Some Nest thermostats' support cut: The Reengineer Monitor #24

English homes flood risk, solar railways - and more!

Photo by Heatable. Shared under a CC Licence.

Heating and cooling

Google says it will remove support for first and second generation Nest thermostat models – and the company will also stop selling all Nest devices in the European Union.

The UK government has announced proposals to expand the grants available for heat pump installations, by extending those grants to cover air-to-air heat pumps as well as air-to-water devices. Air-to-air heat pumps are like air conditioning units that can supply both heating and cooling.

Buildings and infrastructure

I’ve mentioned 3D-printing as a rising method of house construction in the US before. Usually, this involves concrete, which may not be the most sustainable option. Now, a company in the US state of Maine has come up with a way of 3D-printing homes using sawmill wood waste and corn resin.