The following is a short story about how stupid questions can change the course of an entire industry. And about how ingenious ideas can encounter opposition because they appear too good to be true.
It is essential that Norwegian towns and cities become climate-neutral. But how do we get this done? On the site of the old Oslo airport at Fornebu, researchers are demonstrating how real transformation can be implemented in practice.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) has commissioned a team of SINTEF researchers to measure the respective health impacts of walking, cycling and the use of e-scooters to get to work.
Many people can manage very well by using their cars less. But for this to happen, housing developments must be planned to make it easier. Astrid Bjørgen has been studying how this can be achieved.
Just two seconds of distraction from the traffic doubles the chances of an accident. Screen-based navigation is the cause of most concern.
It looks as though they might be. According to SINTEF, many of them exhibit properties that are at least as good as new timber. This is good news for materials reuse.
Only one in three Norwegian municipalities monitors accessibility in its schools. The Norwegian Association for the Disabled is demanding urgent action.
No one likes sitting in a traffic jam. Research shows that the average Norwegian motorist is willing to fork out almost 100 kroner in order to spend one hour less in traffic. But traffic congestion can also be mitigated.
More green roofs and facades will help to create more space for natural habitats in our urban environments. A new set of guidelines has been prepared for those of us looking to green our roofs.
Is it possible to build greenhouses on the moon without transporting any materials from Earth? Researchers at NTNU Social Research and SINTEF believe it is, and are assisting the European Space Agency (ESA).
Students, researchers and the building industry are collaborating to adapt our homes to climate change. And they’re identifying solutions that hadn’t been obvious before.
Researchers are testing and protecting old brickwork as their contribution to the renovation of the heritage building Sophies Minde in Oslo. Results indicate that much of this material can be reused.
Families who obtained help to purchase their homes improved their lives in many ways. But outcomes were not so positive for those renting as part of affordable housing allocation schemes.
Results from a major study may contribute towards developing windows that can withstand harsher climatic conditions involving heavier rainfall and stronger winds. Because that’s exactly what we can expect in the future.
Road pricing may soon be replacing toll charges on Norwegian roads. But researchers still don’t know if this will help to reduce and regulate road traffic.
Energy efficiency measures in buildings can offer Norway a three-fold benefit – by contributing to avoiding an energy deficit and high electricity prices, and to achieving its stated climate change mitigation targets for 2030 and 2050.
Recent research indicates that the best environmental solution is in fact to install less insulation in our homes and consume more electricity for heating. But first, some preconditions have to be met.
Groundbreaking projects funded by Norway demonstrate that foreign aid can help to combat both poverty and environmental problems. One result is that uncontrolled plastic waste may become a resource for the cement industry.
Urban growth, densification and climate change are putting increasing pressure on our water drainage systems. We now need better systems to manage the increasing number of uncontrolled stormwater events.
Up until now, car manufacturers and others have been recommending using electricity from the grid to warm up your car on cold winter mornings because this will save the battery and ensure maximum range. But research is showing that this isn’t always necessary. Nor does it save you money.
The addition of slag has been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from concrete manufacture by more than 95 per cent. Researchers have now discovered that the concrete delivers.
SINTEF is recommending that parking spaces should be made wider – because passenger cars are getting bigger, and the number of civil actions relating to parking is on the increase.
Researchers are on the lookout for the perfect learning environment. Perhaps the traditional classroom should be giving way to new approaches?
SINTEF researchers have been testing different types of water distribution cabinets. Cabinets that combine the distribution of both domestic tap water and water for floor heating, are now shown to represent an unnecessary risk of Legionnaires’ disease.
