How Anaerobic Digestion Works and Whats Needed

Integrating green technologies into an office

I want to add these green technologies to an existing building but not as bolt on features but truly integrated. I have started to look at ways they could be integrated below.

 

This image hints at true integration but the power systems could become more integral to the building perhaps forming the furniture and informing how the spaces might work rather than just being visible behind glass.

Renewable UK

The governments long awaited energy bill has finally been published and I am pleased to see that we are looking towards a greener future. As part of their policy the government is to close more of its coal fired power stations and replace them with greener alternatives.

An interesting graph below shows how we could continue to generate energy over the next few decades relying heavily on gas and nuclear.

However, the second graphs shows the UK’s aspirations for energy generation seeing a dramatic increase in wind and other renewables.

If this second graph becomes the reality then the UK can expect to be solely powered by green energy by 2030 with nuclear, coal and gas operating purely as back-up. The bill also predicts that with an increase of energy (and decrease in energy prices) we can expect to see healthy economic growth that in turn demands more energy. This, however, should not be a problem if this forecast is to achieved.

How about a power station…. for my power er… station

Rather than fill an existing office building with power production and therefore displace all those working in it, it would make more sense to reuse an existing power station that has been decommissioned. There are a few in London and usefully they are all along the river (obviously for ease of transporting raw materials) so will be ideally placed to make the most of the tidal energy.

Tidal Power

Can London be powered by PV cells?

I began by assuming that if fossil fuels came to an end then the western world would return to a minor dark age. Having researched green technologies I think that there are actually plenty of readily available technologies already available to us and I now think that we would quickly adapt to life with only green energy systems.

I am interested in buildings being self sufficient in terms of energy consumption. I have explored how much of different green energy systems would be needed to support London and to see if this could be condensed into a relatively small area.

Here I have begun by looking at PV Cells and then gone on to look at Wind Turbines and Anaerobic Digesters. I looked at using 1 Canada Square as a house for these power sources.

It then seemed sensible to try and combine all three technologies to come up with a total power centre for Canary Wharf.