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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #250 on: June 16, 2016, 03:21:34 AM »
8 Creative Ways Cities Are Combating Rising Temperatures
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...Of course, climate change isn’t just an city-dweller’s problem — the onslaught of droughts and superstorms and rising seas will affect everyone. But the hive of human activity in cities, from the heat-absorbing asphalt to air-conditioner exhaust, contributes to a “heat-island” effect. Cities are often up to five degrees hotter than their surrounding areas, and those temperatures are rising at twice the rate of the planet overall. Within the next century, metropolises like New York could have triple the number of days over 90 degrees. To stay cool, cities are having to transform themselves, sometimes from the ground up.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/06/how-cities-are-combating-rising-temperatures.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #251 on: June 27, 2016, 10:00:31 PM »
Putting this here because there's a lot of building-related stuff in this thread....

Climate change forcing builders to rethink how they design structures, expert says
Extreme nature disasters like the Fort McMurray wildfire has resiliency at the forefront of builders' minds
Quote
Severe weather events like wildfires and floods are becoming more frequent and more difficult to predict, forcing architects and engineers to rethink how they design buildings, infrastructure and cities.

Brock Schroeder, managing director of engineering firm Entuitive, says events such as the fire in Fort McMurray, Alta., and the floods that hit Alberta in 2013 have led to changes in how structures are designed in Canada.

"You can't put major electrical infrastructure below grade in a downtown office building in Calgary anymore because of the risk of flooding," Schroeder says.

"Now that (weather events) are becoming less predictable, you need to take a more performance-based approach to how you design a city or how you design a building. It can't just be the way we've always done it before."
...
Don Forgeron, the insurance bureau's president and CEO, recently said cities should begin rejecting proposed developments located near fire-prone forests or on flood plains in order to mitigate the damage from future natural disasters.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/climate-change-forcing-builders-to-rethink-how-they-design-structures-expert-says-1.3653394
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #252 on: July 02, 2016, 12:32:26 AM »
The future of manufacturing:

"Because 3-D printing is custom and direct-to-consumer, there is little waste, rent or storage cost."

3-D printing is set to completely remake the shoe industry
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/01/3-d-printing-is-set-to-completely-remake-the-shoe-industry.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #253 on: July 02, 2016, 03:11:27 PM »
Stopping the use of Styrofoam.  Polystyrene.  The cheap, environmentally unfriendly, throw-it-away-without-second-thought stuff.

San Francisco Officially Decrees Itself a No-Foam Zone
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/san-francisco-officially-decrees-itself-no-foam-zone-n602686
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #254 on: July 12, 2016, 09:11:30 PM »
Is this one way to address sea level rise?  ;)

These next-level underwater villas are making waves
Quote
For starters, the villas float like anchored boats -- albeit without listing from side to side.

And each three-story retreat features an entire floor submerged beneath the sea, with two enormous windows -- each measuring 269 square-feet (25 square-meters) -- that provide front-row seats to marine life.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/10/architecture/floating-underwater-villas/index.html
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Neven

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #255 on: July 12, 2016, 09:39:08 PM »
Is this one way to address sea level rise?  ;)

Perhaps, but not to address climate change, as it's a huge waste of CO2.  :D
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #256 on: July 12, 2016, 09:54:37 PM »
Is this one way to address sea level rise?  ;)

Perhaps, but not to address climate change, as it's a huge waste of CO2.  :D

Yes, of course, this is the idea taken to the extreme. :) But I was thinking there could be something between this, and traditional floating or stilt-based houses, that could be sustainable, yet "hardy" against storms.
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Neven

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #257 on: July 12, 2016, 11:04:45 PM »
Water and sustainable materials are usually not so compatible, but maybe they'll invent something. Wood is good, of course, but it's much more useful on land, longer life, etc. And can it withstand the storms of your grandchildren?

And would you or anyone you know be willing to live in that first picture? Your house may still stand after a storm, but I'm not so sure about basic infrastructure.

Building on water just doesn't sound so smart, but maybe the Dutch can come up with something.

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TerryM

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #258 on: July 13, 2016, 12:30:55 PM »
I like the idea for any region that does not face seasonal ice. The "basement" is a nice addition, but a glass floor section fitted to a more traditional hull might add affordability.
I've seen the Dutch version along the American west coast, (anyone remember 'Sleepless in Seattle'), and even as far north as the Toronto Islands. Shouldn't cost much more than a mobile home & no crop land being consumed.
How about a solar roof, water filtering system for potable water as well as cleaning up the grey water outflow & some sort of bag it and dump it system for feces? A small, self sufficient community served by gondolas, rowboats - hell - why not sailing grocery stores that make deliveries.
I'd move tomorrow!
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #259 on: July 13, 2016, 03:27:00 PM »
Water and sustainable materials are usually not so compatible, but maybe they'll invent something. Wood is good, of course, but it's much more useful on land, longer life, etc. And can it withstand the storms of your grandchildren?

And would you or anyone you know be willing to live in that first picture? Your house may still stand after a storm, but I'm not so sure about basic infrastructure.

The caption for the white condos says, "A floating road connects the complex to the shore, so residents can park their cars on site," so replacing infrastructure might be less of a hassle than on land.  (Although I think car ownership is on its way out for many people.  Autonomous and shared vehicle services make much more sense and are certainly cheaper than owning and insuring a car that is used only 4% of the time.)

As it happens, I just posted this in the "Places" thread about a new U.K. report: 
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36765925
"...flooding will destroy bridges - wrecking electricity, gas and IT connections carried on them."

But to answer your question, I could never sleep in that underwater room -- I'd be too worried it would break in the middle of the night!

Still, there are a fair number of people who live aboard their boats, moving north and south with the seasons along the east coast of the U.S., for example.  Maybe port cities need to become more like huge marinas?  ;D

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magnamentis

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #260 on: July 13, 2016, 03:56:09 PM »
Water and sustainable materials are usually not so compatible, but maybe they'll invent something. Wood is good, of course, but it's much more useful on land, longer life, etc. And can it withstand the storms of your grandchildren?

And would you or anyone you know be willing to live in that first picture? Your house may still stand after a storm, but I'm not so sure about basic infrastructure.

Building on water just doesn't sound so smart, but maybe the Dutch can come up with something.



i understand what you're saying but keep in mind that the only reminders of thousand of years old settlement on water ( pole built ) are the parts that were in the water (poles) that can still be found in many german and swiss lakes while these are not the only example, just that, examples. wood for example, especially some "oak" wood, can perfectly well survive over centuries in the water, even venice sinking in is not due to bad building material but more due to the sandy and slicky underground without  rocky foundation and of course sea level rise :-)

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #261 on: July 14, 2016, 08:29:49 PM »
YarraBend, a high-end housing development of 2,500 homes being built in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, will include solar panels, battery storage, and an optional car charger for each residence. 

"...the project is one of the most environmentally sustainable developments in Australia, with a water reduction of 43 per cent, landfill reduced by 80 per cent and the potential to reduce energy use by 34 per cent."
http://www.teslarati.com/tesla-town-suburb-powerwall-tesla-charging-solar/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #262 on: July 26, 2016, 07:00:21 PM »
More sustainable manufacturing:

Yes, you can totally use beer, coffee and hemp for 3D printing
Quote
3DomFuel is recycling a collection of unusual products and turning them into material called filament that can be used for 3D printing.

"You can 3D print products made from beer, coffee and hemp," said 26-year-old John Schneider, cofounder and chief marketing officer of 3DomFuel, a maker of 3D print filament dubbed 3D-Fuel.
...
Although it took about a dozen tries before the process worked, the duo was pleased with the results. Not only was 3D-Fuel able to extrude the coffee-based raw material into filament, "it also smelled so good, like sweet latte," said Schneider.

Aesthetically, the coffee filament -- appropriately called "Wound up" -- offers more texture than plain white and off-white alternatives.

"The color of it is deep brown with varying shades of brown flecks in it," Schneider said.

What could you make with it?

"It's perfect for printing novelty items like coffee filter holders and sleeves for cups but not a coffee cup itself," he said. "It's still plastic material and not ideal for hot beverages."
http://money.cnn.com/2016/07/26/technology/3d-printing-beer-coffee-hemp/index.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #263 on: July 26, 2016, 08:19:53 PM »
 Londoners take to living on the water due to the lack of affordable housing in the city.

London housing crisis extends to the water
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When it comes to the unwanted title of world's most expensive city for housing, London vies with Monaco and Hong Kong.

The average house price in the English capital is now nearly £600,000 ($787,000), and a study from the charity Shelter found just 43 properties affordable to people on an average income.

Several of these properties were houseboats.

Life on London's 100-mile network of canals, or 42-mile stretch of the River Thames, has become a popular option for beleaguered citizens, and such homes can cost as little as £20,000 ($26,500).

But as more people swap apartments for houseboats, the popular, romantic vision is giving way to a harsh reality.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/26/world/london-water-crisis/index.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #264 on: August 07, 2016, 01:52:45 PM »
Superblocks: how Barcelona is taking city streets back from cars
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In America, we can’t even agree on the idea that cities are for people. We still decry bike lanes as a "war on cars," even in our allegedly progressive West Coast cities. So from where I’m sitting, the Barcelona plan is pretty fantastic: 186 miles of new bike lanes, a revamped bus system with better access and more frequency, more green space, and on and on.

But the coolest idea in it is "superblocks" (superilles in Catalan), a concept developed by Salvador Rueda, director of the Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona. ...

The idea is pretty simple. Take nine square blocks of city. (It doesn’t have to be nine, but that’s the ideal.) Rather than all traffic being permitted on all the streets between and among those blocks, cordon off a perimeter and keep through traffic, freight, and city buses on that.

In the interior, allow only local vehicles, traveling at very low speeds, under 10 mph. And make all the interior streets one-way loops (see the arrows on the green streets below), so none of them serve through streets.
http://www.vox.com/2016/8/4/12342806/barcelona-superblocks
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Buddy

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #265 on: August 07, 2016, 02:26:23 PM »
This may have been posted somewhere earlier....but with each passing month, this becomes a little more interesting.....as it continues to befuddle scientists.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a22220/alien-superstructure-tabbys-star/

We are just not a very advanced society....and we have a HUGE way to go regarding the use of energy...especially the sun.

We are just now starting along the path where energy will continue to become CHEAPER AND CHEAPER....and available to all.  We have a ways to go....but we're starting.

Now....and I speak here as a US citizen....if we can just get rid of "the stupid" in our governing body's, we can get there a LOT FASTER.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #266 on: September 30, 2016, 02:30:01 AM »
This week, Elon Musk presented his vision of how he wants to "back up the DNA" of the human hard drive, on a different planet.  Just in case a catastrophe happens on earth... and, to continue reaching to new frontiers.  By re-using his ships, he plans for the cost per person to be about the average price of a house in the U.S.:  $200,000, or maybe less.  (And, because the ships will go to Mars and then return, people could return to Earth, too.)

Elon Musk: A Million Humans Could Live on Mars By the 2060s
Quote
In perhaps the most eagerly anticipated aerospace announcement of the year, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has revealed his grand plan for establishing a human settlement on Mars.

In short, Musk thinks it’s possible to begin shuttling thousands of people between Earth and our smaller, redder neighbor sometime within the next decade or so. And not too long after that—perhaps 40 or a hundred years later, Mars could be home to a self-sustaining colony of a million people.

“This is not about everyone moving to Mars, this is about becoming multiplanetary,” he said on September 27 at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico. “This is really about minimizing existential risk and having a tremendous sense of adventure.”

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/elon-musk-spacex-exploring-mars-planets-space-science/


Tim Urban's article (the latest in his series on Musk, Tesla, and SpaceX) is detailed and humorous -- if you don't mind his overuse of the f-word.  As in, BFR, Big F'ing Rocket, the unofficial name for the ship.
http://waitbutwhy.com/2016/09/spacexs-big-fking-rocket-the-full-story.html

“As we show that this is possible … not just a dream, it’s something that can be made real, I think the support will snowball over time,” said Musk, whose net worth is currently estimated at $11.7 billion. “And I should say also, the main reason I’m personally accumulating assets is in order to fund this.”
Video of his talk, the presentation slides, and the cool concept animation of the space ship is here:
http://www.spacex.com/mars
   Note that the spaceship animation is not just an "idea."  The animation was made from CAD designs of the ship they are building.  They've already built one of the huge carbon-fiber fuel tanks, and recently test-fired one of their new super-powerful Raptor rocket engines that will power the ship.
   Tip: you can skip the questions, most of which are cringe-inducing.  I think the only thing of importance was that Musk said SpaceX is not developing the Martian habitats or mining equipment, etc.  He's concentrating on the transportation -- much like the Transcontinental Railroad across the early American west
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Hefaistos

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #267 on: September 30, 2016, 11:19:51 AM »
Global population is forecast to increase with several billions of people in the coming 50 years, a lot of them will be born in Africa, probably around 1 billion people or so (!), see graph.
Most of them in sub-saharian countries, a region of poverty, of rural economies, of poor infrastructure.
On a positive note, in many places they are jumping directly to sustainable solutions. E.g. in terms of electricity generation. Often, there is no grid in the villages, but who needs a grid these days?
"There are few more heartening stories in the global solar industry than the proliferation of off-grid solar solutions in areas that lack reliable access to electricity. East Africa plays a vital role in this story, which is compounded by the recently published EAC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Report by REN21 in cooperation with UNIDO."

http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/off-grid-solar-going-from-strength-to-strength-in-eastern-africa_100026310/#axzz4LYg2yDlK



Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #268 on: November 12, 2016, 09:19:20 PM »
In Florida:

Kartik Goyani:  ...  would like to deploy Solar+Powerwall+Ev Charger in 30,000 new homes at Connected City (Tampa) ...  possible to put me in touch with someone @solarcity to discuss this further?
https://mobile.twitter.com/kgoyani/status/796733914379329537

Tesla: Happy to help! ... our team will reach out shortly...

Quote
The concept is part of a pilot program approved by the state Legislature last year to create the state’s first “Connected City,” intended to provide an ultra-fast communications network destined to attract industries with high-paying jobs and entrepreneurs with new technologies to the area. In addition, the Connected City is expected to embody all of the best elements of modern urban design including multimodal transportation networks, a range of housing types, conservation elements and cutting-edge amenities.
http://www.tbo.com/pasco-county/pasco-officials-get-early-peek-at-tech-heavy-connected-city-20151210/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #269 on: December 06, 2016, 03:00:03 AM »
From the World Economic Forum.  "Concrete is the second most used material on earth, after water."

These 5 technologies are set to transform the way we consume everyday products
Quote
New technologies developed in laboratories around the world are reinventing the materials and processes used to make the goods we consume every day. From plastics to cement, this transition is reducing the environmental footprint of industries, often enhancing the finished product’s usefulness too.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/these-5-technologies-are-transforming-the-way-we-consume-everyday-products
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #270 on: January 16, 2017, 06:52:38 PM »
3-D printing a house, and a car, with highly efficient materials, and which share energy seamlessly.  Led by the Energy Department's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and many industry partners.  Article and video.

What Makes AMIE, the 3D printed home and vehicle, unique?
Quote
What happens when you remove all the constraints of today’s traditional building practices? You get AMIE. AMIE, or the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy project, is one of the world’s first 3D printed houses. But it’s not just a house. It’s also a vehicle. It’s also solar panels, and energy storage, and intelligent controls. It’s an entire integrated energy system, and it’s changing how we think about generating, storing, and using energy. Sponsored by DOE’s Building Technologies Office, Advanced Manufacturing Office, and Vehicle Technologies Office, AMIE is redefining what’s possible. ...
https://energy.gov/eere/articles/what-makes-amie-3d-printed-home-and-vehicle-unique
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #271 on: February 26, 2017, 08:38:41 PM »
As with many NASA inventions, there will be beneficial applications on earth, as well.

NASA Selects Proposals for First-Ever Space Technology Research Institutes
Quote
Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES)

The CUBES institute will advance research into an integrated, multi-function, multi-organism bio-manufacturing system to produce fuel, materials, pharmaceuticals and food. While the research goals of the CUBES institute are to benefit deep-space planetary exploration, these goals also lend themselves to practical Earth-based applications. For example, the emphasis on using carbon dioxide as the base component for materials manufacturing has relevance to carbon dioxide management on Earth.
...

Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design (US-COMP)

Affordable deep space exploration will require transformative materials for the manufacturing of next-generation transit vehicles, habitats, power systems, and other exploration systems. These building materials need to be lighter and stronger than those currently used in even the most advanced systems.

US-COMP aims to develop and deploy a carbon nanotube-based, ultra-high strength, lightweight aerospace structural material within five years. Success will mean a critical change to the design paradigm for space structures. Through collaboration with industry partners, it is anticipated that advances in laboratories could quickly translate to advances in manufacturing facilities that will yield sufficient amounts of advanced materials for use in NASA missions.

Results of this research will have broad societal impacts, as well. Rapid development and deployment of the advanced materials created by the institute could support an array of Earthly applications and benefit the U.S. manufacturing sector....
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-proposals-for-first-ever-space-technology-research-institutes
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #272 on: March 16, 2017, 04:50:07 PM »
No more slums? New technologies can help house 100 million more people
Technology is transforming the housing industry and paving the way for lower and middle income families to afford decent homes.
90-second video.
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000600866
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #273 on: April 05, 2017, 03:48:53 PM »
Solar panels to help cut office tower's energy costs by 80 per cent
'Edmonton has a great amount of sunlight. The panels get sunlight the entire day.'
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-edge-dub-solar-panel-1.4053553

Electrek says:
Quote
Header image [below] is from Google Street View, October 2016. The system, composed of 500 solar panels, cost $400,000 and will pay for itself in five years. Overall the combination of solar energy collected and additional natural light reduced the projected energy use by 80%. The technology – Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) – is the same thing as the Tesla Solar Roof. If the technologies are sound enough for architects to integrate at time of design – this will proliferate. In the area of 600-900,000 new houses and 70-100,000 new commercial buildings in the US each year – that’s a lot of solar potential.
https://electrek.co/2017/04/05/bipv-solar-roof-facade-glass-energy-storage-jfw/
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TerryM

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #274 on: April 06, 2017, 03:40:49 AM »
Solar panels to help cut office tower's energy costs by 80 per cent
'Edmonton has a great amount of sunlight. The panels get sunlight the entire day.'
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-edge-dub-solar-panel-1.4053553

Electrek says:
Quote
Header image [below] is from Google Street View, October 2016. The system, composed of 500 solar panels, cost $400,000 and will pay for itself in five years. Overall the combination of solar energy collected and additional natural light reduced the projected energy use by 80%. The technology – Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) – is the same thing as the Tesla Solar Roof. If the technologies are sound enough for architects to integrate at time of design – this will proliferate. In the area of 600-900,000 new houses and 70-100,000 new commercial buildings in the US each year – that’s a lot of solar potential.
https://electrek.co/2017/04/05/bipv-solar-roof-facade-glass-energy-storage-jfw/


Imagine if Canada wasn't charging tariffs and fees on offshore solar panels of up to 286%


The CBSA’s provisional duties, set in March, ranged from 9 per cent to 286 per cent, depending on the specific Chinese manufacturer. The final tariff levels have not yet been revealed.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/ruling-says-chinese-solar-panels-being-dumped-in-canada-pose-threat-to-industry/article25319869/

Am I to assume that the health of Western manufacturers is of greater import than the health of the worlds citizenry?

Terry

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #275 on: April 06, 2017, 05:11:00 AM »
Jobs and union power...

TerryM

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #276 on: April 06, 2017, 06:27:43 AM »
Jobs and union power...


Let's unionize solar installers and repairmen!! The robots building the panels can stay in China.


Terry

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #277 on: April 06, 2017, 12:26:16 PM »
Imagine if Canada wasn't charging tariffs and fees on offshore solar panels of up to 286%

To what extent is it true that China is avoiding these tariffs by investing in solar plants in Thailand?

magnamentis

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #278 on: April 06, 2017, 05:19:39 PM »
reading all the leftist unrealistic comments a few earlier comments and reactions become even more understandable. neven made a few good comments as to where the problem lays and what the only
possible approach is, i.e. implementing caps of wealth, while they have to be at a level that keeps
people motivated, else the outcome of no way to prosper has been seen while travelling through all
the warsaw packt countries before the turn-around and even now it's visible.

people need a way to prosper and develop but no-one needs billions to achieve that. another key is to make leaders and top-managers responsible for their doings instead of letting them go with golden parachutes.

unions have vastly proven to have their own agenda and union leaders have proven to be no less power-seeking
and corrupted by money, while too  much union power has mostly caused more widely spread poverty.

last but not least exploitation of third world country, meaning commodities, working power and selling oversupply to them at prices below their self-generating costs and much more has to be banned and prosecuted. again those who represent the powers who do that excessively have to be held responsible.

I hope this does not look like a copy, will come back to edit should i find a similar comment later on haha....

TerryM

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #279 on: April 06, 2017, 07:29:56 PM »
Imagine if Canada wasn't charging tariffs and fees on offshore solar panels of up to 286%

To what extent is it true that China is avoiding these tariffs by investing in solar plants in Thailand?


My understanding is that China has been building solar panel factories all over Asia to escape the onerous tariffs, in the meantime the West is enacting additional tariffs to cover these plants, which, because of start up costs and the excess capacity now on line may be dumping product below cost just as was originally charged.


Everyone should ask his MP or CongressCritter whether renewable components face tariffs, and why? The jobs are in installation and maintenance, high taxation by whatever name simply kills these unexportable jobs.


Terry

oren

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #280 on: April 08, 2017, 11:01:17 AM »
Unbelievable. Someone is handing rich countries cheap solar panels at below cost. Solar panels! Something that could free you from extra expenses for many years to come. Instead of grabbing with both hands and installing like mad before the free handouts end, they are putting up tariffs. Economic idiocy even if climate change never existed.

crandles

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #281 on: April 08, 2017, 05:48:42 PM »
Unbelievable. Someone is handing rich countries cheap solar panels at below cost.

Are they? Is Chinese government handing out money to these solar factors as an incentive for keeping people employed or something? Where does China raise all that money? An alternative interpretation of all this talk of dumping might be Western governments trying to protect local manufacturers but both the manufacturer and and the government find the language of anti-dumping more palatable than calling it what it is, protectionism. Am I just being too cynical? Are they really below cost?

oren

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #282 on: April 08, 2017, 09:04:36 PM »
I have no clue about the true cost. But using the reason/excuse of "below cost" to put tariffs on something as useful (and even strategic) as solar panels is lunacy.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #283 on: April 21, 2017, 11:00:38 PM »
We're already cyborgs -- most of us just keep the technology we use every day outside of our body.  But as we move forward with cochlear implants and neural stimulators....  Think how big and expensive computers were 50 years ago, versus what you are using today.  Now imagine how small and powerful the technology will be in another 50 years.  (One benefit: much less energy and material will be required, and the technology will be available to many more people.)

Tim Urban's new "Wait But Why" article, on Elon Musk's new company which is working on the Brain-Machine Interface of the future:

Neuralink and the Brain’s Magical Future
http://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #284 on: June 17, 2017, 05:59:26 PM »
Sounds like the criticisms of the first Teslas:  too expensive; who will buy it?

The Sustainable City: Is off-grid living the way forward for Dubai?
Quote
Dubai-based developer and civil engineer Faris Saeed is already working on a model of what future "green" communities might look like. His company Diamond Developers has constructed The Sustainable City, a 5-million square foot complex built to consume zero net energy with the potential to go off-grid -- the first of its kind in the emirate, the company claims.
...
The Sustainable City's 500 homes, located 18 miles from Dubai City, are powered by solar panels capable of achieving 10 mega-watts at their peak.

Regional expert and author Jim Krane says Dubai's "300-plus sunny days a year" make solar energy a "very predictable resource." Yet while the rooftops soak up rays, houses are orientated to avoid direct sunlight inside, keeping interiors cool.
...
Buying a slice of sustainable living in Dubai isn't cheap. House prices at The Sustainable City start at $1 million, but so far two thirds of the properties have been sold, while others are rented.

"Developers are afraid always from the extra cost, and people will not afford or people won't buy their products," Saeed argues.
...
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/design/the-sustainable-city-dubai/index.html

Includes a brief video.
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ghoti

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #285 on: June 17, 2017, 09:25:43 PM »
Here's another video profiling the Sustainable City.
Done by Robert Llewelyn of Fully CHarged.



Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #286 on: June 29, 2017, 01:46:44 AM »
Net-zero homes grew record 33 percent in 2016, says report
More than 8,000 new units were built last year in the U.S. and Canada
Quote
... In 2016, 33 percent more net-zero units were built across the U.S. and Canada than the previous year. The 8,023 new single-family and multifamily units will eliminate the equivalent of 16,406 cars and 77,929 tons of CO2 emissions each year, versus buildings that met code compliance.

The majority of the new buildings, 61 percent, were part of larger, multi-unit projects. The largest multi-unit project (663 units, completed and occupied) and the largest single-family project (350 units, in design) are both at the University of California Davis’s West Village, a huge residential project that’s expected to grow substantially in the coming years due to expansion.
...
https://www.curbed.com/2017/6/20/15840852/construction-new-homes-green-design-net-zero
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #287 on: October 28, 2017, 08:12:40 PM »
"Before Sandy, a room on 48th floor of the west tower might have been a penthouse apartment. Instead, it's occupied by five large backup generators that can supply emergency power to 760 apartments."

5 Years After Sandy, New York Rebuilds With The Next Flood In Mind
http://www.npr.org/2017/10/28/560450423/5-years-after-sandy-new-york-rebuilds-with-the-next-flood-in-mind
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Shared Humanity

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #288 on: October 28, 2017, 09:16:59 PM »
Net-zero homes grew record 33 percent in 2016, says report
More than 8,000 new units were built last year in the U.S. and Canada
Quote
... In 2016, 33 percent more net-zero units were built across the U.S. and Canada than the previous year. The 8,023 new single-family and multifamily units will eliminate the equivalent of 16,406 cars and 77,929 tons of CO2 emissions each year, versus buildings that met code compliance.

The majority of the new buildings, 61 percent, were part of larger, multi-unit projects. The largest multi-unit project (663 units, completed and occupied) and the largest single-family project (350 units, in design) are both at the University of California Davis’s West Village, a huge residential project that’s expected to grow substantially in the coming years due to expansion.
...
https://www.curbed.com/2017/6/20/15840852/construction-new-homes-green-design-net-zero

This is so cool but also discouraging. There were 1.1 million housing units built in the US in 2016.

Red

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #289 on: October 30, 2017, 09:17:17 PM »
A small but hopefully a helping hand. A new search engine for me at least is https://www.ecosia.org it uses the profits to go towards tree planting globally. It states that it doesn't track it user's and tallies your contribution in the upper right corner. The blog for the site is https://blog.ecosia.org/ happy planting.

Pmt111500

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #290 on: November 06, 2017, 07:12:55 AM »
I couldn't find a thread considering punishnent tolls for any US products as they attempt to sabotage the negotiations. I'd say this should be ~100%, as they are affecting the whole world with their negligence and misdemeanor. The payments should be directed towards converting harmful energy production to proper one, bringing a better tomorrow for all but Trumpistans.

Shared Humanity

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #291 on: November 06, 2017, 03:13:51 PM »
I couldn't find a thread considering punishnent tolls for any US products as they attempt to sabotage the negotiations. I'd say this should be ~100%, as they are affecting the whole world with their negligence and misdemeanor. The payments should be directed towards converting harmful energy production to proper one, bringing a better tomorrow for all but Trumpistans.

I like the idea of tariffs to penalize countries that are not making progress towards carbon goals. Not sure how they would be applied.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #292 on: February 22, 2018, 09:23:20 PM »
California:

CA 2020 Building Code Draft: Zero-Net-Electricity New Home
Quote
California is seeking input on a plan to update its building energy standards to increase energy efficiency, clear the way for clean energy heating and hot water, and, for the first time, require new homes to install rooftop solar panels. The standards, effective in January 2020, will be a big step forward for energy savings and reducing the carbon footprint of California’s homes and buildings—the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. 
...
California’s current building standards save energy and water, reduce pollution, and shore up electric reliability, all while providing consumers with utility bill savings that exceed the upfront cost of meeting the code’s requirements. The standards’ first job is to ensure that as little energy and water are needed as possible—for example, homes built after 2020 are expected to have very energy efficient attics and walls, improved windows and doors, and properly installed insulation—or other efficiency upgrades that provide equivalent savings. As occupants can attest, a more energy-efficient home is a more comfortable home.

Under this proposed code, new buildings will be efficient enough that their electricity use can be offset by a modest number of solar panels. Consequently, for the first time, building energy standards will take on another role: in 2020 they will require that rooftop solar panels be installed on new single-family homes and low-rise multi-family buildings to offset the home’s expected annual electricity use and achieve “zero-net electricity” status.
...
And for low-income residents, making housing more energy efficient will provide real relief from high energy bills and increase their disposable income. In California, low-income households spend twice as much on energy as a percentage of income that the statewide average. ...
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/pierre-delforge/ca-2020-building-code-draft-zero-net-electricity-new-homes
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jai mitchell

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are not tri-color bar graphs
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #294 on: March 07, 2018, 03:41:55 PM »
Babcock Ranch aims to be America's greenest city — and an inspiration
Housing development near Fort Myers, Florida is being built for sustainability from the ground up.
Quote
On a 17,000-acre patch of land about 15 miles northeast of Fort Myers, Florida, a community that aspires to be the nation’s greenest is on the rise.

With more than 340,000 solar panels in place, Babcock Ranch aims to be the first town in the U.S. powered solely by solar energy. Residents will live in energy-efficient homes and use self-driving electric shuttles to get around. To avoid wasting water, the community is emphasizing less thirsty native vegetation over grass. And all irrigation uses “gray water” reclaimed from the town’s wastewater treatment plant.
...

First panels, then batteries

Kitson partnered with local electricity provider Florida Power and Light to build the 440-acre field of solar panels, which was finished last year before the first residents moved in. The panels power the town and provide power to surrounding communities, Kitson says.

At the moment, the town taps energy from the grid when there’s not enough sunlight. But Kitson says battery storage facilities are in development to bridge these gaps. “This is something we are proving that can happen and once we’re able to continue building our storage capability here — gosh, that’s the holy grail of renewable energy,” he says. ...
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/babcock-ranch-aims-be-america-s-greenest-city-inspiration-ncna854076
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #295 on: June 19, 2018, 05:11:27 PM »
PARIS IS BUILDING THE ECO-COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE RIGHT NOW. HERE’S HOW.
The Clichy-Batignolles eco-district aims to set a new standard in sustainable urban design.
Quote
May 23, 2018 — Every so often an environmentally friendly building gives us a glimpse of the low-carbon future so many climate plans envision. With the development of Clichy-Batignolles, the city of Paris has created a groundbreaking eco-village filled with such buildings. Begun in 2002, the massive redevelopment project is about 30 percent complete and is slated to be finished in 2020.

In 2007, Paris became one of the first municipalities in the world to adopt a climate action plan, setting goals for greenhouse gas emission reductions above and beyond those outlined by the European Union. Employing virtually all the tools in the green builders’ toolkit, Clichy-Batignolles aims to be tangible evidence of the city’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint as well as an experimental laboratory for testing what’s possible in climate-sensitive redevelopment. What used to be a train yard is being turned into an urban park surrounded by energy-efficient buildings that will house 7,500 residents and provide places of employment for more than 12,000 people.

Clichy-Batignolles’ naturally landscaped park and eclectic modern architecture contrasts sharply with historic Paris. But what makes Clichy-Batignolles most significant cannot be seen with the naked eye. The complex planning process it pioneered involving disparate stakeholders working in concert to maximize building efficiency and minimize resource use offers other cities a road map to achieve a low-carbon future. The development’s contribution to sustainable urban design was recognized in 2016, when it won the Sustainable City Grand Prize in the international Green City Solutions Awards competition.
...
Wherever possible, developers have installed solar panels on roofs and facades. More than 35,000 square meters (380,000 square feet) of panels will generate 3,500 MWh per year, roughly 40 percent of the electricity used in the development.

To cut carbon emissions further, the layout of the development encourages walking and use of mass transit while limiting space for cars. Roadways are restricted to 12 percent of the total surface area, and low speed limits prevail, which helps privilege pedestrians over cars. To further improve air quality in the district, deliveries are restricted to a fleet of electric vehicles that cover the last kilometer (0.6 mile) from a central drop-off site.
...
https://ensia.com/articles/paris-is-building-the-eco-community-of-the-future-right-now-heres-how/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #296 on: September 04, 2018, 02:54:17 PM »
“New London Ontario community completely covered with solar panels! Much respect”
https://mobile.twitter.com/konrad_bilinski/status/1036736737911943168
Image below; more at the link.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #297 on: May 12, 2019, 07:46:25 PM »
Welcome to the world's first 3D-printed village, where the structure can be printed in 24 hours
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/worlds-first-3d-printed-village/vi-AABe3C0
One-minute video at the link.
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vox_mundi

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #298 on: November 14, 2019, 07:13:08 PM »
Software Helps Planners Design Walkable Cities
https://techxplore.com/news/2019-11-software-planners-walkable-cities.html
https://www.urbano.io/

Walkable cities reduce traffic congestion, which causes around 3.3 million deaths and $121 billion in economic losses every year. But when architects are developing pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, they often rely on trial and error, intuition or specialized simulations that are hard to use and to incorporate into their designs.

Urbano, a free software package launched Oct. 26 by Cornell researchers, employs data, metrics and an easy-to-use interface to help planners and architects add and assess walkability features in their designs as effectively as possible.

The tool is the product of a collaboration between the College of Architecture, Art and Planning's Environmental Systems Lab, which Dogan directs, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering.

The researchers sought to create a tool that works well with the design process, which can be fast, messy and circuitous. Simulations that are difficult to perform or take too long to produce aren't practical, Dogan said.

"We worked on new algorithms that are fast," he said. "We worked on user interfaces that are intuitive. And we made sure the software can be integrated smoothly into the design process, so from the very first ideas and sketches you can get some feedback and nudge the design in the right direction."

Urbano relies on three metrics to assess walkability: Streetscore, which calculates how streets are used for certain routes; Walkscore, a customizable measurement that rates whether popular amenities are within walking distance of homes and workplaces; and AmenityScore, which considers demographics to estimate the usefulness of various services.


Walkscore (Brewster et al. 2009) is a walkability rating on a scale of 0-100 based on the proximity to different amenities. Urbano allows customized weighting to compute a personalized Walkscore or to adapt the amenity demand to local and demographic preferences indicated by ADP.

Urbano- A New Tool to Promote Mobility-Aware Urban Design, Active Transportation Modeling and Access Analysis for Amenities and Public Transport. Conference: SimAUD 2018, At Delft, Netherlands

https://www.urbano.io/
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nanning

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #299 on: November 29, 2019, 12:13:51 PM »
   Sudan dissolves ex-ruling party and repeals law targeting women

Transitional authorities pass key demands of protest movement that toppled Bashir

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/29/sudan-dissolves-ex-ruling-party-and-repeals-morality-law
  by Reuters in Khartoum


 excerpts:

Sudan’s transitional authorities have approved a law to dissolve the former ruling party and repealed a public order law used to regulate women’s behaviour under the rule of the former president Omar al-Bashir.

The two measures were in response to key demands by a protest movement that helped overthrow Bashir in April.

Under Bashir, the public order law was deployed to impose conservative Islamic social codes, restricting women’s freedom of dress, movement, association, work and study.

This could include preventing women from wearing trousers or leaving their hair uncovered in public, or mixing with men other than their husbands or an immediate relative.

Those found to have contravened the law could be punished with flogging
. Hamdok called the rules “an instrument of exploitation, humiliation, violation, aggression on the rights of citizens”.

Women played a prominent role in the months of protests against Bashir.

The women’s rights activist Hadia Hasaballah said the repeal of the law showed the failure of Islamist ideology.
"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly" - Bertrand Russell
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Why do you keep accumulating stuff?