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 Total Environment Centre and Jeff Angel today launch their national Cool Streets Campaign, or as their news release puts it:

In winter the meat ant replaces the pebbles with dark coloured ones.  These absorb the sun’s heat and warm their nest.

Here’s an invitation to our culture to match the meat ant:

vimeo.com…

Black is ‘cool’, but it’s not . . . this video explains why (with acknowledgment to the Chook Whisperer).

(We’re at our best, we humans, when our company is one of curious minds, open hearts and friendship.)

M

It’s not just a plan for this suburb; it can be used to make any suburb sustainable – it’s free and you’re welcome to put it to work where you are.

Now the Plan can be read on mobiles, kindles and is very easy to search, use and tweet.  Get it here:

theplan.sustainablehouse.com…

Enjoy.

You can see some of the folks who support the Plan.

Please sign the petition to have the Plan exhibited for public comment.  We want the Plan and there’s strong community support for it from here and other people across Sydney, Australia and overseas.

If we can get the Plan made here anyone may use it as an example to persuade other councils and governments to make a Plan to sustain the suburb where they live – if you’re reading this in Melbourne or Texas, USA – sign the petition for the Plan and you’ll be able to use a Plan like this where you live and work, too.

Michael

www.theaustralian.com…

There’s an interesting one about planning, here:
www.theaustralian.com…

I’ve written one about the future of roads, here:

www.theaustralian.com…

Enjoy,

Michael

The flier for it says:

Urban development dramatically changes the landscape. Buildings, roads, and other infrastructure replace open land and vegetation. Surfaces that were once permeable and moist become impermeable and dry. These changes cause urban regions to become warmer than their rural surroundings, forming an “island” of higher temperatures in the landscape. The negative effects of the heat island phenomena include increased energy consumption, elevated emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, impaired water quality and compromised human health and comfort. This Melbourne Forum will discuss management of heat issues and ways to combat the heat island effect.

Topics and speakers include:

Using green infrastructure to mitigate excess urban heatSpeaker: Dr Jason Beringer, Associate Professor, School of Geography and Environmental Science,  Monash University

• Management of heat stress in urban environments Speaker: Dr Andrew Coutts, Research Fellow, Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University

Greening the West – creating a healthy urban habitat Speaker: Anne Barker, Managing Director, City West Water More information about the time, venue, speakers and papers is on the Forum’s web page: www.airah.org…

- the intersection of Myrtle and Abercrombie, in Myrtle on the southern side about 20 metres from Abercrombie:  this section of road receives direct eastern and western sun, is black, treeless and causes a lot of avoidable heat

- in Buckland street across from Levey Street; this section of road is shielded from the sun by buildings and trees with good canopy

You can tell where the temperature gauges are: look for a metal pole with a solar panel at the top and a cylinder in a protective mesh. (Savour the sign at knee height that reads, “Adults only”.)

Both sets of data may be read together on the computer screen allowing comparison of how the two sections of road heat up.  To read the graphs take this link then choose the data and time period you wish to see; for example, for the last 24 hours or week or other period.

www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov….au/Environment/EnergyAndEmissions/UrbanHeatIslandEffect.asp

This data will tell us how road design causes these two streets to heat up.

We’ll be able to get this summer’s data which will be very interesting.

With data such as this it’s possible to change road design standards to stop roads heating up our cities, driving up air con use, preventing trees reaching their natural canopy growth, and to stop that heat causing human deaths.