Come March 2017, an app called Powerzee, will allow students to give feedback on how hot or cold a room is. This data will then be used to readjust the air-conditioning system in real-time, thus reducing unnecessary energy consumption. This project is part of a push by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to test new technologies that improve energy efficiency.
NTU has kept up with consistent green efforts over the years and such measures include:
- switching all its street lighting to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs;
- installing smart LED systems equipped with sensors, which will turn on when it detect motion;
- usage of solar panels which will convert sunlight into energy; and
- usage of sunlight-insulating window films, which will reduce the amount of ultraviolet light that enters the room and ultimately reducing the energy needed to keep the room cool.
Since 2011, these measures have helped NTU to save over 20 gigawatt hours of energy, which is enough to power 4,500 four-room Housing Board flats for a year.
Two buses that run on electricity will also go on trial with two charging stations by end 2017.
PowerZee will also be rolled out at a Paris university in March 2017, and will soon be tested at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
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Source: The Straits Times, 15 February 2017