Thinking about the environment: Part one:
This is a two-part blog that concerns what can be done by planers and developers in order to create more environmentally friendly urban spaces where sustainability is central to this process. Part one identifies the significance of energy efficiency and examines the steps can be taken at the macro level. While Part two looks at energy efficiency at the micro level and other environmental considerations that serves sustainability.
Part one
Every time I go for a walk-in nature, I wonder how perfect this world is, and very well balanced without the impact that we create on the environment.
Figure 1: picture of a country-side lane (Unsplash, 2015)
So, it seems that the best way forward for reducing pollution in our cities nowadays is the EU Net Zero Policy, which is aiming to make cities carbon neutral by 2030. All the plans in the 112 cities located in the 35 countries, which are aiming to achieve net zero emission, share some key strategies. (Net Zero Cities, 2020)
For example, Bristol, one of the 112 cities, is aiming to implement following changes:
- No gas heating, only air heat pumps and better insulated buildings.
- The power is generated from clean sources.
- Cleaner transportation in the city with no petrol and diesel.
- Less waste by re-using, re-cycling and less plastic.
(Centre for sustainable energy, Bristol Net Zero by 2030)
Figure 2: graph that shows how Bristol is going to achieve net zero by 2030 (Centre for Sustainable Energy, 2023)
When it comes to energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy it is important for policy makers, property developers to consider all steps needed to achieve these changes at the macro and micro levels.
Macro level: state policies and cities plans
There is a call for the use of more zero carbon gases like Hydrogen or Biogas, the latter is also known as (Renewable Natural Gas) and can come from: livestock waste, wastewater, landfill or food waste. (Guilbert & Vitale, 2021)
Planning authorities should require development plans to consider and assess the clean energy generation opportunities of the site in question. Understanding all the potential energy sources in the site does not only serve the environmental objective, such as net zero emission, but it also has financial benefits, such as saving on energy bills, in the long term.
Such opportunities can include generating hydropower from any stream of water, geothermal power from underground, as we can use the land temperature and the deeper we dig, the warmer it gets, or wind power where the site altitude allows.
The following example in Plymouth where they are using geothermal energy, solar energy, and wind power. On the top of that, providing the heating and cooling system from the renewal sources as well. (D2Grids Project, 2023)
figure 3: D2Grids Project, 2023
References:
Figure 1: picture of a country-side lane (Unsplash, 2015)
- (2015, January 7). gray concrete road top between green trees. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/vngzm4P2BTs
Figure 2: graph that shows how Bristol is going to achieve net zero by 2030 (Centre for Sustainable Energy, 2023)
- Centre for Sustainable Energy. (2023, April 20). Bristol Net Zero by 2030 – Centre for Sustainable Energy. https://www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1363#:~:text=No%20more%20petrol%20or%20diesel,from%20all%20new%20build%20developments
figure 3: D2Grids Project, 2023
- D2Grids Project, 2023, Plymouth pilot site: 5th generation heating and cooling grid in practice!, available at: https://www.construction21.org/articles/h/plymouth-pilot-site-5th-generation-heating-and-cooling-grid-in-practice.html
(Net Zero Cities, 2020)
- Net Zero Cities, 2020, Mission cities, available at: https://netzerocities.eu/mission-cities/
(Centre for sustainable energy, Bristol Net Zero by 2030)
- Centre for sustainable energy, Bristol Net Zero by 2030, available at: https://www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1363#:~:text=No%20more%20petrol%20or%20diesel,from%20all%20new%20build%20developments
(Guilbert & Vitale, 2021)
- Guilbert, D., & Vitale, G. (2021). Hydrogen as a Clean and Sustainable Energy Vector for Global Transition from Fossil-Based to Zero-Carbon. Clean Technologies, 3(4), 881–909. https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol3040051
