Renewable energies - MAGAZINE BY VELUX

		Our solar future Every day, the Earth receives 1,500 times as much energy from the sun as mankind consumes. A fully solar-powered future of the world’s cities is, therefore, by no means inconceivable. Efficiency measures and ‘secondary’ renewables such as wind and biomass will assist in the energy transition to come, but ultimately, the greatest promise lies in a combination of large-scale solar power plants and small-scale, building-integrated, solar energy uses. By Richard Perez Why? World energy consumption will have grown by another two thirds by 2050. At the same time, all energy reserves – except renewable energies – are limited; so is nuclear energy, which relies on the conversion of uranium. But climate change is providing the most powerful stimulus for restructuring our energy supplies; CO₂ emissions can be halved by 2050 only if the use of renewables is promoted alongside greater efficiency.

What?
What are the renewable energies sources with a future? Wind power alone could cover mankind’s needs, but its use is already approaching the limits in many countries. Biomass should be restricted to uses for which burning processes are essential. This leaves the sun as the main provider of energy; it gives the industrialised states alone 1,500 times more energy than mankind consumes at the moment.

How?
The question to be asked about solar energy provision is not whether supply should be centralised or decentralised; the two concepts have to be taken together if requirements are to be met. Energy provision will have to come from renewable sources, in the future even more than now. This means that the buildings we build or refurbish today must be based on a carbon-neutral energy supply from sources such as solar panels, and be provided with adequate storage facilities for heat and electricity.

View entire article with photos as PDF
Open new window with PDF or rightclick to download (2,2MB)

ACTIVE HOUSE

Active Houses respond to environmental and climatic changes through a holistic approach – and show the way to future standards through experimentation.