solar panels

Masdar: 1001 nights sustainable venture

Astrid Svane — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:08:57 +0000

The first step in the construction of Masdar is a 40-60 MW solar array located just outside the city walls – in the Arabian desert. The array will initially provide the construction operation with sustainable energy and later the town itself. The town's water resources will come from the water table and will be desalinated using solar-generated electricity. Thermal heating will also be used and all waste will be composted or recycled. Some food will be grown in local greenhouses and vertical gardens.

Hammarby Sjöstad: Integrated sustainability as a main focus

Astrid Svane — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:45:29 +0000

Close to lakes, canals and the Baltic Sea lies Hammarby Sjöstad, a 250 hectare area located on a former industrial site. The project came into being partly because of a shortage of housing, and partly in connection with Stockholm's desire to post the 2004 Olympics. Stockholm did not secure the Olympics, but construction was already well under way and continued as planned. Some 8,500 flats have already been built and the plan is that when Hammarby Sjöstad is ready in 2017, approximately 26,000 people will live there in 11,000 flats.

Manchester: Green Building secures reduced carbon emissions

Maria Nørlyng Leal — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:45:20 +0000

The Green Building has 32 flats, a medical clinic and a private daycare institution for 120 children. The 11-story building stands out in the cityscape with its distinctive architecture, wind turbines and solar panels on the roof. A number of environment technology solutions help to reduce carbon emissions by 60% compared to those of an average residential property.

A report from the Mayors Climate Summit

Fredrik Gyllenhoff — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:51:47 +0000

Mayors representing more than 80 cities around the world have been at the Mayors Climate Summit the last few days. Representing more than half the world’s population, these leaders have more than just a periphery responsibility.

Copenhagen: From gasometer to knowledge centre

Astrid Svane — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:16:50 +0000

On the edge of Valby Park in Copenhagen V stands one of the city's landmarks - a 108 metre-high cylindrical gasometer in traditional gas-blue. The structure once held 200,000 m³ of gas in one massive compartment. Natural light enters the gasometer at the top through biunique skylights, revealing the interior surface of the structure, which is rather like black mother-of-pearl. For 40 years, oil was pumped down the gasometer’s massive piston, leaving behind deposits which reflect the daylight.

Boulder: Smart Grid City

Astrid Svane — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:25:59 +0000

Xcel energy, the United States' largest public electricity supplier, together with partners, has invested USD 100 million in the Bolder Smart Grid. The system is currently under construction. When the first phase has been installed in September 2010, some 10,000 homes in Boulder will have an intelligent electricity meter, a so-called Smart Meter.

Dongtan: The world’s first large-scale eco-city?

Maria Nørlyng Leal — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:52:25 +0000

In 2005, the Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC) hired the consultancy Arup to design a city which would exclusively use sustainable energy, be self-sufficient and reduce energy consumption by 66% in relation to its neighbour Shanghai. The plan is for Dongtan to house 500,000 people from rural areas.

Rizhao: Mainstreaming solar energy on city level

June-Catherina Starling — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:17:37 +0000

The city of Rizhao combines incentives and legislative tools to encourage the large-scale, efficient use of renewable energy, especially solar energy. 99% of Rizhao’s households use solar water heaters. In the suburbs and villages, more than 30 percent of households use solar water heaters, and over 6,000 households have solar cooking facilities. Almost all traffic lights, street lights and park illuminations are powered by photovoltaic solar cells.