Archinect - News

A heat pump revolution could bring much-needed building decarbonization

2023-02-06T12:09:00-05:00

By 2030, around a quarter of UK buildings should be heated using them, according to the UK government's climate advisory body, rising to 52% by 2050. Electrifying heating will also be key to decarbonising buildings in the US, says Melissa Lott, director of research at the Centre on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. One study in San Francisco referred to heat pumps as the "single most impactful lever" to reducing emissions.

Communal heatmains can be used to overcome the challenges of digging expensive boreholes for heat pumps in private homes and urban apartment blocks where most of the UK’s population resides. The country’s push to heat half of its homes using heat pumps, which are evolving, puts it squarely in line with Germany and other states looking to leverage the technology in the interest of achieving sustainability goals.

A recently-announced New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) design contest is also attempting to tackle the affordability issue with window-frame prototypes that cost no more than $3,000 per unit and can be installed in less than two hours.

AL_A moves forward on world’s first magnetized fusion power plant in UK

2023-01-16T12:06:00-05:00

AL_A has been granted permission to construct the world’s first magnetized fusion power plant. The Culham Science Centre facility, to be located in Oxford, UK, is anchored by a 125-foot-tall cylindrical fusion hall wrapped in a translucent facade.

The scheme was first unveiled in August 2021, commissioned by the Canadian energy company General Fusion in collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

Unlike traditional nuclear fission stations, which generate energy by splitting atoms, the fusion process involves merging two atoms to generate vast amounts of energy without the highly radioactive waste associated with nuclear fission. Last month, US scientists announced a major breakthrough in the process through a fusion experiment that released more energy than was inputted by the lab’s equipment.

Image credit: AL_A

For AL_A’s plant, the central cylindrical fusion hall is surrounded by a radial arrangement of support systems, all of which are equidistant from the core. In our 20...

Heat pumps may hold the key to Germany's energy independence this winter

2022-12-06T12:08:00-05:00

After decades of heating their homes with relatively cheap Russian natural gas, Germans are facing exorbitant prices for energy. The search is on for an alternative source of warmth that is climate-friendly and free from natural gas. Enter, the heat pump.

The prohibitive price of units and installation is being covered by the government up to €60,000 ($63,000 USD). Still, it lags behind the Netherlands and other European counterparts in terms of the total number currently used across the country. Most estimates place contemporary heat pumps in the 250%-550% efficiency range (compared to 80% for traditional gas boilers), according to a report conducted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Some DIY-ers are installing the pumps on their own, though companies like Valliant are trying to stay on top of the issue by establishing training centers to account for an estimated shortage of 175,000 skilled workers. The government says its goal is to install 500,000 pumps per year starting in 2024. Beginning in January, a banon new heating systems powered by less than 65% renewables will kick in.

New standard for verifying UK buildings as net-zero carbon on the horizon

2022-06-01T17:02:00-04:00

A cross-industry coalition, representing stakeholders across the built environment, has come together to develop a standard for verifying buildings in the UK as net-zero carbon.

Called the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, it provides a single, agreed methodology for proving built assets are net-zero carbon and in line with the UK’s climate targets. The leading industry organizations behind this initiative include BBP, BRE, the Carbon Trust, CIBSE, IStructE, LETI, RIBA, RICS, and UKGBC.

The metrics used to evaluate net-zero carbon performance will include energy use, upfront embodied carbon, and lifecycle embodied carbon, along with space heating/cooling demand and peak load. The Standard will cover both new and existing buildings with performance targets that align with Britain’s 2035 emissions target to reduce by 78% and its 2050 net-zero target. It will also cover the procurement of renewable energy and the treatment of residual emissions, including carbon offsetting. The ...

USA’s largest offshore wind farm gains final approval, while world’s largest is announced by South Korea

2021-05-12T11:04:00-04:00

The United States has given final approval for what will be the largest offshore wind power project in the country’s history. The “Vineyard Wind” project will see as much as 84 wind turbines built 12 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. When completed, the project is expected to provide renewable energy for 400,000 homes and businesses, and supply over 2% of the energy needed to meet the country’s goal of generating 30 gigawatts from offshore wind by 2030.

The 800-megawatt project will be only the third offshore wind project to be built by the United States, after the 30-megawatt project at Block Island Wind, and a minor test project off the coast of Virginia. The USA’s lack of experience in offshore wind construction means there is currently a shortfall in infrastructure to produce turbines and blades, and the transport infrastructure needed to relocate them to the offshore sites. The Vineyard Wind project could serve as a catalyst for the development of this infrastructure and bo...

First Look at 'River Green Power' a six-acre green energy hub from SHoP Architects

2021-03-24T12:28:00-04:00

Located at Vernon Boulevard and 43rd Street, Teitelbaum believes his $250 million, six-acre project designed by SHoP Architects will provide thousands of jobs while cutting carbon emissions by 70 percent and supplying energy to the Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing complex in the country. The project would also see the construction of a "RiverLInC Greenway" connecting the Long Island City waterfront to Roosevelt Island.

New research shows potential in storing energy in red bricks

2020-08-12T21:41:00-04:00

Imagine plugging in to your brick house.

Red bricks — some of the world’s cheapest and most familiar building materials — can be converted into energy storage units that can be charged to hold electricity, like a battery, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis.

Brick has been used in walls and buildings for thousands of years, but rarely has been found fit for any other use. Now, chemists in Arts & Sciences have developed a method to make or modify “smart bricks” that can store energy until required for powering devices. A proof-of-concept published Aug. 11 in Nature Communications (and pictured above) shows a brick directly powering a green LED light.

“Our method works with regular brick or recycled bricks, and we can make our own bricks as well,” said Julio D’Arcy, assistant professor of chemistry. “As a matter of fact, the work that we have published in Nature Communications stems from bricks that we bought at Home Depot right here in Brentwood (Missour...

DOE invests $74 million to develop innovations in building and construction

2020-02-18T19:00:00-05:00

Last week the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced its investment of $74 million "for 63 projects to research, develop, and test energy-efficient and flexible building technologies, systems, and construction practices to improve the energy performance of our Nation's buildings and electric grid."

The investment comes in light of the fact that America's buildings use more energy than any other sector in the country, making up 40 percent of total energy use and almost 75 percent of the nation's electricity consumption.

"DOE is accelerating its quest to improve the energy productivity and flexibility of America’s residential and commercial buildings," said Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel R Simmons in a statement. "We’re renewing our commitment to develop state-of-the-art building technologies that will empower Americans with more options to enhance buildings performance quickly without disruption to their lives."

California poised to ramp up its geothermal capacity

2020-01-28T16:21:00-05:00

After years of playing third fiddle to solar and wind power, geothermal energy is poised to start growing again in California. [...] The new plants will be the first geothermal facilities built in California in nearly a decade — potentially marking a long-awaited turning point for a technology that could play a critical role in the state’s transition to cleaner energy sources.

The Los Angeles Times on California's efforts to increase, potentially double, the share geothermal energy contributes to the state's electricity mix by adding new plants.

Traditionally, the much higher upfront cost of geothermal plants (compared to solar or wind farms of comparable capacity) outplayed the technology's big advantage of generating dependable emission-free, renewable electricity regardless of weather conditions above ground.

With more plants going on line in coming years, hopes are that kilowatt-hour prices of geothermal-generated electricity will drop enough to help California reach its ambitious goal of 100% renewable-powered energy by 2045.

The American Institute of Architects, California announces the launch of the 9th annual Architecture at Zero competition

2019-12-13T14:12:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by Architecture at Zero

*Competition Update: Registration and Submission deadline is May 20, 2020 at 6pm PST

The American Institute of Architects, California (AIACA) announces the launch of the ninth annual Architecture at Zero competition for zero net energy (ZNE) building designs. The competition is open for entries from students and professionals worldwide.

This year, AIACA partners with the San Benito County Free Library in Hollister, CA. ZNE structures are designed from the start to be energy efficient and offset the energy they consume through onsite renewable energy generation such as rooftop solar. Winners are chosen by a panel of international experts and awarded up to $25,000 in total prizes.

“The American Institute of Architects, California is excited to collaborate on this important initiative that affirms the role of architects in leading efforts to use design to curtail climate change,” said Benjamin Kasdan, AIA, AIACA President.

The competi...

Denmark rolls out ambitious plans for 10 GW energy islands to meet climate goals

2019-12-13T14:05:00-05:00

Denmark is developing plans to build “energy islands” – areas of reclaimed land that would host vast wind farms able to generate up to 10GW of electricity, 8.8GW more than the largest offshore wind farm now in existence. The cost of the project or projects has been put at between $20bn and $45bn, most of which is expected to come from the private sector, with the government funding research and development.

With 41% of its national energy mix already generated by wind turbines, Denmark leads the field in Europe in terms of percentage. A recently passed National Climate Act signals further commitment to set bold and legally binding emission reduction goals.

World's biggest nuclear fusion project completes civil engineering work on Tokamak Building

2019-11-13T15:29:00-05:00

A Vinci-led consortium [...] completed civil engineering works on the high-spec building that will house the world’s largest fusion machine, called a “tokamak”, which scientists hope will start replicating the sun’s energy by the middle of the next decade. [...] The 73-metre-high, 120-metre-wide structure required highly specific concretes. Teams developed about 10 formulations to shield staff and the environment from fusion-generated radiation.

Building a tokamak machine to exploit fusion energy similar to our sun is no simple engineering feat: the building will house reactions that happen at extremely high temperatures, around 150 million degrees Celsius, fusing hydrogen nuclei when they reach the plasma state, thus releasing enormous amounts of energy in the process.

ITER, the international organization tasked with operating and subsequently dismantling the experimental facility, hopes to maintain its ambitious First Plasma target in 2025.

Image via VINCI/Twitter

"Some parts of the Tokamak Building also called for steel reinforcement density rarely used on projects on this scale (up to 10 times the density of an apartment building wall)," explains a statement released by French contracting giant VINCI.

"[...] access to the heart of the Tokamak Building required customized production of 46 heavy nuclear doors. Each 70-tonne door is manufactured in Germany, brought to the site, filled with concrete and assembled in the hea...

Energy derived from anaerobic digestion could fuel the future

2019-08-17T07:00:00-04:00

U.S. investors are beginning to smell an opportunity in the waste-to-energy market, where livestock dung and food garbage is traded. Interest is being fueled by new state laws and by demand from companies such as UPS Inc. After a lull in investor interest stretching back a decade, attention to “anaerobic digestion” waste-to-energy is surging in the United States, developers in the sector have said.

Australia plans to power Singapore with their new $20bn solar farm

2019-07-17T20:30:00-04:00

The desert outside Tennant Creek, deep in the Northern Territory, is not the most obvious place to build and transmit Singapore’s future electricity supply. Though few in the southern states are yet to take notice, a group of Australian developers are betting that will change. If they are right, it could have far-reaching consequences for Australia’s energy industry and what the country sells to the world.

Singapore is already considered to be one of the "greenest cities" in Asia and perhaps soon the world. With plans to have at least 80% of its buildings green by 2030, steps to make this goal a reality are well underway. Although obstacles like lack of cooperation from developers and investment companies are prevalent, Singapore aims to increase its green initiatives and alternative energy usage thanks to solar power. Sun Cable is pitching to be the "world's largest solar farm," according to a recent article in The Guardian.

Environment editor Adam Morton writes, "If developed as planned, a 10-gigawatt-capacity array of panels will be spread across 15,000 hectares and be backed by battery storage to ensure it can supply power around the clock. Overhead transmission lines will send electricity to Darwin and plug into the NT grid. But the bulk would be exported via a high-voltage direct-current submarine cable snaking through the Indonesian archipelago to Singapore."

Developers from ...

What will become of retired coal-fired power plants? A new "playbook" outlines a plan

2019-07-05T18:35:00-04:00

Nearly 300 coal-fired power plants have been "retired" since 2010, according to the Sierra Club. It's a trend that continues despite President Trump's support for coal. That has left many communities worried that those now-idled places will simply be mothballed.

In an NPR segment, which aired in May, Jeff Brady discusses the Department of Community and Economic Development's plans to reuse and redevelop retired coal plants. Plans of action are listed in a "playbook" that outlines the attributes of listed coal plants and the pros and cons of each site. Through these assessments, it will help the Department realize what types of business would be an appropriate fit to relocate there. With the increased number of coal plants shutting down opportunities for coal cities will change for the better thanks to plans of introducing new businesses to the area by promoting these unused sites.

Examples of the playbook in action are happening now in the small Pennsylvania town of Shamokin Dam. The coal-fired plant in town provided power for over six-decades before it was shut down in 2014. However, with the Department's new plans for redevelopment, the once forgotten site is teeming with activity. In the segment Brady shares, "Environmental groups cheer...

The Land Art Generator Initiative encourages designers to be a part of the great energy transition

2019-03-14T14:58:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by The Land Art Generator Initiative

What does the future of renewable energy look like? As the world comes together over the next decade to meet the challenge of global climate change, solar, wind, and other renewable energy installations will be distributed across rooftops, farmlands, vacant lots, and sites of every kind and scale around the world, having an impact on our cities and rural landscapes like nothing else since the construction of the automobile superhighways of the twentieth century.

While the vast majority of this new infrastructure will be utilitarian installations designed to meet the most competitive cost per kilowatt-hour, the great energy transition also offers the opportunity—for cherished places, sensitive sites, and when community engagement is key to long-term project success—to think creatively about how clean energy technology can weave itself into the cultural landscapes of our cities. When future generations look back at this ...

Carbon-free nuclear fusion power within reach, according to MIT

2018-03-09T13:55:00-05:00

The dream of nuclear fusion is on the brink of being realised, according to a major new US initiative that says it will put fusion power on the grid within 15 years. The project, a collaboration between scientists at MIT and a private company, will take a radically different approach to other efforts to transform fusion from an expensive science experiment into a viable commercial energy source.

Potentially an inexhaustible and carbon-free source of energy, the dream of making fusion power commercially viable appears to be getting a lot closer, according to a new announcement from researchers at MIT this morning.

"Fusion is the true energy source of the future, as it is completely sustainable, does not release emissions or long-term waste, and is potentially inexhaustible," said Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Italian energy company Eni which is currently collaborating with MIT on the project. "It is a goal that we are increasingly determined to reach quickly."

The research team is confident to have a first working reactor up and running within 15 years.

Extensive windfarm island plans in the North Sea may be a design solution

2018-01-03T16:04:00-05:00

Britain’s homes could be lit and powered by windfarms surrounding an artificial island deep out in the North Sea, under advanced plans by a Dutch energy network. The radical proposal envisages an island being built to act as a hub for vast offshore windfarms that would eclipse today’s facilities in scale. Dogger Bank, 125km (78 miles) off the East Yorkshire coast, has been identified as a potentially windy and shallow site.

Plans by TenneT, the Dutch power grid, aim to build a power hub potentially at Dogger Bank, a site in the North Sea, at a scale that far surpasses current offshore sites. A long-distance cable would send energy to the UK and Netherlands, with other countries possibly added later. Early studies were released stating this solution could be far cheaper than conventional windfarms.

The North Sea windfarm plans are a potential solution to the industry’s challenge of continuing to make offshore wind cheaper. As these sites are pushed further and further off the coast the expense grows, while closer and cheaper areas near land fill up.

Check out the promo video by TenneT:

How glass buildings are making fighting climate change harder

2017-07-18T13:26:00-04:00

Permissive building codes, industry inertia, and market demands — like clients clamoring for floor-to-ceiling views — have widened the discrepancy between the kind of buildings cities say they want and what they actually allow. So while the industry inches towards better environmental performance, buildings in Boston and other cities still fall short of the sustainability goals that everyone claims to embrace.

Courtney Humphries of Boston Globe argues that the current trend for extensive use of glass in buildings contradicts today's strive for sustainability and "green building." When New York started tracking energy use by skyscrapers, the gleaming 7 World Trade Center — one of that city’s more efficient glass towers — scored worse than the 1930s-era Empire State Building."

Taking a lot of energy to heat and cool, glass buildings do not fit well with most climates. "Unlike opaque walls, glass allows heat to pass in and out easily. A 2014 report from the Urban Green Council in New York found that glass buildings have insulation values equivalent to medieval half-timber houses." As the author adds, "Transparent walls also limit privacy, and sunlight can create glare. Reflections on glass buildings can also be a problem; one London skyscraper infamously melted cars parked outside. The Urban Green Council has found that occupants of glass buildings often cover their views with shades and cur...

Google's Dandelion startup wants to make geothermal energy more affordable for homeowners

2017-07-10T14:49:00-04:00

Google parent Alphabet is spinning off a little-known unit working on geothermal power called Dandelion, which will begin offering residential energy services. [...] Dandelion chief executive Kathy Hannun said her team had been working for several years "to make it easier and more affordable to heat and cool homes with the clean, free, abundant, and renewable energy source right under our feet," and that the efforts culminated with the creation of an independent company outside of Alphabet.

"In the U.S., buildings account for 39% of all carbon emissions, mostly from the combustion of fossil fuels for heating and cooling," Dandelion CEO Kathy Hannun explains on the company's blog. "In the Northeast, heating and cooling is particularly carbon-intensive due to the relatively high use of fuel oil or propane as a heating fuel. This also leads to unpredictable costs for homeowners; if fuel prices rise during a particularly long and cold winter, their wallets take a hit."

Hannun describes how designing a better drill was the key to reducing cost, time, hassle, and environmental impact of the drilling process: "After months of testing, we hit upon a design for a fast, slender drill that hit our objectives. It could drill just one or two deep holes just a few inches wide, and compared to typical installation rigs, it produced less waste and took up much less space as it operated. It left a typical suburban backyard relatively undisturbed, so we could minimize landscaping costs ...

Ceiling tile that wirelessly charges devices unveiled at CES 2017

2017-01-05T17:24:00-05:00

The days of having to purchase astonishingly expensive replacement charging plugs accidentally left behind on trips, or for that matter of lugging around charging plugs in general, may be over. At this year's CES in Las Vegas, licensing company Ossia is unveiling a drop ceiling tile that purports to wirelessly charge a variety of devices, depending of course on how close the device is to the tile. The more tiles, the chargier: up to four Cota Tiles can be combined to provide the maximum radius and charge to those battery-draining devices. As the press release explains:

Each Cota Tile contains Ossia's wireless power smart antenna technology that automatically powers Cota-enabled devices — from tablets to smoke alarms. Cota Tile has proven safe for operation around people, pets and plants. It is environmentally friendly and does not interfere with Wi-Fi or other wireless technologies while continuously streaming power to multiple Cota-enabled devices, even as they move around a room. C...

Driverless cars hit the streets of Milton Keynes

2016-10-11T20:49:00-04:00

Driverless cars will trundle around the UK in their first public trials today. The demonstration of the autonomous electric vehicles is going to take place on the pavements of Milton Keynes. These tests will be the culmination of an 18-month research project which involved virtually mapping the town and updating regulations for driverless vehicles.

For the latest on advances in self-driving cars:

New Nevada solar plant can store heat from the sun for up to 10 hours – with molten salt

2016-04-05T13:50:00-04:00

Renewable energy like solar and wind is booming across the country as the costs of production have come down. But the sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't blow when we need it to. [...] A company called SolarReserve may have found a solution: It built a large solar plant in the Nevada desert that can store heat from the sun and generate electricity for up to 10 hours even after sundown.

US government agency develops new batteries that could revolutionize energy infrastructure

2016-03-03T16:46:00-05:00

A US government agency says it has attained the “holy grail” of energy – the next-generation system of battery storage, that has has been hotly pursued by the likes of Bill Gates and Elon Musk. Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (Arpa-E) – a branch of the Department of Energy – says it achieved its breakthrough technology in seven years.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (Arpa-E) was founded back in 2009 as part of President Obama's economic recovery plan. So-called "moonshot projects" are often too risky for private investors, but this state-run initiative may have unlocked a new technology that others, from Elon Musk to Bill Gates, have been chasing after for years.

“I think we have reached some holy grails in batteries – just in the sense of demonstrating that we can create a totally new approach to battery technology, make it work, make it commercially viable, and get it out there to let it do its thing,” said Ellen Williams, Arpa-E’s director.

The projects that Arpa-E has developed involve faster superconductors and new materials besides lithium-ion. Williams said that their projects could transform utility scale storage.

For the US to switch from a fossil-fuel economy to one based on renewable energy sources like solar and wind, it's essential to create more efficient large-scale energy storage systems...

MIT researchers have created a new material that stores and releases solar energy

2016-01-11T13:53:00-05:00

According to a team of researchers at MIT, both scenarios may be possible before long, thanks to a new material that can store solar energy during the day and release it later as heat, whenever it’s needed. This transparent polymer film could be applied to many different surfaces, such as window glass or clothing. [...] the new finding could provide a highly efficient method for storing the sun’s energy through a chemical reaction and releasing it later as heat.

The City That Made Solar Power Illegal

2014-08-13T14:09:00-04:00

The rainy season coincides with summer in Dakar, which means it’s the power-cut days. The heat goes up, A/Cs kick into gear and the power utility, Senelec, cannot cope. [...] Enter solar. This potential renewable savior is a latecomer to Dakar because until recently solar power was banned in cities, as it was considered what the French pointedly call “compétition déloyale” – unfair competition. But under pressure from Dakar’s own citizens, the ban was lifted under the last government [...].

China to Ban Coal Use by 2020

2014-08-06T13:17:00-04:00

China has announced plans to ban the use of coal in its smog-plagued capital by the end of 2020, as the country fights deadly levels of pollution, especially in major cities. Beijing's Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau posted the plan on its website on Monday, saying the city would instead prioritize electricity and natural gas for heating. The Chinese central government recently listed environmental protection as one of the top criteria by which leaders will be judged.

3,000+ Active Oil Wells in Los Angeles

2014-07-30T17:33:00-04:00

There are more than 3,000 active oil and gas wells in Los Angeles County. Almost 4,680 new wells were drilled in 2012 across the state, bringing the total number to 210,000, according to the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources of the California Department of Conservation [...] Oil industry officials argue that drilling in California provides many economic benefits, and they downplay any potential health hazards.

If you want to explore the wells yourself, take a look at this map by the California Department of Conservation (via CurbedLA).

World Faces Water Crisis in Less Than 30 Years

2014-07-30T14:05:00-04:00

The world will face “insurmountable” water crises in less than three decades, researchers said Tuesday, if it does not move away from water-intensive power production. A clash of competing necessities — drinking water and energy demand — will cause widespread drought unless action is taken soon [...] “There will be no water by 2040 if we keep doing what we’re doing today,” researcher Benjamin Sovacool, director of the Center for Energy Technology at Aarhus University said... Tuesday.

Modernist Houses Across North Carolina Win Top Honors In The 2014 Matsumoto Prize

2014-07-23T13:54:00-04:00

Modernist houses from Asheville to Wilmington received top honors last week in the third annual George Matsumoto Prize for Modernist residential design across the state, sponsored by the award-winning non-profit organization North Carolina Modernist Houses (NCMH).

The houses submitted had to be in North Carolina but the designers could be based anywhere. All submissions were capable of winning in two, or both, categories: the Jury Awards and the People’s Choice Awards.

During a special ceremony that NCMH held at the Contemporary Art Museum in downtown Raleigh, sponsored by CAM, Foundation bar, and Palette & Parlor, architect Frank Harmon, FAIA, announced the winners of the Jury Awards category, which were chosen by a team of professional architects from California, Massachusetts, and New York, and included cash prizes. The 2014 Jury Award winners were:

First Place: The Smart-Stell House in Durham, designed and built by Vincent Petrarca of Tonic Design + Tonic Construction of Raleigh.
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