03/08/2017
The new efficient heating and cooling system to the future!?...
The Italian, architect Carlo Ratti proposals to replace traditional heating and cooling systems (HVAC) with personalised environments for different occupants in a building.
Occupants could set their preferred temperature via a smartphone app.
Fan coil units situated in the false ceilings would be activated by their presence, creating a "thermal bubble" that follows them around the building.
The ”Office 3.0 system” was designed for an office in Turin, Italy, uses a system of sensors to monitor employees, and instructs heating and cooling systems to follow them around the building to create unique environmental bubbles.
As well as allowing individuals to set their own ideal temperature, and with that it’s forecasting such systems could reduce energy consumption dramatically, because no energy is wasted heating empty spaces in a building.
"By synchronising energy usage and human occupancy within buildings, we can create a more sustainable and responsive architecture – theoretically slashing energy consumption by up to 40%”.
The concept builds on previous projects developed by Carlo Ratti such as the "2015 Cloud Cast" installation in Dubai, which uses motion tracking technology (series of cylinders mounted on the ceiling controlled by ultrasonic sensors which detect people passing by) to direct clouds of water vapour at people to cool them down.
