Ch. IX, Ch. 9 Solar Cities-From Theory To Practice, p. 175 to 194

Ch. 9 Solar Cities-From Theory To Practice

a. oil/gas reserves are being depleted quickly
b. the very form, functions, and growth dynamics of our cities are largely due to their pervasive use of fossil fuels
c. 50 years, increase in fossil fuel consumption, >5x
d. 7% of the world’s total energy-nuclear reactors, hasn’t changed in many years
e. Energy slaves: US: 110, central Europe:60, Chinese: 8 
f. “Questioning a way of life based on fossil fuels seems almost unthinkable.”(176)
g. estimate: use fossil fuels faster: 1M times that of time to create
h. “The most pronounced difference between ecosystems and modern urban eco-technical systems is that the former are solar powered, whereas the latter are primarily powered by fossil fuels.”(176)
i. 1979, meltdown of a US nuclear reactor
j. Feed-In-Tariffs for renewable energy, employed by 46 countries
k. the clean energy industry, very little support from governments
l. fossil fuel: 1) benefits from economy of scale , 2) government support it received all over the years
m. carbon dioxide. climate change..
Gameplan:
1. give top priority to a quantum change in urban energy efficiency
2. adopt appropriate policies for renewable energy on a worldwide scale
3. link energy sustainability with local business and employment opportunities
4. “A canny combination of energy efficiency, combined heat and power, wind power, solar energy, fuel cell technology and new energy storage systems promise a clean and secure urban energy future.”
5. “In many countries wind energy, in particular has made serious inroads into the electricity market.”(179)
6. solar energy is catching up fast
a. 5M panels for 250,000 homes

Energy Efficiency:
a. “The know-how exists to bring urban energy use down by 50 per cent or more without significantly affecting living standards, while creating many new local jobs at the same time.”
b. reduce “global warming” and waste gas emissions
Goals:
1. conduct an energy and emissions inventory and forecast
2. establish an emissions target
3. develop and obtain approval for the Local Action Plan
4. implement policies and measures
5. monitor and verify results
and
1. reduced fuel bills for everyone
2. benefits to the national balance of trade through reduced imports
3. creation of new jobs in the local energy efficiency industry
4. preservation of fossil fuel reserves
5. alleviation of air pollution

Demand & Supply-Side
a. insulation programs in existing buildings & efficient energy use in new buildings and in lighting and transport systems are becoming commonplace
b. national planning regulations have improved the energy efficiency of homes in the UK
c. 2/3 low income residents in the UK don’t have basic insulation, 8M cannot afford to heat their homes, $1 billion in cold related illnesses yearly

Combined Heat & Power
a. significant energy conservation can be achieved by a combination of efficient energy use and by more energy efficient-energy supply systems
b. many far-off coal and gas powered coal stations > high-voltage power lines
c. CHP stations, Combined Heat & Power
d. provide heat, chilled water and electricity to urban buildings and factories
e. capture and distribute heat through district heating systems
f. can be fueled by gas, coal, oil, waste, wood chips, geothermal
g. Helenski: waste heat from local coal-fired power stations is used to heat over 90% of its buildings & factories
h. district heating: viable with compact development
i. energy systems that have NOT been privatized > useful synergies
j. “It appears that the largest improvements in power distribution and consumption are realized by cities with a municipality-owned electricity company, such as Toronto and Amsterdam.”(181)
k. CHP systems are becoming popular in the UK
l. CHP systems in office blocks, schools, hospitals, and hotels > considerable improvement in energy efficiency
m. CHP > useful to heat greenhouses

The Potential Of Solar Heat
a. more than 6,000 times the energy used by all of humanity reaches the earth’s surface in the form of solar radiation
b. use hot water & carbon dioxide from waste gases to enhance crop growth for year-round cultivation
c. solar energy systems > enormous reductions in fossil fuel use
d. solar hot water panels, mature technology
e. “the greatest barrier to the widespread uptake of solar power is lack of adequate knowledge.”(182)
f. “In many countries, the home buildings industry tends to install cheap and short-life conventional water heaters without regard for either their life cycles or environmental costs.”(183)
g. Barcelona, mandatory ‘solar ordinance’ for all new housing
h. Mediterranean: solar systems> commonplace
i. sunny countries, highly cost effective, not for cloudy Britain and Germany
j. Australia: solar has been growing by 30% annually

Solar Electricity, p. 184
a. the two most common sources of renewable electricity are wind power & solar power
b. highly complementary
c. solar: 8x more expensive than conventional energy
d. solar cells: 18% of energy that shines on them > electricity
e. photovoltaic cells used to power buildings directly & store surplus electricity in batteries for later use
f. Japan has been a leader in photovoltaic technology, has a lot of solar-housing estates
g. selling electricity back to the grid, $50 a month for the average Japanese person
h. the Japanese government encourages solar panels on rooftops
i. subsidies and tariffs for solar panels in Germany, even though its cloudy
j. 50 cents per kilowatt, 4x price paid to conventional electricity producers
k. environmental & social benefits of solar-generated electricity
l. small increase, hardly noticed in electricity costs
m. German Renewables Act, passed in 2000, goal of installing 1000 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity
n. 80 megawatts installed in 2001 and 2002
o. increased business in the German Renewables sector
p. Germany’s goal: 6.3% clean to 12.5% clean in 2010 and 20% clean by 2020
q. similar programs are being developed in Austria, Spain, France, and the Czech Republic
r. German legislation, would reduce payback period by 10 years
s. Sacramento, California: particularly dynamic solar program, installed 8 megawatts

Freiburg, S. Germany, 
a. city of 200,000 people
b. sustainable urban development
c. clever public transport system
d. proliferation of cycle lanes
e. 2x as many bicycles as cars
f. one of 1st cities in Europe to develop experimental solar buildings 
g. dozens of renewable energy research institutes, solar energy companies and consultancies, solar engineers, and architectural firms that specialize in solar design.
h. governments and urban authorities should vigorously encourage the installation of photovoltaic modules in our cities
i. every roof or facade is a clean-fuel power station waiting to come into use

Modern Wind Power, p. 188
a. wind power is a form of solar energy, the sun drives wind currents
b. at the beginning of the millennium, wind power was the world’s fastest growing energy industry
c. annual growth of over 22%
d. improvements in technology > much quieter windmills
e. Copenhagen-20% of its energy from wind-turbines in 2002
f. CA: Altamont Pass: 100s of wind turbines power LA and Desert Springs
g. Danish government: pioneer in supporting wind energy development
h. 2003, wind was 21% of energy utilized
i. 2030, Denmark wants 50% of its energy consumption from wind
j. Germany wants 20-25K megawatts by 2030, mostly from off-shore wind farms
k. UK, large coastlines > advantageous for large-scale, cost-competitive wind power
l. tidal power is making rapid progress
m. tidal tables can be used to project seasonal and daily power output
n. off-shore wind & ocean energy technology are promising to become an abundant resource worldwide
o. initially, the emphasis will be on electricity transmission, but as more wind farms are built, they could start using electrolysis to produce hydrogen to power fuel cell systems for vehicles and buildings, particularly for coastal cities

Fuel Cell Technology
a. fuel cells, powered by hydrogen, natural gas or methanol are rapidly coming of age
b. convert gas into electricity through an electrochemical process without combustion
c. large scale commercial production of fuel cells is likely to be occurring by around 2010
d. hydrogen is an energy carrier, not an energy source
e. the Arizona Public Service utility is experimenting with a solar-based hydrogen-generating system that looks like a space telescope
f. the sun’s radiation is collected in multiple solar dishes that power a hydrogen converter
g. the hydrogen it produces from water can be stored in tanks and distributed to consumers in the same way as natural gas
h. fuel engines don’t burn any fuel when stationary
i. Iceland is taking the lead regarding fuel cell technology
j. fuel cell technology is extremely versatile and suitable not only for powering buses, cars, trucks, and boats but also for use in stationary applications

Economic Benefits
a. environmentalists emphasize that the future health of the planet will depend on the large scale introduction of renewable energy
b. regulate the energy industry to improve generating efficiency
c. reduce discharge of waste gases
d. adopt renewables
e. will create new jobs
f. new policy frameworks can be created
g. creative approaches to customer information can be utilized
h. obstacles: cost, supply, installation know-how, planning, public awareness

A Sustainable, Local Energy Future
a. increased energy efficiency
b. sustainable energy systems
c. less subsidies for oil > fuel efficient cars, houses
d. invest in research & development of new energy technologies
e. need to foster a strong commitment to new research and development both by governments and private industries
f. in 30 years, solar installations, wind power, and fuel cell technology could provide most of the energy required to run our cities
g. fuel cells could power our cars and homes
h. governments and local authorities need to be persuaded to switch subsidies that prop up fossil fuel and nuclear power, to renewable energy instead
i. energy should be treated as something that is to be valued and used to meet our needs in ways that respect the realities of the natural world
j. a sustainable energy system suitable for the 21st century could help re-establish the crucial connections between energy, human well-being and the local environment, and could create many new local jobs.