Sheffield researchers to monitor city's energy usage

The University of Sheffield is to launch a £1.8 million observatory to monitor the city’s energy and resource use, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

The project aims to reduce the city’s environmental impact by monitoring its overall energy efficiency. Sensors and thermal cameras attached to drones, balloons and cars will be used to scan the city, allowing researchers at the observatory to create a model of the city’s energy and resource usage.

The model could help to pinpoint where solar energy can be most effective, how energy use is distributed across the city, which buildings lose the most heat, as well as detecting energy within materials.

“Around 80% of the UK’s energy and resources are used by our cities,” said Martin Mayfield, infrastructure leader at the university’s faculty of engineering. “By analysing these energy and resource flows, we will be able to advise councils and town planners on issues such as how to raise productivity or save energy and reduce heat loss across the city.”

He added that the researchers also plan to observe aspects such as air pollution.

The observatory will be part of the UK Collaboratorium for Research in Infrastructure and Cities, under which 14 universities work to address issues of infrastructure development.