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“Finding” your own Power
By: Timothy Boe, NCARB, AIA
www.eco-tects.com

Locating and tapping into natural resources is a quest at which our society has become quite adept. Often the greatest “finds” have occurred in the most desolate places – vast wastelands, scorching desserts, and even the ocean floors. Those with the vision, determination and grit to uncover these hidden treasures have usually been well rewarded. Today in our assessment of the usual locations where energy resources have been in the past, we are finding empty holes, and raw material that costs more to extract and refine than is its value. At the same time a new breed of energy “wildcatter” is pointing to a horn of plenty of renewable resources, right in plain sight. This time however, the “drilling fields” are rooftops, building surfaces and parking lots.

Anyone that has not spent the past couple of years “under a rock” probably knows that the United States has made a strong commitment to developing renewable energy, while at the same time breaking the country’s dependence on foreign oil. The new administration in its first address to Congress outlined three objectives – the first mentioned was the development of renewable energy technology. As part of this plan came the commitment of the government to channel significant resources towards the development of on-shore renewable energy.

At this time, five main areas are being looked at – Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Nuclear, and “Clean” Coal (whatever that means.) Of these five, three can be harvested anywhere – all you need is access to the Sun, Wind, or the Earth. Interestingly, the great band Earth, Wind and Fire also got its name from these elements. I’ll save that for another story, but while on the band theme, remember that Necessity is the “Mother of Invention.” The silver lining resulting from the soaring and unstable cost of energy is that the necessity of finding new solutions has become great. So great in fact, that we as a society are starting to collectively make it one of our highest priorities.

Looking back in history, there have been times when technology and the availability of new products has taken a quantum leap. Using Henry Ford as an example – Ford took the automobile, a contraption that was largely a “plaything” for the rich, and made them available to almost everyone. Ford’s assembly line concept and the Motel “T” that rolled off the line had a profound impact on the way people lived their lives from that point forward. I mention this particular example, because that’s the image I get when looking at the evolution of solar panels.

The first solar panels were an architect’s nightmare. They were heavy, so they impacted roof structures, they leaked, and were expensive…but at least they didn’t produce much energy either! Today the new photovoltaic technology is resulting in major advances in terms of weight, efficiency, affordability and cost. There are now Solar Windows, double sided PV Panels, energy boosters, and evolving storage systems for off-peak use. The option of Solar is also becoming more available, as Solar companies provide a number of programs by which to purchase the energy, besides buying the actual equipment.

Also making major strides, the technology of wind harvesting equipment is now becoming small enough to be used in site specific applications as well. As for Geothermal, the technology is currently being used very successfully – especially in Europe. The Atrio Shopping Center in Austria utilizes “energy piles” that circulate a medium to take advantage of the ground temperatures for heat exchange purposes. Many other projects are realizing similar benefits of lifelong geothermal energy, at no cost, once the initial energy system is paid for in the building lifecycle.

In today’s market, building owners are looking for ways to optimize their asset. Whether it be a school, or a shopping center, many facilities share the same elements in common. Typically the rooftops and parking lots are wasted, potential “energy fields.” In looking at the breakthroughs currently taking place in Solar, Wind and Geothermal – combined with the unused surfaces on many facilities – the prospect of Self Powered Buildings (SPB) is a current reality!

Many forward thinking companies and design professionals are today expanding their scope to consider, not only the buildings and on-site circulation, but also the potential of these components as energy capturing fields. These vast un-used surfaces, typically are overlooked. Consider the parking lots that surround most buildings. Instead of radiating heat and allowing pollutants to run off with storm water into the local sewers, these sprawling surfaces could be harvesting sunlight with solar arrays mounted on shading canopies.

These same canopies could also route rainwater runoff to be reused as greywater in the adjacent buildings, as well as to water landscape areas. Add to that the benefit of directed lighting to reduce night glare and plug in terminals for electric vehicles and the usefulness of solar/shading canopies becomes a winning combination. In areas where wind is prevalent, the addition of wind equipment, using the canopies as their standards, add yet another dimension of renewable energy potential.

In looking at the combination of rapidly advancing technology along with the large available surface areas provided by rooftops and parking lots, the concept of “off the grid” schools, shopping centers, office complexes, industrial parks…on and on, is now viable. The transition will require imagination and looking at things differently than in the past. Although Self Powered Buildings (SPB) will not alleviate the need for an energy grid altogether, they will reduce it.

Working in tandem with an improved energy grid and more SPSs, the goal of ecologists, scientists, architects and government are all being spoken to at the same time. All this, along with the promise of reduced operating costs for building owners, makes the “Finding” of Power an exciting, profitable, and sustainable venture.

Timothy Boe will be presenting the concept of “Found Power” at The International Conference of Shopping Centers (ICSC) RECon in Las Vegas, at 1:00 pm on May 18th in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. For information on RECon, visit www.ICSC.org.

Timothy Boe is an architect and founder of BOE ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL. With almost forty years of experience in the design and building industry, Mr. Boe brings a vast knowledge of numerous building types, as well as a considerable body of experience in urban design and planned communities. During his long career, Mr. Boe has been involved in numerous environmentally related projects, including several that have been bestowed awards for thoughtful re-use of "brownfield" properties, innovative planning solutions and adaptive re-use of properties involving lead base paint, asbestos abatement, site clean-up, wetlands enhancements and the creation of wildlife sanctuaries for threatened species. Mr. Boe has also served continuously since 1989 on the Board of Directors for Windwalker International... a sustainable alternative energy company.