photo credit: phototouring
Cities represent the pinnacle of human achievement, and we are becoming increasingly urban to the extent that we have well crossed the 50% urbanization mark in the last decade. Cities are increasingly becoming big consumers of energy. There is a never-ending demand of energy for construction and running of housing and amenities, commercial and shopping spaces, and the ever so demanding knowledge production centres of the cities. All of them consume substantial amounts of energy. Similarly, transport and mobility needs in the ever so connected ‘global’ world consume energy and carbon to match the footprints of Industries. There have been disparate and sometimes conflicting attempts to mitigate the energy deficit and climate change that we face as a globe and more efforts are needed to address the energy and environment issues at not just the Federal/National level, but also at the local level.
It is therefore essential to start with an integrated outlook to the energy efficiency of cities. We need smarter spaces, spaces that function 24 hours, with minimum embedded energy and long service lives, accommodating multiple uses in different times and arranged in a fashion that avoids reliance on cars and polluting motorized transport. We need smarter grids, to cope with oblique curves in energy demand, cross-fed by renewable energy sources like solar energy to avoid peaking loads and hence less reliant on polluting small power plants. We also need an outlook to overall management of energy, especially in the municipal sector, whereby big heads like pumping, lighting, district heating/cooling (if applicable), sewerage and solid waste disposal can be less energy intensive. We need convergence between energy governance and democratic local governance, bringing the issues of energy to the mainstream of public debate. We need to see the world as one, where no city can waste at the expense of others and where a network of connected minds come together to tackle global problems of energy and environment.
Lets remember that we continue to consume and waste in the way we have been; there will be no earth to support us!
What is your one big idea for cities in 2012? Submit a blog post to info@theurbanvision.com along with a bio & Pic.
Tag Archives: energy efficient buildings
[caption id=”” align=”aligncenter” width=”500″ caption=”Treescraper Tower of Tomorrow …
Sustainable construction is now a frequently used term which simply means a common-sense approach to the property design and procurement. It is a synergy between the stake holder’s viz., designers, investors & developers, occupiers & builders which can result in improved building performance in all aspects and leading to sustainable benefits.
Energy is one of the tenets of sustainability. The operational energy use and associated emissions to air during the life of the building is 85 to 95% of the total energy and emissions (including that embodied in construction materials and used for maintenance). Saving energy reduces the use of natural resources as fuel, the need for additional power plants to generate electricity, and the energy and emissions associated with obtaining and using these fuel sources.
Buildings are designed to meet occupants’ needs for thermally comfortable, well-lit, well ventilated spaces. Energy in buildings provides for lighting, appliances and equipment, and service hot water. It is also used to condition interior spaces with ventilation and temperature control. Energy used for temperature control provides heating, cooling, and circulation.
One of the biggest challenges the architects are facing is to control the energy consumption in buildings. An intelligent building connects as many systems, devices, and applications as possible to a converged network. As more and more of these building systems begin to incorporate an Ethernet connection and begin to use Internet protocol (IP), the easier the connection to the converged network can be.
With that, building owners and facility managers can realize the benefits of network integration of the various systems, devices, and applications within their buildings, enabling them to cost effectively and more efficiently manage building operations for reduced business expenses and increased savings.
World Standards Day is celebrated on October 14th every year. The theme for the 2008 World Standard Day was “Intelligent and Sustainable Buildings”. Energy efficiency, safety, security and communication are issues that are crucial for the construction sector. It is felt that Sustainability principles combined with state-of-the art information and communication technology (ICT) will ensure that commercial, government and residential buildings meet these requirements.