Month: October 2016

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN INDIA

THE POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINABLE POWER DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

SOLAR

On average India is said to have around 300 sunny days in a year. The theoretical solar energy received by India’s land mass is around 5000 trillion kilowatt-hours per year. This value is greater than the combined energy from all of India’s fossil fuel energy reserves. As of September 2016, the country’s solar grid has a capacity of 8626 MW. In addition to large scale harvesting of solar energy, India has utilised smaller scale technologies that run on solar power. Kerosene lanterns are being replaced by solar powered lanterns in rural India.

In 2013, Cochin International Airport in South India started its ambitious project of going completely off the public electricity grid. Three years later it became the first fully solar powered airport in the world. The solar plant comprises of 46,150 solar panels laid across 45 acres of land. This plant is capable of generating 50,000 kilowatts of electricity daily.  There are plans underway to double the electricity production by 2017.

Most of the project was constructed in six months and the $ 10 million spent on it is projected to be recovered in the six years following construction. This solar power plant will produce energy equivalent to that produced by burning 3 metric tonnes of Coal (India’s most common source of electricity).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLAfpn09cco

 

WIND

Since 1986 when the first wind farms were set up in India, the country has progressed to become the 4th largest harvester of wind energy in the world. India’s estimated potential for wind farms is said to be around 2000 GW per year. Wind power accounts for close to 3% of India’s total power generation capacity. Around 70% of the wind energy is harvested during the 5 months of monsoon between May and September.

HYDROELECTRIC

The exploitable hydroelectric power potential is estimated at around 148000 MW per year. As of 2016, the harvested capacity was around 40000 MW which was 14.35% of total utility electricity generation in India. Most of the harvested hydro energy is from power plants in North and West India. The hydro power potential in Central India is largely unexploited due to opposition from the local population.

Sites with the potential to develop smaller scale hydro projects (less than 25 MW) exist throughout the country. Pumped storage units have allowed better energy balancing during peak hours and better coordination with solar power generation.

BIO FUEL

Jatropha curcas plant seeds are the main source of bio-fuel in India. The seeds of the plant are rich in oil and have been used as a source of bio-diesel by rural communities for several decades. Along with being a renewable and cleaner source of energy; bio fuel generation and usage helps strengthen India’s economy by reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign fossil fuels. Indian government has announced a policy of 20% blending of transportation fuels with bio fuels by 2017. Part of the inspiration to use more bio-fuels comes from the need to reduce the amount of air pollution in urban environments. Transportation vehicles are seen as the largest contributors to the deteriorating air quality in some of India’s largest cities.

GOVERNMENT POLICY MEASURES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY

UNNAT JYOTHI by Affordable LED’s for All (UJALA)

The UJALA programme promotes replacement of inefficient incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs. Within the first year of this programme’s launch, 90 million LED bulbs were sold in the country reducing the electricity bills by US $820 million. The government’s target is to replace 770 million incandescent bulbs by 2019 with an annual estimated reduction of 20000 MW and savings of around US $5.9 billion in electricity bills alone.

JAWAHARLAL NEHERU NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION

JNNSM is an overarching goal to promote solar power generation. Some of the key components of this plan are:

  • Aggressive Research and Development into Solar Technology
  • Domestic production of Raw materials and components needed for solar power generation
  • Large scale goals for deployment of solar plants

Under this mission, capital costs of solar power station installation are subsidised. Subsidies are also offered for smaller scale solar technology implementation like PV water pumping systems for irrigation used in rural India.

STANDARDS AND LABELLING SCHEME

The S&L scheme is an attempt to curb the demand at the consumption level by enforcing certain standards for appliance manufacturers. All appliance manufacturers are required by law to label their products with a star rating system. Five stars for an appliance implies maximum efficiency for that product class. This system is intended to help consumers make more informed decisions on purchasing energy efficient appliances.

IDENTIFICATION OF SMALL HYDRO POWER SITES (LESS THAN 25 MW capacity)

This program is intended to encourage exploration and identification of small hydro power sites. Submission of a site plan and detailed project report on such sites will entitle the researching party for financial support of Rs. 6 lakhs for each project site identified below 1 MW; and Rs. 10 lakhs for each project identified over 1 MW. Various government agencies and local bodies are eligible to participate in this program.

 

 REFERENCES

 

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In Detail: The Mosaic Centre

In south Edmonton, you can find Canada’s first net-zero commercial building. The Mosaic Centre is 30,000 square feet and it generates as much energy on site as it consumes in a year. Sustainable practices and technology are showcased in this structure. The project scope has included considerations such as incorporating geo-thermal technology, installing photovoltaic panels and using the framework of Low Impact Development as they marked its place in the public realm. In many ways, this construction project had implemented many of the strategies outlined in this weeks lesson. [Quick Statistics: The Mosaic Centre – Complete in 2015, 10.5 million dollar project, 3 months ahead of schedule and 5% under budget]

Construction Practices – Integrated Design Process.  The design team focused on a collaborative approach to execute this project. This is crucial to sustainable design. Intersecting systems can support and accentuate benefits of the technology, and reduce the likelihood that the systems clash with one another.

Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency – To make such a large project come in Net-Zero, substantial amounts of work was put into making affordable, and energy efficient features throughout the building. This allows operations to continue within the building using less power. Both passive and mechanical systems are used to naturally light the space. Rather than feeding off the energy grid, this building produces the necessary energy to run on a daily basis. Since supply and demand of energy fluctuates throughout the year, excess energy produced on site is fed back into the utility grid (described as seasonal storage). This method of storage within the grid eliminates the need for battery banks. Those amounts of energy are fed back to the building when supply is low, but demand exists. This exchange between building and grid is incorporated into the net-zero analysis of the building.

Sustainable Power Supply and Renewable Energy Use – The generation of electricity can often time be very disruptive to the surrounding environment, and overall has a net output of carbon emissions. Carbon emissions from industry and commercial practices hugely contribute to these harmful emissions. The south west exterior wall and a portion of the roof have photovoltaic panels mounted for solar energy collection. This form of renewable energy was chosen after investigation of the multiple forms of renewable energy. Wind energy was not ideal, given the location, and thus solar energy became the single type used in this project.

Geo-thermal Heating and Cooling – Within the mechanical room, connections between external boreholes and the internal pipe system exist to make use of the geo-thermal system. The majority of the northern parking area is a geo-thermal field which helps to regulate the buildings temperature. In colder months, use of a high pressure glycol mixture allows access to available heat energy produced through the soil. Conversely, this same system serves to dissipate warm air during the hot months. Overall, the use of geo-thermal energy greatly decreased the number of solar modules needed for on-site electricity production.

Materials and Natural/Eco-Services – Wood was used as the primary building material for the Mosaic Centre. Wood features are presented well aesthetically and are exposed as architectural features to inspire future sustainable projects. Aside from the looks, use of wood sequesters carbon, reducing what would result in carbon emissions. Natural lighting and heat from the direct sunlight are also used to maintain a comfortable and well lit interior. Rainwater is collected on-site in a 25,000 litre storage tank. The water catchment design is not intended to fully cover the water demand, however it does supplement by contributing to the water supply. The main atrium also has a living wall,

Building Envelope –  High performance building design is used to optimize the intersecting systems within the building. A high quality building envelope allows air conditions to remain at the desired temperature. Other strategies, such as targeted shading and the reduction of interior structural loads, are in place to increase occupant comfort.

Education; Precedent Example and Presence in the Community – The structure itself is living proof that sustainable projects can be aesthetically pleasing, economically feasible, and socially conscious. Aims for certification (LEED Platinum and Certified Living Building) and recognition have also increased the visibility and credibility of this remarkable structure. It continues to contribute to environmental efforts while in service by the use of collaborative spaces built right into the structure. These spaces are used to hold and facilitate meetings for integrated teams working on projects with a sustainable focus. Its functionality, and accessibility in terms of transportation also point towards the buildings overall goal; to address sustainability in all design decisions. In analyzing and learning about this project, we can gain wisdom and momentum to initialize and effectively carry out the construction of net-zero commercial buildings.

Sources:
http://themosaiccentre.ca/how-we-did-it/
http://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/first-net-zero-office-building

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An Exploration of Germany’s Renewable Energy Revolution

Germany’s energiewende is an energy revolution that made them a leader in industrialized nations. As of today, 27% of Germany’s energy comes from renewable resources (more than twice that of the United States). They have pledge to reduce their carbon emissions by 40% by 2020, and 80% by 2050. This post explores the political, economical, and social situation that allowed such sweeping changes in the national energy system.

germany

 

Political

After the second world war, Germany was a divided nation. The German Green party came to power in 1980 amid nuclear power protests in West Germany and began bringing green ideology to the public’s attention. After Chernobyl exploded in 1986 one of Germany’s two major parties, the Social Democrats, joined the anti-nuclear cause. In 1998, these two parties formed a governing coalition. Two years later, a law was passed that guaranteed any renewable energy producer a price that more than covered costs, and the feed-in tariffs were guaranteed for 20 years. This provided the incentive needed for investors to start putting significant money into renewable energy.

Economical

Since the passing of the 2000 law, the tariff for a large new solar plant has fallen from 50 cents per kilowatt hour to just 10 cents per kilowatt hour. Over half of the investments in green energy have come from private citizens or local citizens associations. Further, no more of Germany’s gross domestic product is devoted to energy today than was in 1991. Instead, the money came from a surcharge on citizens electricity bills. The cost to the average user is about 18 euros a month, a not insignificant charge considering Germany already has the second-highest cost for electricity in all of Europe. However, despite these extra fees, the approval rating for energiewende from German citizens is an incredible 92%.

Social

Perhaps the most driving force for change in Germany’s energy production was the social climate. It began in the 1970’s, when serious harm to the nation’s forests from acid rain due to fossil fuel emissions caused widespread outrage. Germans place a high value on their undeveloped land, with their forests topping the list. Initially, the government proposed nuclear energy as a cleaner alternative energy source and it once produced a quarter of the country’s energy. However, when the disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima struck, the citizens pushed back hard. In 1975, a nuclear power plant was proposed to the town of Freiburg, sparking almost of decade of protests and occupying of the site. Today, Freiburg is a completely solar powered city, producing more energy than it uses. Germany has currently shut down 9 of it’s 27 nuclear reactors, with plans to close the rest by 2020. 

 

Reference:

Kunzig, R. (2015, October 15). Germany Could Be a Model for How We’ll Get Power in the Future. National Geographic.

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Summary of Sarte’ Sustainable Infrastructure: Energy

This is a summary of the reading in Sarte’s Sustainable Infrastructure focusing on the energy section (p.178-183).

Energy-Efficient Systems fro Communities 

All infrastructure and generation facilities must be designed to handle the evening hour peaks in energy demand plus a buffer for emergencies. Improving efficiency and balancing the peak loads are important to incorporate into a city and community scale projects. Here are some of the ways this can be done:

  1. Combine Heat and Power (Cogeneration) – ‘waste’ heat from producing electricity is used to heat water and make steam which can be distributed through pipes to heat buildings
  • Integrating these systems can reduce cost and greenhouse gas emissions
  • Ex. Copenhagen supplies hot water to 97% of the city by harvesting the heat from local clean-burning biomass plants
  1. District Heating- Shared heating systems
  • Effective in dense communities where steam doesn’t need to travel far
  • Reduces the community’s overall demand from the grid
  • Can be used with other heating sources but is more practical in colder climates
  • Ex. New York City has the largest commercial steam system
  1. District Cooling- distributing chilled water in pipes throughout dense neighborhoods for cooling
  • More efficient compared to single-unit air conditioning
  1. Trigeneration -similar to cogeneration with the addition of an absorption chiller that uses the steam to create cool air or water
  • Primarily used in warm climates where the cooling demand is higher
  • In some case it could be used to create district cooling networks in dense communities
  1. Smart meters and smart grids
  • Smart meters provided real-time reports on power use and demand which allows customers to see their electricity rates and adjust energy (Ex. thermostats) to reduce loads at peak times
  • Smart grids is the incorporation of smart meters into a community’s power network
  • Allow to reduce the total demand at peaks which can lead to the reduction of the capacity for the generators which increases the efficiency
  • Allows more renewable electricity to exist in the grid due to the better management and distributing of a variety of power
  • Improves overall reliability of the system

Accounting for Water as an Energy Use

  • Energy inputs occur when extracting, conveying, storing, treating, distributing and using water
  • Additional energy is required to collect, convey, treat, reuse or discharge wastewater
    • Pumping can be the most energy intensive part of the cycle
    • Transporting chemicals
    • Heating and lighting facilities
    • Electronic monitoring system
    • Transportation related to maintenance and monitoring
    • Construction of these infrastructures consumes energy
  • Laying pipes and building dams, sewer systems, and water treatment plants embodies the large amounts of energy
  • On-site water sources typically require less operational energy per volume of water compared to traditional water systems
    • Pumping demands are minimal
    • segregate water sources based on quality and each can be deliver to the appropriate demand with minimal treatment required (less energy to treat water)

Reducing Demand Through Transportation Changes

  • US dependency on automobiles has lead to a steady increase in energy required for transportation
  • In 2008, transportation accounted for 28% of overall energy use (almost equal to industry use 31%)
  • Transportation doesn’t only included automobiles
    • Need to consider energy efficient forms of transportation as the most effective modes of travel because people will travel which every way meets their needs the best

The Energy Impact of Automobiles

  • Automobiles and their infrastructure increase a project’s energy demands and capitals costs
    • Some examples of how roads increase energy demand and cost:
      • Take up a lot of space
      • Dark pavement soaks heat and can increase the local temperature which increase the cooling cost of buildings
      • in snowy climates, more energy spent on maintenance (plowing)
      • Drainage systems which embodied energy in the infrastructure, pumping demands and maintenance
      • Other infrastructure like traffic lights, signage and gas station embodied energy
      • Larger home footprint for parking
  • It can be more beneficial to look into other options for transportation other than automobiles
    • Sometimes using automobiles can out weigh the cost of designing around them
    • In order to reduce the impact of the automobiles there are saving opportunities that can be done including:
      • Adopting a two-part approach for alternative fuel: acquiring vehicles that run on alternative fuel and creating infrastructure to refuel those vehicles
  • Alternative fuel options include biodiesel, electricity, compressed natural gas and/or propane
    • Benefits:
      • Cleaner cars and reduce local pollution and global impact
      • Propane and natural gas burn cleaner (compared to gasoline)
      • Bio-diesel more sustainable fuel
    • Can be applicable for vehicle fleets that have a fixed route and parked in the same fueling and maintenance facility each night (ex. city buses, maintenance trucks, emergency vehicles)
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Sustainability through Acoustics

This week, one of the examples that was provided in the reading was regarding acoustics. While acoustic improvements may not initially be thought of as relating to sustainability, the field is gaining more traction within the industry. It is important to recognize that sustainability relates to the quality of an environment and its impact on human health. A healthy and enjoyable working environment, complete with appropriate acoustics, can reduce sick days, help prevent burn out, and lead to a happier more productive work force.

The Green Building Council has recognized the importance of this relationship and has implemented a pilot project whereby LEED credits are awarded for “sound” acoustic design 🙂

The promotional video below by MACH acoustics discusses a variety of strategies to mitigate noise ingress while maintaining a comfortable ventilated environment. These are listed below along with a brief description.

  1. Mechanical Ventilation – Not ideal. These use substantial energy to operate and can be loud themselves.
  2. Thermal Mass Storage – A good system in that it’s passive, but if rooms overheat the need for ventilation still exists.
  3. Cross Ventilation – Reduces the need for lots of open windows, but increases the sound transfer between rooms.
  4. Cross Talk Attenuators – Allow for cross ventilation, but block much of the associated sound transfer.
  5. Modified Window Design – This can reduce the ingress of noise while still allowing for natural ventilation.
  6. Attenuated Facades – Ideal for particularly noisy environments where ventilation is still necessary.

Don’t worry if you can’t hear anything when you play the video. It’s silent. Your personal acoustics are just fine!

Now, in case you thought acoustic design was straightforward, check out the studio where the New York Times recently recorded world renowned chef Massimo Bottura making his favorite childhood dish – Lasagna!

http://nyti.ms/2ebnWzB

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Eco-Friendly Lighting

 Eco-Friendly Lighting

Lighting is one of the most crucial features of any indoor space and is often overlooked. Eco-friendly lighting not only promotes more sustainable living, it also promotes optimal health and well being within individuals. Sustainable lighting within a building can be improved by the addition of a skylight or window to increase natural light, and by choosing reflective materials and colours for walls, ceilings and floors. These options not only increase your UVB exposure (great for improving vitamin D levels), but also if implemented during the design process can save on energy consumption.

Although daylight lighting is a more sought after approach for lighting sources, its not always realistic to assume that a building can get sufficient natural light (i.e. night time). There are various types of lighting commonly used in current building practices and a summation of these features (positive and negative) can be seen below:

 

Fluorescent Lamps

  • Last 10 to 20 times longer and are 3 to 5 times more efficient than incandescent lamps

 

Incandescent Lamps

  • Used mainly for accent features and specialty lighting
  • Lower energy efficiency and shorter lamp life

 

High-Intensity Discharge Lamps (HID)

  • One of the best performing and most efficient lamps for providing large areas with light or providing longer distances of light
  • Can replace the usual high pressure sodium lamps typically used outdoors as HID lamps are more effective in peripheral vision detection
  • Do not work well with occupancy sensors as they take some time to generate light once turned on

 

LED Lamps

  • Compared to incandescent lamps, it uses 75% less energy and lasts 25 times longer

 

Sources:

 

Fehrenbacher, J. (June 10, 2014). GREEN BUILDING 101: Environmentally Friendly Lighting for Health and Well-Being. Retrieved from

http://inhabitat.com/green-building-101-environmentally-friendly-lighting/

 

Nelson, D. (August 25, 2014). Energy Efficient Lighting. Retrieved from https://www.wbdg.org/resources/efficientlighting.php

 

(n.d.). LED Lighting. Retrieved from http://energy.gov/energysaver/led-lighting

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Passive Ventilation

“Design of Healthy Environments” explores many design principles and topics related to human health in indoor environments. I find this topic particularly useful and interesting as all of the topics pertain to buildings – specifically the subjects of structural engineering and building science –  which are the focus of my studies. This post explores some details of one of the “Design of Healthy Environment” topics, namely: passive ventilation.

Passive ventilation (sometimes refereed to as passive cooling) is a design approach to the management of internal building temperature that focuses on heat gain control and heat dissipation in a building through passive means in order to improve indoor conditions with minimal energy consumption. This is accomplished either by preventing heat from entering the building’s interior (known as heat gain prevention) or by removing heat from the building by promoting air movement or though diffusion through building surfaces. Methods to control indoor temperature can be broken into two broad categories – preventative techniques and heat dissipation techniques.

Preventative Techniques:

  • Micro-climate and Site Design: By accounting for the local climate and site location, specific cooling strategies/methods can be employed which are appropriate for the specific site.
  • Solar Control: By creating a shading system, solar gains can be effectively minimized. Shade can be cast on both transparent and opaque surfaces. Solar gains can also be minimized by using reflective surfaces on the building exterior, or painting the exterior white/light colours.

Heat Dissipation Techniques:

  • Cross Ventilation: This strategy relies on wind to pass through the building to cool the interior. Cross ventilation requires openings on two sides of the space, called the inlet and outlet. The sizing and placement of the ventilation inlets and outlets will determine the direction and velocity of cross ventilation through the building.
  • Stack Ventilation: This method relies on the buoyancy of warm air to rise and exit through openings located at ceiling height. Cooler outside air replaces the rising warm air through carefully designed inlets placed near the floor.
  • Night Flushing: This is a passive or semi-passive cooling strategy that requires increased air movement at night to cool the structural elements of a building. To execute night flushing, the building envelope typically stays closed during the day, causing excess heat gains to be stored in the building’s thermal mass. The building structure acts as a sink through the day and absorbs heat gains from occupants, equipment, solar radiation, and conduction through walls, roofs, and ceilings. At night, when the outside air is cooler and not too humid, the envelope is opened, allowing cooler air to pass through the building so the stored heat can be dissipated by convection.

 

Below is a diagram while clearly displays several methods of passive ventilation

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References:

http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/natural-ventilation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_cooling#Ventilation

http://www.windowmaster.com/solutions/natural-ventilation/passive-ventilation

http://www.level.org.nz/passive-design/ventilation/design-of-passive-ventilation/

 

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IDP: The Integrated Design Process

The IDP was first used in the early 1990s, by Canada’s C-2000 program (program supporting advanced, energy-efficient commercial building design) and IDEAS Challenge competition (multi-unit residential buildings challenge) to describe a more holistic approach to building design. In profesional practice, IDP has a significant impact on the makeup and role-playing of the initial design team. The client takes a more active role than usual, the architect becomes a team leader rather than the sole form-giver, and the structural, mechanical and electrical engineers take on active roles at early design stages. The team includes an energy specialist (simulator) and possibly a bio-climatic engineer. Depending on the nature of the project, a series of additional consultants may also join the project team from the outset.

Some of the key advantages of the IDP are cited below:

  • Goal-driven with the primary goal being sustainability, but with explicit subsidiary goals, objectives and targets set as a means to get there.
  • Facilitated by someone whose primary role is not to produce the building design or parts of it, but to be accountable for the process of design.
  • Structured to deal with issues and decisions in the right order, to avoid locking in bad performance by making non-reversible decisions with incomplete input or information.
  • Clear decision-making for a clearly understood methodology for making decisions and resolving critical conflicts.
  • Inclusive—everyone, from the owner to the operator, has something critical to contribute to the design and everyone must be heard.
  • Collaborative so that the architect is not simply the form-giver, but more the leader of a broader team collaboration with additional active roles earlier in the process.
  • Holistic or systemic thinking with the intent of producing something where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and which may even be more economic.
  • Whole-building budget setting—allows financial trade-offs, so money is spent where it is most beneficial when a holistic solution is found.

Below is a graphic representation of the IDP Process:

2016-10-17

References:

http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/efficiency/buildings/eenb/integrated-design-process/4047

http://iisbe.org/down/gbc2005/Other_presentations/IDP_overview.pdf

http://www.infrastructure.alberta.ca/content/doctype486/production/leed_pd_appendix_7a.pdf

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MEASURES OF SUSTAINIBILITY APPLIED TO THE CIRS BUILDING AT UBC

MEASURE 1: Design & Innovation

CIRS is aimed at being a regenerative building whose existence will improve the quality of the environment. This building contributes to reducing the energy use and carbon emissions. The building sequesters more carbon than the construction and decommissioning of the building will produce overtime.

MEASURE 2: Regional/ Community Design

Roof of the building is designed to be a self sustaining ecosystem where the vegetation includes indigenous plants for local birds and insects.

MEASURE 3: Land use and site ecology

The area of land that CIRS is built on improves the quality of the surrounding environment. It cleans the water it receives, captures heat that would otherwise be emitted to the environment and harbours vegetation that enriches the surrounding ecosystem.

MEASURE 4: Bio-climatic Design

Much of the heating in CIRS comes from the ground and from the heat exhausts from the building next door. Significant amount of the ventilation is from wind and a large part of the electricity is from the sun. This is really a building that survives within the natural flows of the environment.

MEASURE 5: Light and Air

Building is oriented to make optimal use of the daylight received by the site. The higher location of the windows allows for deeper penetration of the daylight into the interior spaces of the building. Solar shades and spandrel panels help control the glare and heat gain from the sun.

MEASURE 6: Water Cycle

All the water used in the building comes from the rain and the water leaving the building is of a better quality than the rain that is received on the roof. CIRS cleans the quality of the water and achieves a net positive in terms of water quality.

MEASURE 7: Energy flows and future energy

Uses geo exchange and solar energy. Uses waste heat from the Earth and Ocean Sciences building next door and captures the energy that would other wise be emitted to the environment.

MEASURE 8: Materials and construction

Wood used for the main structure of the building sequesters 600 tonnes of carbon. This is more carbon than the emissions from all the other construction materials, construction processes and decommissioning and the end of the lifetime of the building.

MEASURE 9: Long life, loose fit

CIRS is designed with ecological, social and economic rationale. Not only does it aim to improve the quality of the environment overtime it also aims to improve the health of its occupant. Flexibility, modularity, adaptability and expandability principles were included in the design of CIRS to ensure that it can adapt to new uses and respond to future space configuration requirements without the need of expensive and wasteful renovations.

MEASURE 10: Collective wisdom and feedback loops

In many ways CIRS is a research project that is intended to identify which processes and techniques work well and which ones have more scope for improvement. Research and observations of the way the building functions and interacts with the environment are ongoing and this knowledge will be used to improve sustainable designs of buildings in the future.

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Exploration of Sonoma Mountain Village

The overarching goal of the Sonoma Mountain Village development is to provide a place for work and play within the community, while simultaneously promoting as much re-use as possible. Concepts such as, walking as the main mode of transportation, renewable energy, innovative use of building material, and natural heating/cooling systems will be explored.

Walking as the main mode of Transportation

The Sonoma Mountain Village development is designed in such a way where reliance on vehicles and busses are reduced or eliminated altogether. By building a core of places to shop and work within the centre of the development, the marketplace and theatre are more accessible than before. This approach can reduce the carbon footprint by approximately 90%.

Renewable Energy Source

Solar panels are used extensively at the Sonoma Mountain Village development. To provide a sense of scale, currently Sonoma Mountain Village provides 3 Megawatt (MW) of power, which is enough to sufficiently power approximately 1000 homes. Subsequently, the solar power extracted can be utilized to provide heating and cooling via a geo-exchange system. The natural temperature within the ground stays consistent around the year; heating is provided when the temperature of the home is cooler than the sub surface, and cooling is provided when the temperature of the home is warmer than the sub surface. The heating/cooling is then pumped into the building powered by solar energy; as a result, no burning of fossil fuels is required and thus further lowering carbon emissions.

Innovative Use of Building Material

Prior to construction at the Sonoma Mountain Village development, the main building material was required to be renewable, and had to have high constructability. Metal from cars could be recycled and remodeled into modular panels, and eventually the building that was created from these panels could be remolded for future use on another project. It takes approximately 8 recycled vehicles to build a single-detached family home.

Modular panels are also easier to transport, and because they are pre-fabricated in the factory, the actual construction process will be easier on site. Not only will construction be faster, but sediment and debris control on construction sites will be greatly reduced, which will reduce downstream contamination due to stormwater runoff.

By utilizing large existing buildings – such as the existing technology campus – the Sonoma Mountain Village already begins the project with sustainability in mind prior to construction. This will reduce a significant amount of waste from demolition, transportation of un-useable, and transportation of new material.

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