Peg up for some hot, sustainable city-planning
A Powerhouse, or a Plus House, is a building that produces as much, or even more, energy than it uses. Back in 2014, the Powerhouse collaboration (Entra, Skanska, ZERO, Snøhetta and Asplan Viak) made Powerhouse Kjørbo, located in Sandvika outside Oslo. This was the first energy-positive officebuilding in Norway – some even say the first renovated energy-positive building in the world. Since then a lot has happened.
Today, buildings account for 40 percent of global energy consumption. Transforming buildings from energy guzzlers into producers of renewable energy, like Powerhouse Kjørbo and other like it, is a big step in the right direction. Constructing buildings with environmentally friendly qualities is a justifiable and rational investment both in a short- and long-term perspective.
There’s no way of going back
In the future, powerhouses will be a key contribution to reducing energy use in the world. Once we have this knowledge, there’s no way going back. Ask yourself this: Next time your city is expanding – is it possible to create a sustainable neighborhood with powerhouses only? Can your municipality subsidize citizens that would like to build powerhouses, and is that a thought worth exploring? If cities facilitate the building of powerhouses and introduces incentives that makes it attractive for citizens and private sector to choose this option, it could lay a foundation for a circular kickstart.
To give you the circular kickstart you need, the Evolve Arena conference will strive to provide an overall insight in many of the different areas you can take action. As well as the inspiration and tools you need to make your city circular. We ask the difficult questions. And we strive to present the bigger picture.
Get ideas that helps you look smart
As citizens become more environmentally conscious, the pressure for solutions are placed on politicians and city planners like yourself.
Have you ever fantasized about the impact it would have if the leaders of each department in your city had to set up a climate budget with environmental and economic benefits in a one-year-perspective? Or thought about how much energy and money your town could save if all retirement homes and public kindergartens started to weigh food-waste and plan their purchases better? And what would happen with the electric bill if you put solar panels on the roof of the town hall and made all employees commit to save as much power as possible?
Well, one thing is for sure: After a year you’ll see the results moneywise. In addition, the citizens would probably be proud to live in a city that takes the principles of circularity and environment seriously.
Together we create smarter life in human cities. See you at Evolve Arena 2020.
Sources:
NRK.no
Powerhouse.no
Snøhetta.com
