New Centre for Carbon Measurement will help developers scale up their green technologies
Carbon emissions news - by GreenWise staff
13th January 2012
A new carbon measurement centre is being established in the UK that will measure the performance and provide the scientific validation of low carbon technologies, thereby enabling developers to scale up their products.
The
Centre for Carbon Measurement (CCM), the first of its kind in the world, is being set up by the
National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK’s national measurement institute. As well as providing scientifically supported standards for developers of
low carbon technology, the CCM will also help climate scientists improve the accuracy and consistency of
climate data and will provide the measurement science and technology to underpin new tools for
carbon trading and reporting.
"Accurate and reliable measurement and scientifically supported standards are a vital part of reducing
carbon emissions," said Jane Burston, who has been appointed head of the new centre. "Without a robust measurement infrastructure, it is difficult to know the scale of the problem or the adequacy of the solutions – whether those solutions are policies, projects or technologies."
Stamp of approvalBurston, who joins the CCM from Carbon Retirement, a carbon offset provider, said the work of the unit should help developers of low carbon technologies commercialise their products, by providing an "independent stamp of approval of their claims".
"On the technologies side, it’ll be verifying claims from the manufacturers, which should help SMEs scale up their products, if they have an independent stamp of approval on their claims.
"It’ll also aim to provide independent assessment of the efficiency of one technology compared to another, or assessment of technologies against regulation," Burston said.
The NPL already runs a facility called Hotbox, which measures building materials against EU energy efficiency regulations.
Climate science
One of the other main functions of the CCM will be to work with climate scientists to improve the accuracy and consistency of climate data through data auditing, setting standards, developing measurement technology, and instrumentation testing. This work should help improve the modelling of climate change and enable better policies for mitigation and adaptation, the NPL said.
The centre’s expertise in measurement science will also support businesses in reporting and managing emissions and the development of a more stable
carbon market.
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