The next wave in construction are ultra-sustainable buildings, which hit environmental goals that would have seemed inconceivable just ten years ago
Trondheim, Norway, a city of 180,000 just 200 miles from the Arctic Circle on the coast of the frigid Norwegian Sea, hardly seems an ideal location for harvesting energy from the sun and surrounding environment. But a new 200,000-square-foot office building there is producing nearly half a million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year—twice as much as the building uses. The extra energy is powering other nearby buildings and charging electric cars, buses and boats throughout the city.
These futuristic-seeming buildings promise to close a yawning gap in the world's efforts to slow climate change and mitigate its harms. About 40 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions come from the heating, cooling and lighting of buildings—and that's not including substantial emissions from the construction of conventional buildings. Sharply curtailing these emissions is an essential part of fighting climate change.
The motivation to use ultra-sustainable ideas in new commercial development—as well as to retrofit existing buildings to make them more sustainable—is economics. The costs of green technologies have been rapidly dropping. Solar energy, in particular, is becoming a better and better deal, falling in price about ten percent a year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Producing energy is only half the recipe for ultra-sustainability in new buildings or to bring higher levels of sustainability to existing buildings, notes ZGF's Berg."Energy generation is really the second step," she says."The first step is to reduce the amount of energy the building needs.
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
With the Ultra-Luxury Celestiq, Cadillac Tries to Regain Its MojoIf the product team got it right, you may hear people in the near future refer to the Celestiq as the Cadillac of Cadillacs.
Weiterlesen »
Harry Kane Rocked Patek Philippe’s Ultra-Precise Chronograph While Signing With FC Bayern MunichThe platinum timepiece features an indication to measure 10ths of a second.
Weiterlesen »
Apple Watch Ultra 2: all the latest rumors and what we want to seeThe Apple Watch Ultra 2 is almost here! Here are all of the latest Apple Watch Ultra 2 rumors, plus a few things we're hoping to see.
Weiterlesen »
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston had an ultra-luxe detail at their wedding, guest reveals'A lot of bucks there,' Rapaport said of Pitt and Aniston's wedding in 2000.
Weiterlesen »
Ultra-processed foods have a bad reputationThe relationship between ultra-processed foods and health isn’t as clear-cut as many make it seem, and in some cases eating such foods might actually be beneficial to health
Weiterlesen »
Tesla’s “ultra hardcore” work culture — as told by Tesla employeesTesla workers talk about injuries, fires, exhaustion, and racism.
Weiterlesen »