Eco-Cities: Urban Planning for the Future (Scientific American)

[drydem]

I think you really wanted to post the following url instead....

Eco-Cities: Urban Planning for the Future
Massive developments proposed for the U.S., China and Abu Dhabi
aim to reduce or even eliminate the environmental cost of city
living
By David Biello
Scientific American September, 2008


http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=eco-cities-urban-planning

wrt to the above plans...

Treasure Island - It is not likely that PV will be able to provide
all the power need (especially at night) . The water treatment
plant better smell and look nice else people are not going
to want to be there...however, if they have a landfill near by
they might be able to burn its methane gas to generate
some electricity...


Dongtan - with enough coastal wind turbines - China
could power a city both during the night and day -
but maintenance would be a full time job.


Masdar-- If Dubai is using solar steam generator
like those used by Spain - it could economiclly
power the city - atleast during the day. but
during the night Dubai would be force to use
some form of fuel source.


Istm though that increasing a building's energy efficiency
is required if alternative energy sources are used.
--------------
Something as simple as changing the local building code so that
the roof of a single family homes could accommodate up to 24
inches insulation could make new homes much more more
energy efficient than current homes with a minimal increasing
in building cost or maintenane need.

[George Conklin]

Post by drydem
I think you really wanted to post the following url instead....
Eco-Cities: Urban Planning for the Future
Massive developments proposed for the U.S., China and Abu Dhabi
aim to reduce or even eliminate the environmental cost of city
living
By David Biello
Scientific American September, 2008
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=eco-cities-urban-planning
wrt to the above plans...
Treasure Island - It is not likely that PV will be able to provide
all the power need (especially at night) . The water treatment
plant better smell and look nice else people are not going
to want to be there...however, if they have a landfill near by
they might be able to burn its methane gas to generate
some electricity...
Dongtan - with enough coastal wind turbines - China
could power a city both during the night and day -
but maintenance would be a full time job.
Masdar-- If Dubai is using solar steam generator
like those used by Spain - it could economiclly
power the city - atleast during the day. but
during the night Dubai would be force to use
some form of fuel source.
Istm though that increasing a building's energy efficiency
is required if alternative energy sources are used.
--------------
Something as simple as changing the local building code so that
the roof of a single family homes could accommodate up to 24
inches insulation could make new homes much more more
energy efficient than current homes with a minimal increasing
in building cost or maintenane need.

And how is paving over the land in a city "eliminate" the environmental
impace of anything. Even farming has a strong environmental impact.

[Amy Blankenship]

Post by George Conklin

Post by drydem
I think you really wanted to post the following url instead....
Eco-Cities: Urban Planning for the Future
Massive developments proposed for the U.S., China and Abu Dhabi
aim to reduce or even eliminate the environmental cost of city
living
By David Biello
Scientific American September, 2008
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=eco-cities-urban-planning

And how is paving over the land in a city "eliminate" the environmental
impace of anything. Even farming has a strong environmental impact.

I think a visit to the optometrist may be in order

"Today it is an almost completely paved naval air base built atop earthen
material dredged from the San Francisco Bay in the 1930s."

[drydem]

Post by drydem
I think you really wanted to post the following url instead....
Eco-Cities: Urban Planning for the Future
  Massive developments proposed for the U.S., China and Abu Dhabi
  aim to reduce or even eliminate the environmental cost of city
living
By David Biello
Scientific American September, 2008
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=eco-cities-urban-planning
wrt to the above plans...
Treasure Island -  It is not likely that PV will be able to provide
all the power need (especially at night) .  The water treatment
plant better smell and look nice else people are not going
to want to be there...however, if they have a landfill near by
they might be able to burn its methane gas to generate
some electricity...
Dongtan - with enough coastal wind turbines - China
could power a city both during the night and day -
but maintenance would be a full time job.
Masdar-- If Dubai is using solar steam generator
like those used by Spain  - it could economiclly
power the city - atleast during the day. but
during the night Dubai would be force to use
some form of fuel source.
Istm though that increasing a building's energy efficiency
is required if alternative energy sources are used.
--------------
Something as simple as changing the local building code so that
the roof of a single family homes could accommodate up to 24
inches insulation could make new homes much more more
energy efficient than current homes with a minimal increasing
in building cost or maintenane need.

  And how is paving over the land in a city "eliminate" the environmental
impace of anything.  Even farming has a strong environmental impact.-

I suppose the editors are taking some form of literary license here.
(9_9)

ISTM that what the editors wanted to say is it might be possible to
not just minimize urban center's environmental impact but eliminate
their reliance on fossil fuels in the far future.

However, I'm incline to support more energy effficient building
standards which while it does not sound as sexy is more
readily doable now and more cost efffective in the long run.


I just got an email from a nearby resident who has a 5.4Kw
PV netmetering system on her SF home . Its runs between
70 to 12 percent efficiency and averaging about 50 percent
energy efficient (20kwh/day). She's net metering so she's
not worried about power lost from a inverter-battery storage
system. Given the average PV output efficiencies in my
area(50%) and the amount of roof space available on a
townhouse( there only enough space for about a (1.2KW
pv array) - a townhome could only generate about 4KwH
per day - far too little to run an all electric townhome.
It's because of these type of calculations I seriously
doubt the Treasure Island hirise PV arrary concept
would be self sufficient wrt to its power needs. Rather
its a developer's smoke and mirror way of hiding the
infrastructure impact of a large scale building project
to the surrounding community. sigh.