Energy and sustainable cities

The majority of global energy consumption is based on fossil fuel, like electrical generation, public
transportation, industrial manufacturing, to name but a few. In the last 5 decades, the fossil fuel consumption
has increased almost 5 times according to Girardet 2008.Nothing about building megacities can be achieved
without the widespread use of coal, oil, gas.

In a world where climate change is becoming an ever-growing concern and where oil and other fossil fuels
are becoming scarce resources, a alternative method is needed to power out cities. The European Energy
Council plan to replace traditional energy with renewable energy sources by 20% by the end of 2020.Utill
now, renewable energy began to play a role in the world along with tradition fossil fuel technologies which
have already reached economies of scale and have benefited by extensive government subsidies during past
time.

To give answer to how to run cities on renewable energy, the initiative is presented, which mainly concerns
resources and technologies as wind power, solar energy, biomass, geothermal energy, wave power, insulation
and cooling.
From now on, several examples will be introduced concerning how renewable energy plan is implemented
in different countries.

Almere Zoneiland (Sun Island) is located in the Noorderplassen-West district in Almere and it is the first
project in the Netherlands, where houses in a residential area is heated by a single solar energy system
collectively. The project is financially supported by the EU and implemented in a cooperation between the
Dutch energy company Nuon, Almere Municipality and local citizens.

Almere is a city which was build from scratch and becomes Netherlands fastest growing city. The identity
of this new-born city is not only the growing speed but also its Sun island initiative. The so called Sun Island
contains 520 solar panels covering an area of approximately 7000m2.As supplement to the Zoneiland some
of the eco-houses in Noorderplassen-Wests are built to be 10% more energy efficient than the standard
contributes with their own private solar power systems.

The idea behind the solar island is simple: The Zoneiland system functions equivalent to having a water
hose lying outside on a sunny day. The water in the tube is heated by the sun all year round, even on cloudy
days. After being heated up, the water is pumped directly into the heating network of the city district,
providing 2700 homes with heated water. Annually the Zoneiland provides 9,750 gigajoules of renewable,
sustainable energy, equal to 10% of Almere city's total annual energy needs. The rest of the energy is
provided by the local power plant in Almere.

50% C02 reduction and a Green Image of the City By supplying the city with renewable sustainable energy,
the Zoneiland help to reduce the CO2 production by 50%. This reduction in CO2 is equivalent to the amount
of CO2 saved if every household using the new energy source, annually drove 12.000 km less in their cars.
Another advantage of the solar energy system is that it has no rotating parts, which means that it is easier to
maintain, unlike for example wind turbines. The estimated lifetime of the solar system is about 25 years.

Technically, Sun Island uses a very basic and straight-direct way to take advantage of solar energy. However,
due to the large scale and intensive management, great power consumption has been created. Coupled with
simple transmission line without rotating parts which are difficult to maintain and fragile, it becomes also
competitive in life span. Large scale solar energy production is 4-6 times as efficient as that generated by
small building-based installations.
Depending on the given storage capacity, large scale solar thermal systems are able to generate up to 80% of
the annual energy consumption.
Energy costs relating to the solar thermal installation are fixed and low, resulting in predictable and
competitive energy costs. Furthermore, district heating combined with solar thermal installations results in a
reduction of the CO2 emissions.
The solar thermal plant is easily integrated into the existing system - it is fully automated and virtually
maintenance free.
Large scale turn-key solar solutions provide district heating with:
Low energy costs that are predictable and stable no risk of future changes based on politically controlled
subsidies.
Reliable energy supply for a period of 25+ years.
Leading and proven high-efficiency technology, practically maintenance-free.
CO2 -free energy supply.
Solar thermal solutions reduce dependency on the unpredictable and ever-rising prices on fossil fuels and
introducing solar thermal energy as a supplement allows the utility company to display a green and
sustainable profile.
On the other hand, it may cause some social problem derived from huge utility of land for installation of
solar panel. As we can easily detect from Sun Island project, the main stream solar energy collecting devices
are mainly installed in singe layer, which undoubtedly gives rise to certain amount of land area waste.
Just like different kinds of plants grew in the woods, the solar panel should also be installed in a
multiple-layer way which increases the efficiency of land area.
All in all, this initiative really creates a feasible implementation plan of renewable energy no matter what
kind of landscape a city is. For country with less population and wide range of plain area as Belgium, this
project is especially desirable. Almost all the heat water in this country comes directly or implicitly from
fossil fuel. Via taking advantage of this initiative, no wonder huge amount of fossil fuels will be saved
which ,in return, efficiently decrease the emission of CO2,the top threater of current environment.
Other typical example of renewable energy application is Marstal Solar District Heating. In Denmark, the
project SUNSTORE 4 supports the further development of the renewable energy supply system for the
community of Marstal. The expansion of the solar plant , a new pit heat storage, heat pump and a biomass
boiler is part of the innovative cost efficient energy supply system.

The overall objectives of the project are to demonstrate an innovative cost efficient and technical reliable
100% renewable energy supply system for a (Marstal, DK) large scale (district) heating system based on 55%
solar energy and 45% biomass energy (willow wood chips from energy crops) including a compressor heat
pump using CO2 as refrigerant and electricity production from biomass through an ORC unit.
A European perspective of the system concept and thereby of the demonstration project is that it is
potentially applicable and adaptable to different regions of Europe with different types of conditions. This
includes:
Energy output in terms of heat, cooling, electricity and even desalination according to the demand in the
region;
Flexibility in the mix of solar, biomass energy and electricity (heat pump) e.g. related to the costs of the 3
energy sources;
Flexibility in the types of biomass energy sources, e.g. using relatively wet biomass sources or sources being
not very homogeneous.
Marstal District Heatings nearly 1,500 members will now receive 55% of their energy from the solar
production and 45% of their energy from locally produced biomass. The project also includes a heat pump
which is "moving" energy to the energy storage and a turbine, a so called ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle)
which is an electricity-producing device that can use the energy from the flue gas produced in the biomass
boiler.
As other district heating system, Marstal Solar District Heating has following pros and cons. District
heating is more energy efficient, due to simultaneous production of heat and electricity in combined heat and
power generation plants. This has the added benefit of reducing carbon emissions.The larger combustion
units also have a more advanced flue gas cleaning than single boiler systems. In the case of surplus heat
from industries, district heating systems do not use additional fuel because they use heat (termed heat
recovery) which would be dispersed to the environment.
District heating is a long-term commitment that fits poorly with a focus on short-term returns on investment.
Benefits to the community include avoided costs of energy, through the use of surplus and wasted heat
energy, and reduced investment in individual household or building heating equipment.
Nevertheless, District heating networks, heat-only boiler stations, and cogeneration plants require high
initial capital expenditure and financing. Only if considered as long-term investments will these translate
into profitable operations for the owners of district heating systems, or combined heat and power plant
operators. District heating is less attractive for areas with low population densities, as the investment per
household is considerably higher. Also it is less attractive in areas of many small buildings; e.g. detached
houses than in areas with a few much larger buildings; e.g. blocks of flats, because each connection to a
single-family house is quite expensive.
Personally, I have to admit that Marstal Solar District Heating initiative do make great contribution to the
reservation of energy and conservation of world environment. But what matters most ,I think, is the
instructive effects it generated througn European area and make a good begin of how a city can be built in a
energy-saving and environmental-friendly way. Practically, this project may only suit large city with wide
outskirt area surrounding it in Belgium concerning the population and expense efficiency problem.

Last but not the least, Id like to raise an example right in China-Urumqi District Heating Project. As
Urumqi has been experiencing urban expansion, rapid population growth and economic growth in the past
decade, industrialization and urbanization have been promoted. In this context, energy consumption would
increase significantly. The energy constrains on economic development and energy related environmental
issues would become more evident. The concentration of sulfur dioxide and dust
significantly exceeds the standards during the heating season in Urumqi, which
Indicates a typical coal-smoke pollution. The air pollution directly affects human
health, traffic safety and sustainable economic development in Urumqi. When the centralized heating and
CHP are implemented as proposed in this project, the energy efficiency would be enhanced and air pollutant
emissions would decreases, so that the ambient air quality could be improved, which would help to reach the
goal of moderately prosperous society.

The main content of the project is the thermal- power cogeneration network project of
2330MW heating units of the Urumqi Thermal Power Plant (UTPP). The heating
area goes northward to East Extension of Kashi Road connected with Dongshan
District Industrial Park, westward to Hetan Road, eastward to Xuelian mountain and
southward to Democracy Road. The heating area covers about 14,730,000 m2. The heat load is 951MW.
The heating pipeline network will be laid along the civil roads. No land acquisition is needed.

Different from the first 2 examples, Urumqi is a city with huge population but also under development.
Unlike developed area like Netherland and Denmark, before the district heating initiative, severe
environmental contamination problem already haunted the city. Instead of pure consideration of energy
consumption efficiency and CO2 emission related global warming issue, more attention may be focused on
environmental governance.

As mentioned above, Urumqis district heating plan has several advantages. Firstly, it is densely populated
city which ensures high efficiency of equipment utility. The average cost per person may is much lower than
place with less population. Besides, since all the heating pipeline networks were laid along roads,
considerable amount of land is saved from installation of those devices. Lastly, Urumqi has also suffered
from water scarcity.

Via district heating, pipeline, not only certain amount of energy can be preserved from waste, but also
precious water resources. Even though the initial investment is a big number, especially when compared
with lost cost coal. But as a typical Non-renewable energy resources, after years of immoderate use, the
price has already rocketed up. Besides that, the amount of money spent on anti-pollution project is way more
than what has been saved from low cost coal fuel.

As statistics shows, there are 178 coal-fired boilers in 52 centralized heating boiler rooms, 790 coal-fired
boilers in 369 scattered heating boiler rooms and 9297 scattered small civil coal stoves. There are only 23%
of centralized coal-fired boiler rooms, from which the dust emission can meet the air pollutant emission
standard. The proportion for SO2 emission is 12%. No desulfurization and dust removal facilities are
installed on scattered small boilers.

The low efficiency, high energy consumption of boilers and low efficiency of desulfurization facilities
causes that the days when air quality can meet the standard accounts for less than 50%. Accordingly, annual
average air quality can not meet the standard. Thus, the vital tasks in Urumqi are to manage scattered
coal-fired boilers and adjust energy structure.

On the other hand, limitations for district heating system also existed in this project. Unlike electricity,
which is easily transmitted through long distance with acceptable loss, heated water can only be transmitted
with very limited range and lots of insulation problem need to be handled through the transmission line. For
this reason, the application area for each district heating system is confined in a small scope.

Rare it may seem in a developing country, the Urumqi district heating initiative really makes a good start.
Admittedly, the application of CHP sufficiently supply necessary heating water to citizens in Urumqi city.
Whats more, it also sets a very good example for other megacities in China whose population has already
exploded and living circumstances is beyond tolerable level like Beijing. Shanghai as well as Guangzhou,
with the help of ocean, suffering less from environmental pollution could still learn a profound lesson from
whats happening in Urumqi.
Back to Belgium, a sparsely populated country with wide range of plain out of each city naturally win
another advantage in renewable energy application field, that is, wind power which tends to be ignored by
its unpredictability and difficulty in control process.
As for me, I have taken trains to many places in Belgium. On the road, I witnessed loads of solar panel
installed on the roof of houses along the railway. It is a good situation, but not good enough I am afraid I
have to say.
As mentioned above, Belgium is country with limited number of population. Meanwhile, the distribution of
citizens is also comparatively scattered, compared with population highly centralized country like China,
India and Mexico, which means that only countable houses can be installed with solar panel and huge
amount of money may be spent on making connection between each separate building. So it is unadvisable
to just concentrate on solar energy. More attention should be drawn to alternative power like wind in
Belgium.
With the understanding of the importance of wind power, in 2010, a project called Belwind opens the largest
energy project of Belgium. The Belgian Belwind will officially bring the largest renewable power plant of
Belgium into operation.
The Belwind power station in the North Sea consists of 55 turbines and represents an investment of 614
million euros. Belwind expects to be able to provide 175,000 households in Belgium with green power, thus
avoiding 270,000 tones of CO2 per year. Cooperation between local, regional and national authorities made
it possible to develop the wind farm in a record time of 3.5 years and to build it in only 15 months.
The Belwind power station puts Belgium well on the way to reaching the 20-20-20 target of the European
climate plan which means Belgium committed itself to be twenty percent more energy-saving, to cut
CO2emissions by 20% and to meet 20% of its energy needs from renewable sources. The renewable energy
of Belwind covers 4.7% of the Belgian governments objectives. Furthermore, a wind power project such as
Belwind makes this country less dependent on foreign energy suppliers and ensures its power supply in the
future.
Besides the economical and political benefits, Belwind also achieved great ecological success due to the
choice of excellent location. Belwind covers a surface of 17 km and is set up on the Bligh Bank, 46 km off
the coast of Zeebrugge. This sandbank is outside the shipping routes and outside territorial waters, the area
the government delimited for wind farms. The power station is built farthest at sea in the world, it benefits
from greater wind force and it cannot be seen from the shore. The wind farm is completely closed for
shipping and fishing so that marine fauna and flora can thrive in peace.
The cons is the same as District heating project, the initial investment is astronomical. With an amount of
614 million euro, the Belwind made the greatest private investment in this country in the past few years. The
construction of the new plant generated 1,300 man/years of work, and maintenance will guarantee 1,400
man/years of employment for the next 20 years.
Though it is expensive at the beginning, the vista of wind power is still promising. Maybe there is no single
renewable energy initiative can solve all the environmental problems all around the world once and for all.
But apposite utilization of the combination of different kind of green energy technologies can do make some
difference.
References:
1. ALMERE: SUN ISLAND
2. Sun Island Almere, Netherlands
3. Marstal District Heating
4. Wind power in Belgium
5. District Heating
6. Environmental and social impact assessment : executive summary for Urumqi District Heating
Project