202 research outputs found
Mitigation/Adaptation: landscape architecture meets sustainable energy transition
Mitigation of climate change and adaptation to renewable energy sources are among the emerging fields of activity in landscape architecture. If landscape architects recognize the need for sustainable development on the basis of renewable energy sources, then how can we contribute to sustainable and aesthetic transformation of the human environment
Sustainable energy transition: properties and constraints of regenerative energy systems with respect to spatial planning and design
Before transforming the built environment, one must understand the characteristic of regenerative systems. The aim of this study was is to compare fossil-fuel energy systems with regenerative systems. It explores key properties and constraints of regenerative energy systems with respect to spatial organization and design of the built environment. The findings of this comparative analysis are illustrated with the help of a regional case-study in South Limburg, the Netherlands
Designing sustainable energy landscapes : concepts, principles and procedures
The depletion of fossil fuels, in combination with climate change, necessitates a transition to sustainable energy systems. Such systems are characterized by a decreased energy demand and an increase in the use of renewables. The objective of this dissertation is to advance the planning and design of sustainable landscapes, where energy needs can be fulfilled by locally-available renewable sources. What is important to the designer is to understand the principles by which sustainable energy landscapes can be designed, and how to organize the design process. Three different approaches have been pursued: research for design, research of design, and research-driven design. The study reveals three points of particular importance. First, the concept of exergy is critical; it draws special attention to the quality of energy carriers and the organization of sources and sinks in space and time. Second, the optimum scales of energy systems vary and depend on factors such as the quality of the energy carrier and infrastructure. Third, the long-term nature of creating sustainable landscapes requires us to go beyond conventional planning and design practice. The five-step framework proposed in this dissertation can help to integrate current trends and critical uncertainties into the design process
Towards a Dutch declaration of energy independence
The hypothesis is that nature offers powerful strategies for coping with resources scarcity and land use competition. The landscape approach to energy transition integrates ecological process thinking and strategic landscape desig
Re-Energize South Limburg: Designing sustainable energy landscapes
Designers, architects and planners must begin to anticipate the far reaching changes we are facing in connection with climate change. What if we take action and actively participate in the transition from fossil-fuel driven society towards a more sustainable society? This Wageningen University paper intends to discuss some of the spatial opportunities and consequences of a sustainable energy transition in relation to climate change and depletion of fossil-fuels. At the same time, it provides a broad overview of issues and challenges at hand whilst designing sustainable energy landscapes on a regional scal
Urban Planning for a Renewable Energy Future: Methodological Challenges and Opportunities from a Design Perspective
Urban planning for a renewable energy future requires the collaboration of different disciplines both in research and practice. In the present article, the planning of a renewable energy future is approached from a designerâs perspective. A framework for analysis of the planning questions at hand is first proposed. The framework considers two levels of inquiry: the technical environmental aspect, and its wider embedding in sustainable development. Furthermore, life cycle analysis and exergy studies are discussed for their application potential in design. An altered trias energetica as proposed in earlier publications appears to remain a robust concept for low exergy, renewable energy based urban design. When considering sustainable development, environmental assessments shall be completed by an inquiry of the socio-cultural, economical, juridical, aesthetical and ethical aspects characterizing the planning or decision process. The article then presents a number of practical design principles that can help envisioning a built environment that can be sustained on the basis of renewable energy sources. In accordance with the altered trias energetica concept, elements of passive urban energy design, exergetic optimization of energy provision systems and the sourcing of renewable energy are identified, and their respective potentials assesse
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