Leaders in the Scottish city of Glasgow are turning home heating upside down, with a new electric wallpaper heating system successfully installed on the ceilings of 12 tenement buildings built before 1919, Euronews reported.
According to the outlet, aging apartments like these represent a major problem in Scotland — the country's homes are among the oldest and worst-insulated in Europe, and keeping them warm requires extra energy and money. Plus, since gas-powered systems are the norm, the energy-inefficient buildings quickly become a pretty big source of pollution.
Yet with the electric wallpaper installed in homes, both issues can be addressed at the same time. The system — which produces clean electricity using copper strips and graphene or carbon — provides warmth within one to three minutes. It may also improve air quality in homes and create less mildew or mold than traditional heating systems, Euronews reports.
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The technology is developed by NextGen Heating, and the trial is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, West of Scotland Housing Association and the Glasgow City Council.
Together, the groups aim to step in line with the Scottish New Build Heat Standard, which mandates that new buildings come with eco-friendly heat. Over 36% of the United Kingdom's air pollution is from heating buildings, but electric wallpaper could help close the gap.
"We have been trialing this technology for a few months now and have had excellent feedback from our tenants where this has been installed," Andrew Kubski, director of development and asset management for West of Scotland Housing Association, told Euronews.
If the positive reviews stand, there's plenty of room in Scotland to continue implementing the technology, which is reportedly quick and easy to set up. Glasgow alone has around 70,000 tenement apartments, according to Councillor Ruairi Kelly.
"Innovative pilot projects such as this are vital when considering how best to help tackle the issues of energy costs and emissions in Glasgow's homes," Kelly told Euronews.
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