[Urban design]

 

Renewable Electricity in the Urban Environment

The world we live in is becoming increasingly worried about the environment and the effects of climate change. It is going to be increasingly expected that every-one plays there part in reducing their consumption of fossil fuels and subsequent emissions of carbon dioxide is a bid to help reduce the effects of climate change.

Sounds fine in theory, but how realistic is it?

How can an individual or a family use renewable technologies or reduce climate change?

How can they take responsibility for their contribution and act to reduce the effects?

What can be done?

Renewable energy has an important part to play in the future of the environment, some of the positive environmental impacts, as highlighted in the Beginners Guide, are hard to argue against.

In this next section the aim is to illustrate some of the current possibilities for renewables within the built environment, including an;

  1. Passive Systems
  2. Active Systems - Solar energy water heating, Urban PV, Wind Energy
  3. Energy saving measures
Standby Power Cutting the cost
Consumption guide instructions Carbon dioxide

 

  1. Financial and economic savings will be compared with initial capital costs and maintenance costs.
  2. Associated problems.
  3. Manufacturers.

The intention is to demonstrate what can be achieved at present and also what could be achieved in the future, as we are encouraged to take an active role in preventing climatic devastation? The possibilities both for individuals and on a national level are considered in order to highlight the possible effects of renewable technologies. The considered examples are purely illustrative and used to illustrate the possibilities in Scotland, many of which may not be economically viable. 

 Solar water heating has a wide range of possible applications and could essentially be placed on most roofs in Scotland. The technology uses the sun’s energy to heat water for domestic hot water.

Examples of possible uses are listed below;

PV solar panels use light from the sun to generate electricity. This has the potential to generate electricity for individuals to use within the home. Only household applications are considered although PV could feasibly be used on;

 Most people associate wind power with the large wind farms in the countryside. Small wind turbines could be used in cities and towns to generate electricity for houses and buildings. As wind turbines store electricity they could also be used on large building, lamp post, roofs, road signs to provide electricity during the night when the sun has disappeared.

Follow the worked examples to discover how you could use renewable technologies and what differences they could make in your home and in Scotland.

 

Also look at further oppurtunities for areas other than the home and at ways to reduce CO2 emmissions

 

 

Cutting the cost, Standby Power, Consumption Guide, Carbon Dioxide, Passive, Active, Solar energy water heating, Wind