In the last decade, the world is seeing the true effects of its current living style and the results are not promising. It would require 2.3 earths to support the current rate of natural resource usage and steadily increasing population on the planet. The earth’s eco-system is dying; dead spots are appearing in the oceans, more and more animals are going extinct everyday, and the amount of being pollution produced is climbing every year. As more and more studies are coming to a conclusion, it is becoming obvious that change needs to happen and happen fast. Green technologies are being studied and developed to begin reversing the damage being done to the earth everyday and still allow people to live the lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to.
The focus of this report is to determine how feasible a net zero community is with the use of renewable energy technologies and the costs/pay-off costs of implementing those technologies. Net zero means; the amount of energy provided by on-site renewable energy sources is equal to the amount of energy used by the building. This means that having a net zero community would need to have the means of creating its own energy to match the amount of energy being used through renewable energy sources (more on that below). The means to create an entirely net zero community exists, but does the cost involved actually make the community a feasible idea.
The report will be focused on a site called, “Copper Fields” located behind Grand Forks in British Columbia. This report will take the existing site and, following the masterplan of Copper Fields, determine the average amount of energy the new development will require to determine how much renewable energy would be required to support it. Once the amount of renewable energy is determined, the next step would be to apply appropriate renewable energy technologies around the site. By discovering just what the site can create in terms of renewable energy, the masterplan may have to change slightly or even greatly to achieve the goal of having a net zero community.
Currently there exist several methods of creating energy from renewable energy sources: biofuel, biomass, geothermal, hydro power, solar power, tidal power, wave power, and wind power. The problem is not every site can use all of the mentioned methods. Not every site has access to massive winds or the ocean or even a large exposure to the sun. This creates a challenge in implementing renewable energy sources into communities and actually making them effective. On top of that, the environmental impact these technologies could have also needs to be taken into account. Destroying a river to create a small hydro dam has a negative impact on the environment and takes away from the whole point of using renewable energies.
I would recommend using a variety of different renewable energy types within the site and maximizing the layout of the site to take full advantage of these renewable energy sources. Wind turbines could be placed on the surrounding mountains, geothermal could be used in a community wide effect, and every house could incorporate solar power into its design. It may turn out that the last 10%-20% of the required energy would be far more effective to purchase from off-site green sources instead of being generated within the site.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Orginal Graphic for Abstract
Choosing green design and eco-friendly living on a small scale will not help change our overall carbon footprint in the world. At our current rate, we need 2.3 earths to sustain us. By changing in a large scale, the world can remain a usable and liveable place in the future to come.
Preliminary Abstract Outline
In the last decade, the world is seeing the true effects of its current living style and the results are not promising. It would require 2.3 earths to support the current rate of natural resource usage and steadily increasing population on the planet. The earth’s eco-system is dying; dead spots are appearing in the oceans, more and more animals are going extinct everyday, and the amount of being pollution produced is climbing every year. As more and more studies are coming to a conclusion, it is becoming obvious that change needs to happen and happen fast. Green technologies are being studied and developed to begin reversing the damage being done to the earth everyday and still allow people to live the lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to.
The focus of this report is to determine how feasible a net zero community is with the use of renewable energy technologies and the costs/pay-off costs of implementing those technologies. Net zero means; the amount of energy provided by on-site renewable energy sources is equal to the amount of energy used by the building. This means that having a net zero community would need to have the means of creating its own energy to match the amount of energy being used through renewable energy sources (more on that below). The means to create an entirely net zero community exists, but does the cost involved actually make the community a feasible idea.
The report will be focused on a site called, “Copper Fields” located behind Grand Forks in British Columbia. This report will take the existing site and, following the masterplan of Copper Fields, determine the average amount of energy the new development will require to determine how much renewable energy would be required to support it. Once the amount of renewable energy is determined, the next step would be to apply appropriate renewable energy technologies around the site. By discovering just what the site can create in terms of renewable energy, the masterplan may have to change slightly or even greatly to achieve the goal of having a net zero community.
Currently there exist several methods of creating energy from renewable energy sources: biofuel, biomass, geothermal, hydro power, solar power, tidal power, wave power, and wind power. The problem is not every site can use all of the mentioned methods. Not every site has access to massive winds or the ocean or even a large exposure to the sun. This creates a challenge in implementing renewable energy sources into communities and actually making them effective. On top of that, the environmental impact these technologies could have also needs to be taken into account. Destroying a river to create a small hydro dam has a negative impact on the environment and takes away from the whole point of using renewable energies.
The focus of this report is to determine how feasible a net zero community is with the use of renewable energy technologies and the costs/pay-off costs of implementing those technologies. Net zero means; the amount of energy provided by on-site renewable energy sources is equal to the amount of energy used by the building. This means that having a net zero community would need to have the means of creating its own energy to match the amount of energy being used through renewable energy sources (more on that below). The means to create an entirely net zero community exists, but does the cost involved actually make the community a feasible idea.
The report will be focused on a site called, “Copper Fields” located behind Grand Forks in British Columbia. This report will take the existing site and, following the masterplan of Copper Fields, determine the average amount of energy the new development will require to determine how much renewable energy would be required to support it. Once the amount of renewable energy is determined, the next step would be to apply appropriate renewable energy technologies around the site. By discovering just what the site can create in terms of renewable energy, the masterplan may have to change slightly or even greatly to achieve the goal of having a net zero community.
Currently there exist several methods of creating energy from renewable energy sources: biofuel, biomass, geothermal, hydro power, solar power, tidal power, wave power, and wind power. The problem is not every site can use all of the mentioned methods. Not every site has access to massive winds or the ocean or even a large exposure to the sun. This creates a challenge in implementing renewable energy sources into communities and actually making them effective. On top of that, the environmental impact these technologies could have also needs to be taken into account. Destroying a river to create a small hydro dam has a negative impact on the environment and takes away from the whole point of using renewable energies.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thesis Question
Hey guys, trying to decide on a thesis question. If anyone has any advice on the couple I've come up with, please let me know. Or if anyone has a different one to offer, that would help lots too.
"To determine how feasible a net zero community in the terms of using renewable energy technology and the cost involved with using those technologies."
"To determine how feasible a net zero community is with the use of renewable energy and the costs/pay-off costs of implementing renewable energy technologies."
"Is a net zero community a feasible idea with the costs of implementing renewable energy technology vs the benefits of using renewable energy technologies."
"To determine how feasible a net zero community in the terms of using renewable energy technology and the cost involved with using those technologies."
"To determine how feasible a net zero community is with the use of renewable energy and the costs/pay-off costs of implementing renewable energy technologies."
"Is a net zero community a feasible idea with the costs of implementing renewable energy technology vs the benefits of using renewable energy technologies."
Updated Planning Outline
Project:
My research is to determine how feasible a net zero community is. My goal is to apply this research to a new development being built called, “Copper Fields” located behind Grand Forks, BC. I plan on researching community wide ways of using renewable energy, the cost and pay-off cost involved with these technologies, the benefits and non-benefits, and discovering just how feasible it truly is.
Method:
My research is to determine how feasible a net zero community is. My goal is to apply this research to a new development being built called, “Copper Fields” located behind Grand Forks, BC. I plan on researching community wide ways of using renewable energy, the cost and pay-off cost involved with these technologies, the benefits and non-benefits, and discovering just how feasible it truly is.
Method:
- Gather information from several different types of sources on renewable energy technology currently available.
- Gather information on the surrounding land for the new community and determine which renewable energy technologies I can use.
- Research how much energy one Canadian home uses on average and apply those statics to the new development.
- Discover how much renewable energy the new development would have to create.
- Using appropriate renewable energy technology, research how costly it would be to meet the energy demand.
- Apply this knowledge and lay out a report which will cover which renewable technologies are usable for the site, how much energy will be required, the cost of meeting those demands, when (if ever) those technologies will pay themselves off, and the overall benefits and non-benefits of having the a net zero community.
Special Problems:
- Can the same techniques be used for different communities, or are communities too different and need to be studied on a case by case basis?
- How far is too far when it comes to creating a net zero community? Where do you draw the line between green design and practicality?
- Are there restrictions set out by the city which will restrict the available options?
- Are there any problems with the sustainability of the material? And are there any safety concerns that should be noted?
Also:
- Primary reader of this report will be one of our Teachers in the program.
- What funding options, if any, are available through government?
- What is the average person willing to pay for a house? More specifically are they willing to invest in a more expensive home to be more eco-friendly?
Orginal Graphic
Here is a graphic I did up using Autocad 2009 and Autodesk Impressions. It's a simple drawing, but it relates to the necessary changes required in us to change the way we use energy and create energy.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Old Project Outline
Project:
My research is to determine how feasible a net zero community is. My goal is to apply this research to a new development being built called, “Copper Fields” located behind Grand Forks, BC. I plan on researching community wide ways of using renewable energy, the cost and pay-off cost involved with these technologies, the benefits and non-benefits, and discovering just how feasible it truly is.
My research is to determine how feasible a net zero community is. My goal is to apply this research to a new development being built called, “Copper Fields” located behind Grand Forks, BC. I plan on researching community wide ways of using renewable energy, the cost and pay-off cost involved with these technologies, the benefits and non-benefits, and discovering just how feasible it truly is.
Method:
- Gather information from several different types of sources on renewable energy technology currently available.
- Gather information on the surrounding land for the new community and determine which renewable energy technologies I can use.
- Research how much energy one Canadian home uses on average and apply those statics to the new development.
- Discover how much renewable energy the new development would have to create.
- Using appropriate renewable energy technology, research how costly it would be to meet the energy demand.
- Apply this knowledge and lay out a report which will cover which renewable technologies are usable for the site, how much energy will be required, the cost of meeting those demands, when (if ever) those technologies will pay themselves off, and the overall benefits and non-benefits of having the a net zero community.
Special Problems:
- Can the same techniques be used for different communities, or are communities too different and need to be studied on a case by case basis?
- How far is too far when it comes to creating a net zero community? Where do you draw the line between green design and practicality?
- Are there restrictions set out by the city which will restrict the available options?
- Are there any problems with the sustainability of the material? And are there any safety concerns that should be noted?
Also:
- Who is going to be a primary reader of this report? How much knowledge of this topic will they already have or require?
- What funding options, if any, are available through government?
- What is the average person willing to pay for a house? More specifically are they willing to invest in a more expensive home to be more eco-friendly?
Sources:
- Sustainable Built Environment, Retrieved February 28th, 2009 http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/sbe/index_e.html
- Office of Energy Efficiency Retrieved February 28th, 2009 , http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/english/
- Households and the Environment Survey, Retrieved February 28th, 2009 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090210/dq090210a-eng.htm
- Canada Green Building Council, Retrieved February 28th, 2009 http://www.cagbc.org/
- Hugh Barton (2000) Sustainable Communities: The Potential for Eco-Neighbourhoods
- Ellen Rodger (2008) Building a Green CommunityDaniel D. Chiras (2006) The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence Through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Welcome
Welcome to my blog on Green Communities.
This blog is being created to go hand in hand with an applied technology research topic I will be doing in my course "Engineering Design and Drafting Technology" at Thompson Rivers University.
My research topic is about changing our communities to a greener living design. I will be researching possible changes that could be done, technologies that could be used, the benefits of those changes, the cost and the pay-off cost (when these changes will pay themselves off) of those changes.
This will be a work in progress throughout the remaining semester and next year ahead. If anyone has any advice to offer, ideas to suggest, or feedback to give, please do so, it will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Jordan Hilton
This blog is being created to go hand in hand with an applied technology research topic I will be doing in my course "Engineering Design and Drafting Technology" at Thompson Rivers University.
My research topic is about changing our communities to a greener living design. I will be researching possible changes that could be done, technologies that could be used, the benefits of those changes, the cost and the pay-off cost (when these changes will pay themselves off) of those changes.
This will be a work in progress throughout the remaining semester and next year ahead. If anyone has any advice to offer, ideas to suggest, or feedback to give, please do so, it will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Jordan Hilton
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
