Anir and Raz pointing to Ysense temperature logger on Bondi Beach ecoPOPs

A temperature logger has been installed by Anir Upadhyay to measure the temperature from the shade created by the Bondi Beach ecoPOPs.

Anir Upadhyay, is a PhD student at the University of Sydney under the supervision of Professor Richard Hyde.

Anir and a friend, Raz, have designed a wireless data logger. Anir and Raz have configured the data logger with a temperature and humidity sensor. It collects temperature and humidity data and uploads to the web in a specified time. The microprocessor can handle various sensors that are used in environmental monitoring of buildings such as energy usage, air quality, light levels etc. They call this device ‘Ysense’.

Ysense is simple to configure. A smartphone is used to establish communication between the device and a local wifi network. Any change in sampling frequency or modification in code is done ‘at home’ through the web server of the device.

Ysense sensor taped below connecting pipe

Temperature data is collected every minute and uploaded to the web each hour.

Any person may see what cooling effect is being achieved by the ecoPOPs.

To see the temperature in the shade of the eocPOPs, please follow this link to download the data:

Ysense is now battery powered, but there is an option of using mains or solar power from the ecoPOPs via a USB port. A battery or solar powered sensor offers flexibility and can be installed in any part of a road or building without causing troubles to the building owner/ occupants.

Comparative data from a nearby unshaded road site will be on the website soon so we can measure the temperature reduction achieved by the ecoPOPs.

Pop!

Cool streets and cooler cities here we come . . .

M

By the way:  I met Anir when he toured my house and he has my books where, particularly in Sustainable Food, the urban heat island and solutions to it are discussed.

The site says:

“. . . players will undertake actions to keep an endangered animal alive. In this first iteration of Habitat game players will adopt a polar bear. To keep the bear alive and healthy, players need to successfully complete events in the game and undertake real world actions. By completing these TASKS players will progress through levels, increasing the health of their bear and earn badges of recognition for their efforts. Ultimately the goal is to save the world by improving the bear’s health.”.

The site says it uses highly researched data about environmental issues to provide the impacts of the choices kids make when they make decisions to keep their bear alive:

A research group at Sydney Uni, ISA, has research and:

“… ISA have recorded imports and trade for 187 countries, over 20 years, for 15,000 different industries. Remarkably this data allows them to show the impact individual product purchases have on life cycles in other countries and on different species.”.

And ecoPOPs are going to be there!  The site will soon let kids know how they can use ecopops as a tool to keep their bears alive.  Keep an eye on this site and the Habitat game site.

Pop.

Waverley Council’s ecoPOPs at Bondi Beach planted out today

Today, Friday, 16 August, we planted out the ecopops for Waverley Council at Bondi Beach.

The tanks are gleaming in the sun and the plants will provide food, nectar for birds and the whole will shade and cool the bit of Roscoe Street that it is in.

Next week the Mayor and the Minister for the Environment, Robyn Parker, will launch the ecopops.

We’re on our way to cooling our cities with ecopops.

Pop!

It’s a gig by a group called Think, Act, Change.

M

According to Council’s website, the beach will see “ the installation of its first temporary ecoPOPS in Bondi in August 2013″.

With the Steel Stewardship Forum sponsoring an ecopops, the Sydney University’s electrical engineering experts partnering ecopops to create a simple, affordable solar pumping system, and strong local community support we may see lots of ecopops out in our streets to provide local food, cool streets and be a billboard for sustainability . . .

Watch this space . . . .

. . .  pop!

The Forum represents all those involved in the steel industry in Australia, from mining through to fabrication of such things as rain tanks, steel rods and steel mesh.  The Forum’s website notes that the recovery rate for steels at the end of life in Australia exceeds 90 per cent.

The Forum sees the ecopops as a billboard for sustainability in our cities.

I’m delighted to have the Forum’s support which is helping promote a pop up garden intended to cool our cities and to provide food.

M

Josh Byrne, Michael Mobbs and Mayor Brad Pettit

As Josh Byrne, the Western Australia presenter for ABC TV Gardening Australia‘s show, builds his ten star houses in Fremantle he is documenting it and making the plans, costs, data and details available for all to see.

In the latest video Josh covers the ecopops as they were being built in Fremantle then takes the viewer to his houses.

It’s a useful summary of both projects and you can see the 4 minute 40 second video here.

Enjoy,

Michael

ecoPOPS outside Council’s Information Centre, King George Square

To order in NSW, Qld and Victoria, please contact:

                            Marianna  Verlage

                           0407 270 138

mariannaverlage@gmail.com

The story of ecoPOPs in Fremantle, WA

Today we put up two ecoPOPS in the streets in the centre of Fremantle.

What is an ecoPOP?

An ecoPOP is a small free-standing and self-sustained green oasis that catches and stores its own water from rainfall, powers itself with the energy of the sun, generates its own nutrients, grows your own food, recycles materials, refreshes and cools cities, improves the air quality, and builds better communities.

Anyone can install it.

What is the purpose of the ecoPOPs?

The ecoPOPs creates:

• A cooler street for pedestrians and birds
• A lower temperature which means air conditioning is not needed or not needed as much as before
• A local food garden for harvesting by anyone
• An example of how solar electricity works, how composting works, how fruit trees may be grown, how food may be grown and harvested

ecoPOPs in Pakenham Street, Fremantle

Who can use an ecoPOP?

An ecoPOP can be used by anyone anytime, from little kids in school yards to adults in their own private backyards or roof gardens as well as by business, such as cafes and restaurants.

Where to install an ecoPOP

Being a free-standing unit, an ecoPOP can be installed anywhere, private backyards, school playgrounds, plazas and parks, parking lots, median strip in suburban streets, roofs, terraces, balconies, and so on. Its small size and self-sustained features allows it to be installed away from any fixed water or energy source.

For the solar pump to work and the plants to grow it’s essential that your ecoPOPs gets at least 4 hours of sun a day all year.

Electric System

The ecoPOPS uses the energy of the sun to power itself. This feature allows it to be installed away from any power source. A photovoltaic solar panel captures the sun’s energy and transforms it into electricity

Water System

After its filled there is no need to water the plants in the ecoPOPS. Its self-irrigation system allows it to stand away from any water source. Its self-irrigation system catches the rainfall water, stores it (more than 1,500 litres of water) to irrigate the plants and trees.  Refill the tanks every three months.

The customer is responsible for putting water into the tanks when you install your ecoPOP.  Simply fill the open tanks and the two end tanks and the central tank.

It is vital to fill the tanks so they are stabilised.and so the water system may water the plants and trees.

If the full amount of water is not installed on the day you install the ecoPOP then ecoPOPS provide no warranty or guarantee for the ecoPOP.

When filled your ecoPOP will be self-irrigating for about three months.  Water will gradually be lost by evaporation and by it being consumed by the plants and trees.

The tanks hold water and it is pumped to the plants through a hose buried under mulch.  A timing device tells the pump when to pump and when to stop pumping.  If there is no water the pump will not pump.

When do I top up the tanks?  Top up the tanks every three months.

How does the solar pump work?

The pump is powered by clean energy from the sun.  The sun shines on the solar panel which turns the sunlight into electricity that’s stored in a battery.  When the pump is told to pump by the timing device it uses the energy stored in the battery.

How are the plants given food to grow?

To grow the plants need sun, air, water and nutrients ie plant food.

The ecoPOPs gives the plants nutrients from wasted food which is composted in the ecoPOPs.  The compost forms a liquid which drips into the water stored in the tank below the compost bin.  As the water is pumped the nutrients are carried in the water to feed the plants and trees.

Greening Australia proudly support ecoPOPs

Greening Australia supports ecoPOPs and says:

“Greening Australia lives and works with people from remote, regional and metropolitan communities. We are a national organisation, employing local people and working with local communities to build healthy environments for healthy people.

With over 30 years of experience delivering social outcomes from environmental investments, Greening Australia is solutions-driven and is committed to doing something practical about the challenges faced across Australia’s landscape. Addressing the competing demands on our environment requires more than just planting trees.

We recognise that every investment we make into the environment builds resilience into local communities; whether it is providing pre-employment and skills development for indigenous communities, working alongside industry in conservation programs, investing in on-farm projects that provide real productivity gains, or working with students to restore our urban and river environments.

It is against this backdrop we are delighted to be partnering with Michael Mobbs on the “ecoPOPs” project to address the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) – the localised warming of our suburbs due to the loss of vegetation and increase in paved and dark coloured surfaces. UHIE is a serious threat to the liveability, viability and health of our new and existing suburbs.

Returning vegetation to our urban environments through initiatives such as “ecoPOPs” is a cost effective way of reducing the heat in our suburbs. It’s also a great way of engaging and educating young people, communities and business in sustainable lifestyles and the impact of choices we make in our daily life.

We see “EcoPOPs” as a fantastic billboard for selling sustainability.”

www.greeningaustralia.org….au

Our Vision: A healthy, diverse and productive environment treasured by the whole community

ecoPOPs want to hear from you

Stay in touch with ecoPOPs.  Let us know your stories.  Join us on Facebook and Twitter – @m_mobbs.

Let us know how your fruit and herb harvesting goes.  We’d love your photos.  Everyone can grow and harvest food with an ecoPOPs.

Birds

If there are birds nesting nearby your ecoPOP will cool the local air and help the young and old birds survive the summer heat.

Sales:

NSW, Qld, Vic:  Tankworks:

WA: Water Installations