INDUSTRY NEWS
NEW REPORT REVEALS PUBLIC APATHY FOR ‘ SMART CITIES ’
Only 18 per cent of the British public has heard of a ‘ smart city ’, according to research carried out by the Institution of Engineering and Technology ( IET ). The research is reported in a new IET report , ‘ Smart Cities – Time to involve the people ’, which also reveals low interest in the technologies typically associated with smart cities . For example , only eight per cent saw a value in being able to order driverless or electric transport from their smartphone .
Cities ’ adoption of new technologies has traditionally involved little consultation with consumers . As a result , the report suggests that the public has yet to buy into the idea of smart cities – and be convinced of the value and benefits that technology , delivered on a city-scale , could bring to their daily lives . New disruptive technologies and applications such as Uber ( on-demand taxi services ) and Airbnb ( online accommodation service ) may help to change hearts and minds , but the findings suggest there is still some way to go .
Other findings from the research include :
• Awareness of smart cities is lowest amongst those aged over 65 ( six per cent ) and highest among those aged 18- 34 ( 37 per cent ).
• One third of respondents were unable to select the correct definition of a smart city from a list of options . Eight per cent of respondents opted for ‘ a city that has a higher than average proportion of universities and colleges and aims to attract the most intellectual ’. And a further five per cent saw it as ‘ a city that has a strict cleaning regime for its buildings , roads and public places ”’
• 29 per cent of respondents felt that ‘ intelligent ’ streetlights activated by movement to improve safety , deter crime and save energy would be useful .
• 25 per cent were interested in buildings that generate their own energy – and collect and recycle water and waste .
• 23 per cent thought sensors embedded in roads and buildings which measure traffic flows , predict congestion , and adjust traffic lights and signals , would be useful
• 15 per cent would like to receive up-to-the-minute travel information via smartphone , enabling them to plan and pay for journeys , using different types of transport .
The report also cites projects in Glasgow , Peterborough , Bristol and London that have successfully taken a people centred approach to smart cities and offer examples of how technology can improve the quality of life for residents , workers and visitors alike .
Commenting on the research , Alan Howard , IET head of thought leadership , said , ‘ In spite of substantial investment in smart cities from the government , local authorities and businesses , most people don ’ t understand the concept or , more importantly , how smart city digital communications technology could improve their quality of life by enhancing infrastructure and public services , including transport and traffic management , energy , water and waste management , healthcare and other community services .’
UK BUSINESSES HIT BY RISING NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES
The number of power outages in the UK rose dramatically last year , resulting in widespread productivity losses across industry , the latest Blackout Tracker report from Eaton has revealed . In total , there were 640 outages in 2015 , a marked increase on the 537 incidents recorded in 2014 . The report also found that a total of 2,564,827 people were affected by the outages , which lasted for an average of 50 minutes .
The statistics in the Blackout Tracker highlight the problem of unreliable electricity supply at a time when the UK ’ s ageing energy infrastructure is coming under increasing pressure . A report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers ( IMechE ) warns that as many older coal fired power stations are shut down , the UK is facing a 40-55 per cent electricity supply gap , resulting in the likelihood of more frequent power outages .
Dr Jenifer Baxter , head of energy and environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers , and lead author of the report said , ‘ The UK is facing an electricity supply crisis . As the UK population rises and with the greater use of electricity use in transport and heating it looks almost certain that electricity demand is going to rise .
‘ However , with little or no focus on reducing electricity demand , the retirement of the majority of the country ’ s ageing nuclear fleet , recent proposals to phase out coal fired power by 2025 and the cut in renewable energy subsidies , the UK is on course to produce even less electricity than it does at the moment .’
Steve Spicer , IT segment lead , added , ’ Businesses are being hugely inconvenienced by an unreliable power supply . Outages lead to downtime , and that costs money . For example , on average , a medium sized data centre will experience over three downtime events each year , with the average power cut lasting over three and half hours . Based on this , the total cost for downtime will be over € 66,170 per hour . With the ability to cause irreparable damage and irretrievable loss of revenue in a matter of minutes , downtime is , in a word , disastrous .’
ECA PUBLISHES NEW CHECKLIST TO FOLLOW BIM LEVEL 2 COMMENCEMENT
Free information for small and medium sized firms has been released by the Electrical Contractors ’ Association ( ECA ), to coincide with the government ’ s April 2016 introduction of requirement to use BIM Level 2 in significant centrally procured contracts .
The ECA ’ s ‘ BIM Basics ’ checklist highlights the ‘ bare essential ’ requirements that firms within the building services sector will need to meet to work on BIM projects .
Developed with the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers ( CIBSE ), the ECA ’ s ‘ BIM Basics ’ checklist includes the basic requirements within the following key areas :
• Capability and skills
• Processes
• Software and hardware
• Digital information
According to the ECA ’ s Bill Wright , ‘ Central government spends billions each year on buying goods and services , and it ’ s vital that building services firms of all shapes and sizes quickly get up to speed with BIM Level 2 .
‘ BIM won ’ t work properly if the specialist supply chain is fully ready , and the ECA ’ s easily digestible ‘ BIM Basics ’ Checklist will help smaller and lower tier contractors to understand what may be their most likely interactions with BIM projects .’
The ECA ’ s free ‘ BIM Basics ’ checklist can be viewed at www . eca . co . uk /_ assets / files / BIM-Basics-checklistdefinitive-version _ ECA _ CIBSE . pdf . A more extensive version , containing more ‘ advanced ’ BIM requirements , is available exclusively to ECA Members only . The ‘ BIM Basics ’ checklist is freely available until 1st July 2016 .
Research conducted by the ECA last year found that over half of contractors ( 54 per cent ) with a turnover of less than £ 1m are ‘ not ready at all ’ for BIM , while three in 10 firms ( 30 per cent ) with earnings between £ 1m and £ 20m were in the same position . The BIM checklists are part of the ECA ’ s response to help companies increase their relevant BIM understanding and capability .
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