Sustainability at the cutting edge : emerging technologies for low energy buildings / Peter F. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Peter F. (Peter Frederick), 1930-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Architecture and energy conservation.

Architecture--Environmental aspects.

Architecture.

Physical Description:

xiv, 180 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Architectural, 2007.

Summary:

Buildings are currently a major part of the carbon emissions problem. Sustainability at the Cutting Edge indicates how they may become part of the solution. This fully updated new edition deals not only with current best practice and state-of-the-art case studies, but also with the very latest emerging technologies which will transform the relationship between buildings and energy.

Professor Peter Smith describes how buildings can be made to significantly reduce their reliance on fossil-based energy by the use of solar and geothermal resources. Renewable technologies are described, ranging in scale from those suitable for individual buildings, to multi-megawatt power for the grid. As sustainable building becomes increasingly essential - with the advance of climate change, government legislation and international treaties - this is vital knowledge for every architect, engineer and designer. Packed with useful diagrams, charts and full colour photographs, this immensely practical book is a great reference for professionals in the design and construction industry.

Contents:

1 Climate change and sustainable energy: The 2005 Prince Philip Lecture at the Royal Society of Arts / Sir John Houghton CBE FRS 1

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5

2 Solar thermal power 15

Solar heating 15

Solar thermal electricity 25

Solar thermal - the future 28

3 Low energy techniques for cooling 31

Ground coupling using air 31

Groundwater/aquifer cooling and warming 31

Evaporative cooling 33

Phase change cooling 34

Daytime operation 36

Desiccant dehumidification and evaporative cooling 36

Solar-assisted desiccant dehumidification with air conditioning 37

Refrigeration 38

Ammonia-absorption cooling 38

Thermionic cooling 40

Night-time cooling 40

Hollow core slab 41

Chilled beams and ceiling 41

4 Geothermal energy 43

Geothermal electricity 43

Heat pumps 45

5 Wind power 52

Types of small-scale wind turbine 54

Building integrated systems 59

6 Photovoltaic cells 67

Amorphous silicon cells 68

Dye-based cells 69

Monolithic tandem concentrator cells 70

Flexible solar panels 70

Plastic solar cells 71

Photovoltaics: cost projections 72

Photovoltaics and urban design 73

7 Fuel cells 78

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell 80

Phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) 81

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFCs) 82

Alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) 83

Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) 84

Hydrogen, the agent of social reform 84

Fuel cells and the UK 86

Nuclear fusion 88

8 Bioenergy 89

Utilization of biofuels 90

Anaerobic digestion from waste 92

Biofuel for transport 95

9 Microgeneration and combined heat and power 98

Micropower and CHP 98

Stirling combined heat and power 100

Free piston Stirling engines (FPSE) 104

10 Small-scale hydro 108

Micro-hydro 111

11 Wave and tide 114

Point absorbers 119

Large-scale tidal energy 119

Offshore impoundment 121

Tidal currents 122

12 Prospects for the energy infrastructure 126

Towards a hydrogen economy 128

The road ahead 129

Hydrogen storage 130

Electricity storage 131

Combined heat and power (CHP) 131

Barriers to progress 132

13 Materials 135

Concrete 135

Glass 136

Insulation 136

Smart materials 138

Smart fluids 139

14 The photonic revolution 140

The light-emitting diode (LED) 140

Photonics in communication 142

15 Building integrated renewable energy: case studies 145

Malmo - city of the future 145

Government Training Centre, Germany 148

National Trust Offices, Swindon, UK 149

CIS Tower, Manchester, UK 150

Eden Project Phase 4: Education Resource Centre - the Core 151

Council offices, King's Lynn 154

'SkyZed' 155

Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) 157

16 Sustainability on a knife edge 163

The spectre of energy 164

Gas 166

Coal 167.

Notes:

Previous ed.: 2003.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780750683005

0750683007

OCLC:

74969695