EVALOC – short for Evaluating Low Carbon Communities – is a three and a half year Research Councils UK (RCUK) funded research project led by the Low Carbon Building Group of the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development at Oxford Brookes University, alongside the Environmental Change Institute of University of Oxford. The research team is investigating six low carbon communities (already set up under the government's Low Carbon Communities Challenge) in terms of the impact, effectiveness and success of their changes in energy use on energy behaviours.<br> <br> BSRIA has supplied and installed Wi5 systems – wireless to ensure minimal inconvenience for the householders concerned – in 30 homes spread through the six communities. These will provide ongoing data on such subjects as temperature, humidity and carbon levels. BSRIA is also setting up sophisticated systems to monitor low carbon technologies – photovoltaic, air source heat pumps and solar thermal systems, in use in the communities.<br> <br> www.bis.fm