High tech to low, world's green methods are many
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/07/02/ecocities/?iref [2008-7-4]
Tag : century pear
Strong demand for solar technology in Germany has contributed to aglobal shortage of a key panel component -- silicon -- making solartechnology more expensive. Freiburg's mayor, Dieter Salomon, saidsolar power isn't necessarily the best energy choice.
"It's a symbol, it's not the big shot," he said. "Ithink the future of photovoltaic [solar energy] will be in the lessdeveloped countries."
Sieben Linden, the village in eastern Germany, mixes high- andlow-tech approaches. Some of its roughly 100 residents live inhomes built with little more than clay, wood and straw.
Straw bales coated with clay are put inside the homes' walls. Theinsulation reduces the need for powered heating and cooling, makingthe houses much more energy efficient than homes made with standardbuilding materials, according to village resident Martin Schlegel. Watch home construction in the village »
"The energy you save by [using straw] is sufficient to heatthis house 12 years, compared to a house built with normal modernmaterials," he said.
Those who worry about the straw easily catching fire should thinkagain, Schlegel said. He said that because the bales are tightlypacked, they don't ignite quickly.
"[Burning] a sheet of paper -- it is very easy. But try tolight a telephone book," he said, comparing the bales to thebook.
Straw-bale construction was used in Nebraska in the 19th century.The villagers of Sieben Linden take a more technological approach,fitting their homes with solar panels.
"Environmentally sound living always involves high tech,"villager Werner Dyck said. "The solar panels are high tech,and we have computers to make them even more efficient to manageour energy needs."
In China , government and Western developers plan to convert the rural areaof Wanzhuang, near Beijing, into an "ecocity" -- one ofthe nation's first.
The plan, according to United Kingdom-based developer Arup, is tohave the city running largely on renewable energy by 2020. Watch an explanation of developers' plans »
A tram system will be introduced to reduce residents' reliance oncars. About 300,000 more people will move to the area, which is nowknown for its pear orchards and is now home to 100,000 people.
The orchards will be preserved, and schools, offices and shops willbe placed in a manner to reduce travel needs, developers say.
Critics may note that the effort wouldn't be significant for China,citing estimates it opens a new coal power plant every week,emitting more environmentally damaging carbon.
Peter Head, an Arup architect, said the ecocity project isvaluable.
"If China doesn't pursue this modernization process usingecocities, its economic growth will become uneconomic," hesaid.
In the Middle East, the emirate of Abu Dhabi -- a major oil producer -- is spending $15 billion to make itselfan epicenter of green technology.
Part of its plans include building a 2-square-mile eco-community --called Masdar -- over the next 10 years. Air cooling alone is quitean energy-consuming task in the sunny Persian Gulf emirate, butdevelopers say the city can be run on energy from the sun, wind andbiofuels refined from plants and waste. Watch an explanation of the Masdar plan »
Water will be purified by solar power and recycled from the sea forboth consumption and farming. About 40,000 people will live there,and another 50,000 will work there, organizers say.
Abu Dhabi's green ambitions don't end with the city. It haspersuaded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create theMasdar Institute of Science and Technology, a graduate school andresearch institute focused exclusively on renewable energy.
Strong demand for solar technology in Germany has contributed to aglobal shortage of a key panel component -- silicon -- making solartechnology more expensive. Freiburg's mayor, Dieter Salomon, saidsolar power isn't necessarily the best energy choice.
"It's a symbol, it's not the big shot," he said. "Ithink the future of photovoltaic [solar energy] will be in the lessdeveloped countries."
Sieben Linden, the village in eastern Germany, mixes high- andlow-tech approaches. Some of its roughly 100 residents live inhomes built with little more than clay, wood and straw.
Straw bales coated with clay are put inside the homes' walls. Theinsulation reduces the need for powered heating and cooling, makingthe houses much more energy efficient than homes made with standardbuilding materials, according to village resident Martin Schlegel. Watch home construction in the village »
"The energy you save by [using straw] is sufficient to heatthis house 12 years, compared to a house built with normal modernmaterials," he said.
Those who worry about the straw easily catching fire should thinkagain, Schlegel said. He said that because the bales are tightlypacked, they don't ignite quickly.
"[Burning] a sheet of paper -- it is very easy. But try tolight a telephone book," he said, comparing the bales to thebook.
Straw-bale construction was used in Nebraska in the 19th century.The villagers of Sieben Linden take a more technological approach,fitting their homes with solar panels.
"Environmentally sound living always involves high tech,"villager Werner Dyck said. "The solar panels are high tech,and we have computers to make them even more efficient to manageour energy needs."
In China , government and Western developers plan to convert the rural areaof Wanzhuang, near Beijing, into an "ecocity" -- one ofthe nation's first.
The plan, according to United Kingdom-based developer Arup, is tohave the city running largely on renewable energy by 2020. Watch an explanation of developers' plans »
A tram system will be introduced to reduce residents' reliance oncars. About 300,000 more people will move to the area, which is nowknown for its pear orchards and is now home to 100,000 people.
The orchards will be preserved, and schools, offices and shops willbe placed in a manner to reduce travel needs, developers say.
Critics may note that the effort wouldn't be significant for China,citing estimates it opens a new coal power plant every week,emitting more environmentally damaging carbon.
Peter Head, an Arup architect, said the ecocity project isvaluable.
"If China doesn't pursue this modernization process usingecocities, its economic growth will become uneconomic," hesaid.
In the Middle East, the emirate of Abu Dhabi -- a major oil producer -- is spending $15 billion to make itselfan epicenter of green technology.
Part of its plans include building a 2-square-mile eco-community --called Masdar -- over the next 10 years. Air cooling alone is quitean energy-consuming task in the sunny Persian Gulf emirate, butdevelopers say the city can be run on energy from the sun, wind andbiofuels refined from plants and waste. Watch an explanation of the Masdar plan »
Water will be purified by solar power and recycled from the sea forboth consumption and farming. About 40,000 people will live there,and another 50,000 will work there, organizers say.
Abu Dhabi's green ambitions don't end with the city. It haspersuaded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create theMasdar Institute of Science and Technology, a graduate school andresearch institute focused exclusively on renewable energy.
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