on the sheet or the colored edge surrounding the drawing.
  7. After selecting the frame of the viewport, you can control the scale of the drawing by clicking on the scale symbol at the bottom right corner. Make sure to lock the view by clicking the lock symbol next to the scale symbol. This makes your viewport fixed on what you are showing.
  8. You can turn off layers in specific viewports by opening your “Layer Properties,” finding the tab that says “VP Freeze,” and clicking on the symbol with the sun. This is similar to freezing a layer, but instead of turning it off for the entire file, it will only turn it off for that view.

This is a rather advanced technique in AutoCAD, so there’s a lot of playing around with this last one. However, if you learn this sooner, especially with the iterative process of school and work, it can save you a lot of time and headaches.

These tips vary in levels of understanding of AutoCAD; nonetheless, these should help you learn the software even faster. That’s all we got for today! I hope you found this article helpful, and if you have any tips for future students, please let us know in the comments below. Make sure to follow Archi Hacks’ YouTube and Instagram for more content.

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Reference

A platform to formalise the domestic work sector in Southeast Asia
CategoriesSustainable News

A platform to formalise the domestic work sector in Southeast Asia

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Modern day slavery still takes place in many forms, including among domestic workers. In Malaysia, many domestic workers come from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia, and are vulnerable to slave-like work and living conditions. Moreover, they often lack the agency to report any abuses against them. 

Pinkcollar is a platform on a mission to  formalise the domestic work sector in Southeast Asia. To do so, the company has devised a transparent and ethical job-search and recruitment process that connects domestic workers and household employers. 

In addition to hosting employer and maid profiles, Pinkcollar also offers bespoke features to assist and support users throughout the employment term. For example, it has created a productivity and assistance toolkit to aid the working experience, and a ratings-system and a community forum for employers and maids. It has also developed educational materials for domestic workers to take advantage of during their rest-days.

The company foresees a number of key challenges that the platform will need overcome. These include building social awareness among employers in host-countries, and ensuring access to the platform for the demographic groups that most need it – groups that often lack digital skills. Ultimately, the goal is to build a ‘trust’ community with users on the platform.

Another innovation spotted by Springwise that tackles modern slavery is softeware that helps businesses eliminate their slavery footprint.

Written By: Katrina Lane

11th March 2022

Email: hello@hirepinkcollar.com

Website: hirepinkcollar.com

Reference

Climate tile_close up
CategoriesArchitecture

Extending Manhattan Is Not Going to Save New York From Flooding

By Zarkon Group,

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.

Global warming has increased volatile weather and is causing sea levels to rise at alarming rates. Combined, these two problems are making coastal regions increasingly vulnerable. Covered in asphalt, concrete and other hard surfaces, cities are already at a disadvantage due to their low porosity. Surface runoff relies heavily on the sewerage system; a very limited amount of water can get away through evaporation.

Unlike more natural or rural areas, where sand and soil can let surface runoff go underground, in cities, water can usually only go down in places where a manhole connected to the city’s sewage system is available. Under such circumstances, water is more likely to accumulate, overwhelming the sewerage system and causing flooding as it takes longer to get back to the underground water system or nearby tributaries. Manhattan is particularly vulnerable.

After Hurricane Sandy hit New York City in 2012, the city was left mourning the deaths of 43 people and assessing damage totalling $19 billion. More recently in 2021, Hurricane Ida devastated NYC. Hurricane, surge and flooding are the problems that the city has to deal with urgently. In January, Professor Jason Barr from Rutgers University proposed a divisive solution aimed to combat future flooding: extending Manhattan. The extension scheme is also to tackle the housing issue of the crowded island.

As proposed by Prof. Barr, the extension scheme by the south of the island is about 1,760 acres large. It runs approximately from Holland Tunnel to somewhere around Manhattan Bridge and extend beyond the Statue of Liberty towards the south. The extension seeks to provide about 180,000 housing units for 247,000 people in total. Constructed wetlands will stand between land and water to protect the city behind it from flooding.

Indeed, constructed wetlands have been proved to be environmentally beneficial and mitigate floods. Soil and plants hold the water when it comes and allow it to penetrate the ground while holding them. Compared to an unobstructed urban hard surface where water can run over immediately, constructed wetlands reduce the intensity of peak flow when flooding.

Furthermore, as they are connected to the sewerage, constructed wetlands function as biofilters for treating rainwater/storm runoff and urban grey water. The plants remove nutrients, heavy metals and other pollutants from the water. The filter bed, which normally consists of sand and gravels, also help remove solid contaminants. If well-planned, constructed wetlands can as well be a pleasant part of the urban landscape, adding to the biological diversity in cities.

Climate tile_close up

The Climate Tiles installed by Heimdalsgade 22-24, Nørrebro, Copenhagen ©Tredje Natur.

Climate tile_drawing

Drawings of the Climate Tiles ©Tredje Natur.

Here comes the question: how large do the constructed marshlands and wetlands need to be on the extension to save Manhattan from damages and losses in future? According to a study after Hurricane Sandy which looked at coastal wetlands’ efficiency in flood/damage reducing, the wetlands covering only 2% of New York State’s land area have saved about $140 million or 0.4% of the state’s total losses.

Looking at the rough plan created by Prof. Barr, it is clear that more careful considerations are needed when planning enough artificial wetlands for protecting the entire Manhattan. Besides, the shown plan is making the East River even narrower, which could reduce its capacity.

There are other urban design strategies to cope with water. The Climate Tile project by Tredje Natur is reintroducing the hydrologic cycle to the city of Copenhagen. The visible part of the project is pavement tiles with small wholes on them that allow water to infiltrate into the ground and down to the sewerage. It is mimicking the natural process where surface runoff joins the groundwater through infiltrating the soil.

An invisible component of the project lies beneath the tiles, where the main part of the artificial water system functions. The rainwater collected from rooftops and the street level gathers through pipes. Connected to the soil under urban green areas, the water collected is then supplied to plants. The excess goes into the city’s drainage system after part of the water and nutrients are consumed by plants. This scheme can let water into the ground faster rather than completely relying on storm drains. By feeding water to plants first, it also controls the amount of water going into the main sewerage.

Cheonggyecheon_day

The restored Cheonggyecheon River, photo by Isageum on Flickr, accessed from Wikimedia Commons.

Cheonggeycheon_night

The restored Cheonggyecheon River, photo provided by Cheonggyecheon official website.

While the Climate Tile requires careful corporations with the existing drainage system, the Cheonggyecheon River restoration project in Seoul, South Korea, took the “radical” route in giving the river back to the hydrologic system. The Cheonggyecheon River flowed underground for about 50 years before once again seeing the light of day in 2005. The river was nearly dry when the road and highway that run above it have been removed. Continuing for over three miles, the river banks became a linear urban green space as well as flood plains to hold the river’s overflow during heavy rains.

Flood plains for overflowing are not any kind of modern invention but the most natural way to deal with seasonal flooding. As we harden the land to build more towers, we are also sacrificing the capacity of water bodies around cities. Meanwhile, the sea level keeps rising, pushing our water system even closer to its limit. Cities then become vulnerable when regular or unexpected heavy precipitation comes, leaving tragedies behind. Keeping a respectful distance between the built environment and nature is our way out from the climatic crisis, rather than continuing invading.

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.

Reference

Collecting and recycling electronic waste from homes and businesses
CategoriesSustainable News

Collecting and recycling electronic waste from homes and businesses

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to any discarded item that has a plug or a battery – and it is becoming a major problem.

According to a United Nations forecast, we are on track to produce 74 million metric tonnes of e-waste by 2030. And in 2019, each person on earth generated around 7.3 kilogrammes of e-waste – with only 1.7 kilogrammes recycled per person.

In Malaysia 25 per cent of e-waste is recycled, and startup ERTH is looking to improve this rate with a service that pays consumers to recycle their old electronic devices. The service works by employing a network of freelance drivers. When a customer has e-waste that they wish to recycle, the system matches them with the nearest driver – just as ride-hailing apps match users to a taxi driver. This driver then collects the e-waste and the customer receives a cash reward.

Drivers return the e-waste they have collected to a central warehouse on a weekly basis. ERTH’s recovery partner then comes to this warehouse and collects the e-waste for dismantling and segregation. All this e-waste is recycled through the proper, regulated channels, and the company claims it has stopped more than 200,000 kilogrammes of e-waste from ending up in landfill.

ERTH is not the only e-waste recycling service, and customers in Malaysia can also deal with recycling facilities directly. However, ERTH’s service offers several important benefits. First, the company claims that its competitors require a minimum of ten items, whereas ERTH only requires one working device or three non-working devices for free pick up. Second, the startup offers fast and convenient payment through cash, bank transfer, e-wallet, or cheque. Finally, the network of drivers does all the heavy lifting, taking the hassle and inconvenience out of the process.

In addition to its core service, ERTH also offers e-waste collection boxes, secure data destruction, and a B2B recycling programme.

Other e-waste focused innovations spotted by Springwise
include a new
process can efficiently recover metals from electronic waste, and an Indian
startup that takes a collaborative
approach to e-waste.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

11th March 2022

Email: hello@erth.app

Website: erth.app

Reference

What Is a Mini-Split Heat Pump?
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

What Is a Mini-Split Heat Pump?

By Zarkon Group,

By Allison A. Bailes III, PhD

Ah, mini-splits. They’re all the rage in the world of high-performance HVAC. But what exactly is a mini-split heat pump? Unfortunately, the terminology around this technology is confusing because it’s used so inconsistently. Let’s start at the beginning.  Well, OK, not all the way at the beginning.  I’m not going to explain what a heat pump is, but here’s a primer on how they work for heating.

The Basic Meaning of Mini-Split

The term “mini-split” originally referred to a split system heat pump, used for heating or cooling or both, with a smaller capacity than conventional systems. In that sense, a mini-split is just what its name says:  a small split system heat pump.  It gets confusing in the different ways manufacturers make these lower-capacity, split-system heat pumps.

A mini-split, for example, can have a conventional fixed-capacity compressor or an inverter-driven variable-capacity compressor. So, a mini-split could be a conventional heat pump that’s just smaller. Or, it could be a smaller heat pump with variable capacity. The former type is rare, though, so when you hear the term “mini-split,” you should think of the type with the inverter-driven compressor with variable capacity.

But it gets worse.  This heating and cooling system has outgrown its name…at least the “mini” part.  Yes, you can still get them down to a half-ton of capacity (6,000 BTU per hour), with smaller capacities on the way.  But you can also get mini-splits that have a capacity of 4 tons (48,000 BTU per hour), which is far from “mini.”

Is It a Mini-Split…or a Multi-Split?

Another confusing area is that with this type of heat pump, the outdoor unit can be connected to one indoor unit (referred to as one-to-one), or it could be connected to multiple indoor units. Some people distinguish these two types by using the term “mini-split” only for the one-to-one configuration.  They say that when you have more than one indoor unit on a single outdoor unit, that’s a multi-split heat pump.

The wall-mounted ductless mini-split heat pump in my sunroom. This is the only indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit, making it a one-to-one setup.

If we go with that dividing line, I have both a mini-split and a multi-split in my house.  The central part of the house is heated and cooled with one outdoor unit connected to two indoor ducted air handlers.  That would make it a multi-split.  I use a one-to-one ductless system for my sunroom (above).

Are All Mini-Splits Ductless?

And then there’s the issue of the type of indoor unit. Some are ductless, and they come in different flavors: wall-mounted, ceiling cassettes, and floor-mounted. Others are ducted, and they come in horizontal ducted or multi-position types. Some people use the term “mini-split” only for indoor ductless units. Others refer to any split system with smaller capacity as a mini-split, whether the indoor unit is ducted or ductless.

One of the ducted air handlers for the mini-split heat pump being installed in my house in 2019

I use the term “mini-split” for all of the above. Since mini-splits with fixed-capacity compressors are rare, you don’t need to worry about that confusion. If you’re talking to someone about mini-splits, you should be able to tell from the context how they use the term. If not, ask them to clarify.

Inverter-Driven Mini-Split Heat Pumps

Inverter-driven mini-split heat pumps are the future for high-performance homes. I’ve got them in my home, and it’s what we specify in most of our HVAC design jobs at Energy Vanguard. Their high efficiency and variable capacity that can ramp down to very low values are perfect for superinsulated, airtight homes, such as zero energy homes or passive homes.  And they work well in less efficient homes, too.

They give you a couple of other benefits. Their lower capacity means you can zone your heating and cooling with separate pieces of equipment. And using separate pieces of equipment provides resilience. If one heat pump stops working, you can still heat or cool the parts of the house that have operable equipment.

One final point here concerns the one-to-one configuration. If you want the highest efficiency, the best zone-to-zone control, and the most resilience, use only one indoor unit on each outdoor unit. Multi-split systems can work fine, but they’re just not as good as one-to-one setups.

Can You Oversize Heat Pumps?

One of the great advantages of using mini-splits is their variable capacity, but by oversizing them, you can lose that advantage completely.  That 6,000 BTU per hour mini-split in a room with 1,500 BTU per hour of cooling load doesn’t act at all like it has variable capacity because it’s always running at the lowest capacity.

So, yes, you absolutely can oversize a mini-split.  And when you do, you end up with some of the same problems from oversizing conventional systems:  poor humidity control, short cycling, and wasted money.

When a contractor proposes seven indoor ductless units for a 2,100 square foot house without a load calculation, there’s close to a 100% chance that the systems will be oversized.  And this problem happens with new homes that get load calculations, too, unless the load calculations are done correctly. You’ve got to look at the specifications for any mini-split heat pump in conjunction with the heating and cooling loads of the home and put in one that will take full advantage of the variable capacity.

Heat Pumps Are the Future of HVAC

Whether you live in frigid  Minnesota or hot and humid Georgia, as I do, going with a heat pump is a great idea, especially if you’re replacing a gas heating system.  Unlike fossil gas, electricity is getting cleaner, and mini-split heat pumps are the most efficient way to use clean energy for heating and cooling.

Allison A. Bailes III, Ph.D., is a speaker, writer, building science consultant, and the founder of Energy Vanguard in Decatur, Georgia. He has a doctorate in physics and writes the Energy Vanguard Blog. He is also writing a book on building science. You can follow him on Twitter at @EnergyVanguard.



Reference

CategoriesArchitecture

Wavy Balconies With Overhanging Plants Are A Design Feature On This Apartment Building

By Zarkon Group,
A modern building with curved balconies and overhanging plants.

Architecture firm K.A Studio has designed the remodel of an apartment building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, that included the addition of green space.

A modern building with curved balconies and overhanging plants.

In an area filled with concrete and hard lines, this updated apartment building, which is now used for staycations, has been designed as an oasis in the city, with the curved balconies creating a soft edge on the facade.

A modern building with curved balconies and overhanging plants.

Overhanging plants cascade down the side of the building, while taller plants add different layers and grow up between the voids created by the balconies.

A modern building with curved balconies and overhanging plants.

The underside of the balconies is lined with wood, adding to the natural look of the building.

The underside of these balconies is lined with wood, adding to the natural look of the building.

At night, uplighting creates shadows on the balconies above.

At night, uplighting creates shadows on the balconies above.
A modern building with curved balconies and overhanging plants.

The balconies overlook a pool that’s located on the ground floor and has curves that mimic the exterior of the building.

A curved swimming pool complements the curved balconies above.
A curved swimming pool complements the curved balconies above.
A curved swimming pool complements the curved balconies above.
A modern building with curved balconies and overhanging plants.

Throughout the building materials like woods, local split stones, concrete, terrazzo, and rattan are featured.

The interior of this building features materials like woods, local split stones, concrete, terrazzo, and rattan.

Bright hallways with lighting embedded in the concrete floors, and in the ceiling, guide guests to their private apartments.

Bright hallways with lighting embedded in the concrete floors, and in the ceiling, guides guests to their private apartments.

The apartments are minimal in their design, with simple wood furniture in the living room, and a kitchenette.

A minimalist apartment interior with LED lighting and a small living room.
A minimalist apartment interior with LED lighting, a small living room, and kitchenette.

In the bedroom, a horizontal wood accent above the bed hides LED Lighting, which also complements the lighting on the opposite wall. There’s also a floating wood desk that lines the wall, and a sliding door opens to a balcony.

In this bedroom, a horizontal wood accent above the bed hides LED Lighting, which also complements the lighting on the opposite wall.
A floating wood desk.
Photograph: Hiroyuki Oki | Architects: K.A Studio | Lead Architects: Doan Quoc Khanh | Design team: Dang Anh Khoa, Hoang Anh Dung, Tran Quoc Nhat, Le Duc Duy | Construction: La Maison Du K

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CategoriesSustainable News

Self-driving delivery robots – Springwise

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The growth in same-day delivery has spurred an increase in the market for autonomous delivery robots (ADRs). Designed for last-mile delivery of small packages, the market in ADRs is expected to see an explosion in growth over the next 5 to 10 years, with some predicting a CAGR of around 35 per cent or more over that time. As evidence, Starship Technologies, one of the bigger players in ADR has just completed a new Series B funding round, bringing its total raised to more than $100 million (around €91 million).

Starship currently operates in the US and UK, and its pavement-based robots have completed more than 3 million deliveries. The company has partnerships with grocers, such as Tesco and the Co-op in the UK, and college campuses, such as North Carolina A&T and South Dakota State University. It currently makes around 10,000 deliveries a day using a fleet of about 1,700 robots. As a result, the company has improved the robots’ ability to navigate. While initially street crossings were carried out by human operators, today the robots manage most crossings autonomously.

The more the robots are used, the more they learn about navigating different conditions, and the closer the robots come to full autonomy. Starship CEO Alastair Westgarth told Forbes in November 2021 that, “when we first encountered snow it was something the robots weren’t familiar with, it produced different images from the cameras, and the sensors reacted differently, so we had to train our systems to deal with that environment. They are constantly learning … our autonomy today is orders of magnitude bigger.”

The scale and wealth of experience means that Starship has also managed to get average delivery costs down below the human equivalent. The company will use the Series B fund to expand as well as invest in new initiatives, including exploring new business models and developing larger robots that travel on the road. The company is also looking how to provide more branded experiences for its partner businesses, such as leasing the robots for sole use by some customers.

While many are betting big on ADRs to reduce the cost and impact of last mile deliveries, others are working on delivering more efficiency using human power. Innovators in this space include a German delivery service using cargo bikes and electric vehicles and a small autonomous helicopter for larger deliveries. 

Written By: Lisa Magloff

10th March 2022

Website: starship.xyz

Contact: starship.xyz/contact/

Reference

The Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution  
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

The Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution  

By Zarkon Group,

The Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution  

by  JP Barton

Over 75 million existing homes in the U.S. are dependent on fossil fuels for heating, hot water, and cooking. It is estimated that 70% of these will still be in use by 2050. Most of these homes were built over thirty years ago and are poorly air-sealed, inadequately insulated, and would benefit substantially from deep green energy renovations on the path to zero. In 2021 alone, according to the EPA, existing homes were responsible for emitting approximately 850 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere. 

If we achieve carbon neutrality, renovating these homes on the path to zero is a significant and urgent challenge. The U.S. market alone is projected to be as much as $3 trillion over the next decade—with a potential 50 million homes at an estimated cost of $60,000 per home – and has been largely overlooked until now. Hardly a dent has been put into this massive and untapped market, creating an opportunity for an important reduction in GHG emissions on a large scale as well as creating numerous opportunities for new businesses and millions of new jobs.

Free Enterprise is Taking on the Challenge

Now several ambitious startups are ready to take on the challenge of fixing these homes. One of the most promising is a Colorado-based climate-tech company called GeoSolar Technologies (GST). The company was formed in early 2020 by a team of leading climate scientists and engineers to find better and more efficient technology for heating, cooling, cooking, and powering homes with less carbon emissions, better health, and improved air quality (IAQ) for the occupants of the home. 

GeoSolar Technology’s Vision

The company’s mission from the start has been to make a meaningful contribution to climate change by lowering global temperatures through reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing and newly built homes while improving the health of residents and creating financial returns to the company’s shareholders. The company believes most of the 75 million US homes that use fossil fuels to heat and cook are prime candidates for economic conversion to zero carbon. Their turnkey, all-inclusive package of expert-vetted technologies and energy efficiency systems has the potential to disrupt the home energy market. It has already been successfully implemented in 28 new energy-efficient, all-electric homes in a fossil-free community called the GEOS Neighborhood in Colorado. These homes have no gas bills, minimal electricity bills, improved health, and low carbon emissions. There were zero Covid-19 cases in the neighborhood throughout the pandemic, a solid testament to the air purification system provided by these homes. GEOS has proven the viability of all-electric housing and provides residents significant health benefits from smart ventilation and zero emissions from gas burning.

The SmartGreen Home ™ 

Based on GEOS’s learned, GST has spent almost two years developing a whole home energy system called the SmartGreen Home™  that can be installed into new or existing homes and transform them into a zero-carbon, 100% clean electric home. It produces all the energy the homeowner needs and does so economically. The system also monitors the CO2/oxygen ratio and removes Covid and other microbes and viruses. The company has filed for U.S patent protection on the whole home innovative clean energy system. 

The GST SmartGreen Home ™ system is based on three essential elements: decarbonization, electrification, and home purification. It reduces energy needs by insulating and air sealing the home, upgrading windows and doors, using air to air or geothermal heat pumps for HVAC along with solar in concert with robust air management and monitoring, heat pump hot water, battery storage, electric appliances, electric vehicle charging, and a central AI software-controlled center operated by smartphone. You can learn more here about how the SmartGreen Home works.

The GST Business Plan

GST provides everything needed to make the complete upgrade from dependence on fossil fuels to 100% clean electric. The system can also integrate a new electric vehicle (EV) with bidirectional charging to power the home with the EV during power outages and make money for the homeowner by selling electricity back to the grid at peak demand rates. 

To bring this program to as many homeowners as possible, GST is partnering with successful solar installation companies across the country to become dealer/licensees and training them in the SmartGreen Home™ technologies and systems. These solar contractors are in touch with their local market and have an active sales force in place. They will offer a greatly expanded product line and provide the system sales, customer contact, and installation. At the same time, GST is developing a major national advertising/public relations campaign that will educate the public about the virtue of all-electric living and will provide licensees with additional leads, removing the expense of lead generation. GST is compensated with a 7.5% licensing fee on each sale/installation.

The SmartGreen Home technology starts with an energy audit and blower door test.

The gas furnace, water heater, gas stove, and other gas appliances are removed, eliminating gas lines and the harmful use of methane. To streamline this process, GST utilizes proprietary online software and technology for analyzing homes, providing estimates, and starting projects very quickly. 

Geothermal Heat Pumps

The SmartGreen Home™ system includes an option for the GST geothermal heat pump system. It can heat and cool the whole home while handling much of the load of a companion heat pump water heater. It is extremely valuable for the right homeowner and is especially suited to larger homes and for those who can afford the reliability and comfort of these highly efficient systems.

Marketing – The Key to the Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution

Once a homeowner understands the clear superiority of the all-electric home and that there is no compromise in comfort, they will be excellent candidates for purchasing a system. To that end, GST’s national advertising campaign to introduce the SmartGreen home will begin this spring with the key themes of Eco Luxurious and Healthy Homes – Healthy Planet.  Homeowners are particularly motivated to go all-electric when they understand the health benefits to their family and understand the basic concept that “Gas is choking the environment and choking your family.”  In addition, most homeowners are motivated by lowering their energy bills close to zero. While not all homes will get all the way to zero, the HERS ratings, which will vary from home to home, should be in the single digits,  with the goal of having no gas bill and minimal electricity bills.  With battery or EV energy storage, a homeowner could also be compensated by selling electricity back to the grid during peak demand.

Utilizing existing solar installers as licensed dealers for the sale and installation of the SmartGreen system, combined with its national advertising, marketing and lead generation plan, GST intends to provide a much broader public understanding of and interest in energy efficiency renovations. This aggressive marketing, along with GST having hundreds of licensees across the country installing thousands of SmartGreen Home Systems, will help accelerate the zero renovation revolution and establish the SmartGreen brand as the “Gold Standard” for the green all-electric home.

How GST Addresses the Resistance Factors

GST offers three tiers of SmartGreen Home renovation packages to homeowners catering to their specific needs and income levels: Silver, Gold, and Platinum priced at $40,000, $60,000, and $80,000 (after generous tax incentives). The most significant factor holding them back from renovating on the path to zero energy and zero carbon is the upfront costs for most homeowners. To address this, GST offers 100% financing at low rates, with monthly utility savings often covering the monthly payments. 

GST presents the SmartGreen Home system as a wise investment for the homeowner. A typical home will appraise $20 more per annual dollar saved by a more efficient energy system. SmartGreen Homes systems often save a homeowner between $2,000 and $6,000 in utility bills annually, so, at $20 per annual dollar saved, there is an increase of $40,000 to $120,000 respectively in the home appraisal. The actual appreciation is likely more than that. 

Another resistance factor to energy efficiency renovations is the disruption and inconvenience to the homeowner and their family while renovating. GST addresses this by aiming to complete the work within two to three weeks of issuing the permit and by allowing the homeowner to remain at home while the renovation is completed.

Driving the Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution

GST, along with other national startups, such as Sealed and Saaf, will help create the consumer demand needed to transform the existing housing stock into energy-efficient healthy homes through the power of marketing. The transition to all-electric homes is imminent, and GST has the opportunity to make an immense contribution to the battle against climate change – all the while fulfilling their fiduciary duty to shareholders with a highly profitable business model.  It aims to be a win for homeowners, a win for investors, and a win for the climate and the planet’s future well-being.

JP Barton is a long-time Colorado-based environmental activist investor and former investment banker. He advises companies, including GST and other ESG companies, on capital formation and growth strategies. He is a leading proponent of solar energy and an aggressive transition away from fossil fuel to a future of all zero-carbon 100% electric homes and electric vehicles.

Reference

constructionmaking-eco-friendly-cement-with-microbes
CategoriesSustainable News

Harnessing microbes to grow cement

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Cement has a huge carbon footprint – contributing up to 8 per cent of total global emissions. Much of this comes from the process of heating limestone to very high temperatures. This not only uses a tremendous amount of energy but also releases carbon dioxide directly. Now, startup Biomason has developed a way to ‘grow’ a cement substitute using micro-organisms.

The startup uses a process similar to how coral reefs and shells are formed, where organisms lay down layers of calcium carbonate. The company starts with recycled aggregate. This consists of the tiny bits of material that are held together by cement in concrete. Biomason then adds a strain of bacteria, along with the calcium, carbon and nutrients the bacteria needs to grow. As the micro-organisms grow, they produce calcium carbonate, which acts like a glue to secure the aggregate together.

The process operates at room temperate, reducing the need for heating. It also cures more rapidly than cement, and the end product is stronger than traditional concrete. The company is currently making small quantities of a tile called Biolith for industrial clients. Because the process can use existing concrete production facilities, it should be relatively cheap to scale up. Currently, several concrete producers are examining ways to incorporate Biolith production into their plants.

Biomason founder Ginger Krieg Dosier explains that the product does not need to be disruptive in order to make a big difference. “It didn’t make sense to disrupt everything in the entire concrete value chain. From day one, even before Biomason was named, it was very important for us to develop a technology that was easy to use, especially with existing concrete producers.”

Tackling the high environmental cost of concrete production is very high on the list of green researchers and entrepreneurs. Some of the other ideas we have seen at Springwise include solar-powered cement production and a bio-concrete made from weeds and shells.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

7th March 2022

Website: biomason.com

Contact: biomason.com/contact

Reference