by Federica Muzi | Feb 25, 2022 | Edu LabGov 2021-2022
The complicated pandemic situation we have been facing for two years now has brought with it many changes, one of the main ones being the way we live in the city. The issues caused by this situation are not all new; the pandemic has also exacerbated previously critical situations. This opens the door to numerous scenarios for rethinking the city of the future. One of the preeminent aspects brought to light by this situation is the way we have been accustomed to using health services within the cities in which we live. This aspect will be one of the key developments that will lead to rethinking the city no longer as a mere urban agglomeration, but as a hub for experimenting with a new system of Healthcare 4.0. For a city that wants to improve in terms of managing the flow of people and fair access to the healthcare system, the transition to a Healthcare 4.0 system will make it possible for these services to be accessed in a rapid, decentralized, and inclusive manner.
The GrInn Lab kick-off day will be a time to introduce GrinnerZs to this topics, and through the valuable interventions of the guests who will punctuate the semester’s activities, from both the academic and professional worlds, give a jump start to the work of the Grinn Lab.
Kick-off day speakers: Doc. Claudia Bugno, Doc. Giovanni Lo Storto, Prof.Christian Iaione, Prof. Federica Meoli, Team GrInn.City.
by Federica Muzi | Feb 25, 2022 | Edu LabGov 2021-2022
GrInn Lab 2022 sets the following challenge: “imagine a hospital without a hospital.” The physical infrastructure of a classic hospital will be redistributed partly on a digital platform and partly in our homes. The idea is to develop an app that communicates with measuring devices via IoT technology so as to monitor the patient’s vital parameters on a constant basis. The use of such devices will see the active participation of all stakeholders. The app will also allow the patient to be put in contact with the primary care physician, with the possibility of conducting a teleview, who will be able to view the patient’s parameters in real time. The specialist doctor will also be able to view those same patient parameters bridging the information gap described above. Tele-consultation with the primary care physician will also be possible. Users, moreover, will have the option of uploading any reports/analyses to the app so as to make their clinical picture even more accurate. The possibility of constant patient monitoring and the ability to be put in touch with healthcare professionals without necessarily having to travel to a facility will improve prevention and ensure better access to healthcare services for the most vulnerable segments of the population. To ensure even more efficient remote monitoring, it will be possible to check, via app, a patient’s treatment. Doctors will be able to send reminders to ensure proper course of therapy and, in turn, the patient will be able to interact constantly with the doctor, including uploading material. Such a solution can have positive social implications as well. A digital infrastructure, designed in this way, can ensure better data transmission even with the world of social care that is very often neglected when considering patient health.
Why GrInn.City?
The topic of healthcare 4.0 could fundamentally change the way we experience cities. In many urban settings, access to basic services, such as health and social care, is not taken for granted. GrInn.City setting itself the goal of making cities more inclusive, proximate, sustainable and innovative is the ideal entity to respond to this challenge. The idea that will be developed in GrInn Lab 2022 aspires to make social and health services more accessible and integrated with each other while making them more efficient by taking advantage of emerging technologies and the active involvement of all beneficiaries. Moreover, this project is set in a very favorable context from a policy and investment perspective as described above in the section on NRP.
by Federica Muzi | Feb 7, 2021 | The Urban Media Lab
Introduction
The
“internet of energy”. This is the definition given for hydrogen by Marco Alverà
the CEO of SNAM, an Italian energy infrastructure company. But what is the
reason for this comparison?
This article
seeks to explore the reasons behind such peculiar assimilation while analyzing
the potentials of this groundbreaking option for the implementation of an
efficient carbon-neutral energy mix.
In its plan to reach climate neutrality in 2050, the EU Commission has identified hydrogen as a priority area especially for what attains to a clean and circular economy. This is why both Next Generation EU and the European Green Deal strongly rely on energy system integration and hydrogen to implement strategies for a cleaner planet and a stronger economy. [1]
Hydrogen’s applications are plenty, but, before going deeper into detail on its future use and applications, considering how such an element is produced and works is useful to understand why it represents the internet of energy.
A very colorful element
Green, blue, brown, grey, pink and yellow. No, these
are not the colors of the rainbow but the different types of existing hydrogen.
Describing the most abundant chemical in the universe is not easy. I could
start by considering its atomic weight, for example, but, for the sake of this
discussion, it is fundamental to underline what the role of this element is in
the energy sector.
First things first, hydrogen is not an energy source but
a carrier. Hence, this means that it needs a primary source of energy to be
produced such as solar, electricity, hydro, nuclear power, or gas.[2]
Starting from the basics, hydrogen can be created by
decomposing water molecules thanks to the use of electricity. This process is
called electrolysis. Based on the type of electricity used in such process,
hydrogen can be green when the energy source used for the electrolysis comes
from renewables, blue when hydrogen is extracted from natural gas and from
other fossil fuels. When blue hydrogen is produced, though, it emits CO2, which
is then captured and stored to mitigate the impacts on the environment.
Differently from blue hydrogen, grey hydrogen is produced in the same way, but
CO2 is released into the atmosphere and not captured.[3]
There are over forty ways of producing hydrogen but,
as you can see, not all alternatives represent environmentally friendly
solutions. Nowadays, hydrogen is nearly exclusively produced by using fossil
fuels. As a matter of fact, according to data from Wood Mackenzie, 71% of the
entire hydrogen produced is grey whilst the remaining part is mostly made up of
brown hydrogen, which means it is produced by coal. Thus, it is clear that currently,
if hydrogen is produced as it is, it cannot become the pivotal element the EU
is counting on in reaching climate neutrality. Then, how is it possible that this
simple element is destined to become the enabler of a zero-emission society?
The role of hydrogen in a zero-emission
society
When thinking of a zero-emissions society, probably the first image that drops into our mind involves houses with solar panels and fields with wind turbines in the distance. This is definitely not a distant fantasy, but solar panels and wind turbines alone will not be sufficient in creating a carbon-neutral scenario. As a matter of fact, electric energy alone is not able to decarbonize industries that rely on a great amount of energy neither is it suitable for airplanes, ships, or, in some cases, cars. These are the so-called “hard to abate sectors” meaning that cutting emissions for these sectors is particularly challenging. Another issue is given by the fact that the cost of green energy is still higher than non-renewable resources as it is difficult to transport such energy from where it is produced to where it is needed for consumption. This is where hydrogen kicks in.
In order to cut down a great part of the costs for the
green energy transportation system, hydrogen can be produced by using green
electricity surplus (green hydrogen, remember?) and then redistributed where
needed. This is why many recent EU projects involve a strong connection and
partnership between the European continent and Africa. To give an idea, if only
0,8% of the Sahara desert’s surface was to be covered by solar panels, the
energy produced would be able to entirely satisfy Europe’s demand for energy.[4]
Transportation of such energy, though, could only be made possible thanks to
hydrogen. Furthermore, as mentioned before, some sectors, such as aviation,
cannot rely simply on solar power. Such power can be exploited in airplanes by
using hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
Why the “internet of energy”?
After briefly considering the potentials of this
extraordinary element, let’s see why Mr. Alverà sees hydrogen as the internet
of energy. At the very beginning of this article, it has been underlined how
hydrogen should not be considered as an energy source per se, but as a
way to carry and store energy. Hence it is wrong to consider hydrogen as a technology,
but it is actually a way to enable existing technologies.
Thanks to such peculiarity, hydrogen is able to connect all sectors of the economy and society while stimulating competition and innovation among sectors and geographical areas. Hence hydrogen will make energy more convenient, available and plentiful for a constantly growing world population and will represent the protagonist of a carbon-neutral revolution just like the internet did by revolutionizing the way information is shared.
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1259
[2] https://www.petrofac.com/en-gb/media/our-stories/the-difference-between-green-hydrogen-and-blue-hydrogen/
[3] https://www.petrofac.com/en-gb/media/our-stories/the-difference-between-green-hydrogen-and-blue-hydrogen/
[4] https://media.africaportal.org/documents/Backgrounder_No._4.pdf
