Sustainable energy systems in architectural design : a blueprint for green building

265 Pages·2006·5.216 MB·English

by  Peter Gevorkian

Sustainable Energy
Systems in
Architectural Design
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Sustainable Energy Systems
in Architectural Design
A Blueprint for Green Building
Peter Gevorkian, Ph.D.

McGraw-Hill
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DOI: 10.1036/0071469826
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Contents
Introduction vii
Acknowledgments xi
Chapter 1 Solar Power Technology 1
Chapter 2 Solar Power Generation Design 39
Chapter 3 Economics of Solar Power Systems 77
Chapter 4 Alternative Renewable Energy
Technologies 91
Chapter 5 California Energy Commission Rebate
Incentive Plans 155

Chapter 6 Photo Galleries 169
Appendix A Glossary of Renewable Energy Power
Systems 187
Glossary of Meteorological Terms 195
Appendix B Renewable Energy Tables and Important
Solar Power Facts 197
Appendix C Solar Power Systems Design and
Installation Companies 217
Index 243
v
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Introduction
Since the dawn of agriculture and civilization, human beings have hastened
deforestation, impacting climatic and ecological conditions. Deforestation and
the use of fossil fuel energy diminish the natural recycling of carbon dioxide
gases. This accelerates and increases the inversion layer that traps the re-
flected energy of the sun. The augmented inversion layer has an elevated at-
mospheric temperature, giving rise to global warming, which in turn has
caused melting of the polar ice, substantial changes to climatic conditions, and
depletion of the ozone layer.
Within a couple of centuries, the unchecked effects of global warming will
not only change the make up of the global land mass but will affect human
life style on the planet.
Continued melting of the polar ice capswill increase sea water levels and
will gradually cover some habitable areas of global shorelines. It will also re-
sult in unpredictab le climatic changes, such as unusual precipitation, floods,
hurricanes, and tornados.
In view of the rapid expansion of the world’s economies, particularly those
of developing countries with large population, such as China and India, de-
mand for fossil fuel and construction materials will become severe. Within the
next few decades, if continued at present projected pace, the excessive demand
for fossil fuel energy resources, such as crude oil, natural gas, and coal, will
result in the demise of the ecology of our planet and, if not mitigated, may be
irreversible.
Today, China’s enormous demand for energy and construction materials has
resulted in considerable cost escalations of crude oil, construction steel, and
lumber, all of which require the expenditure of fossil fuel energy.
Developing countries are the most efficient consumers of energy, since every
scrap of material, paper, plastic, metal cans, rubber, and even common trash,
is recycled and reused. However, when the 2.3 billion combined populations
vii
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viii Introduction
of China and India attain a higher margin of families with middle class in-
comes, new demand for electricity, manufacturing, and millions of automo-
biles will undoubtedly change the balance of ecological and social stability to
a level beyond imagination.
The United States is the richest country in the world. With five percent of
the world’s population, the country consumes twenty-five percent of the global
aggregate energy. As a result of its economic power, the United States enjoys
one of the highest standards of life with the best medical care and human
longevity. Relative affluence of the country as a whole has resulted in cheap-
est cost of energy and its wastage.
Most consumption of fossil fuel energy is a result of inefficient and waste-
ful transportation and electric power generation technologies. Due to lack of
comprehensive energy control policies and lobbying efforts of special interest
groups, research and development funds to accelerate sustainable and re-
newable energy technologies has been neglected.
In order to curb the waste of fossil fuel energy, it is imperative that our na-
tion, as a whole, from politicians and educators to the general public, be made
aware of the dire consequences of our nation’s energy policies and make every
effort to promote use of all available renewable energy technologies so that
we can reduce the demand for nonrenewable energy and safeguard the envi-
ronment for future generations.
As scientists, engineers, and architects, we have throughout the last few
centuries been responsible for elevation of human living standards and con-
tributed to the advancement technology. We have succeeded in putting a man
on the moon, while ignoring the devastating side effects to the global ecology.
In the process of creating betterment and comforts of life, we have tapped into
the most precious nonrenewable energy resources, miraculously created over
the life span of our planet, and have been misusing them in a wasteful man-
ner to satisfy our most rudimentary energy needs.
The deterioration of our planet’s ecosystem and atmosphere cannot be ig-
nored or considered a matter that is not of immediate concern. Our planet’s
ozone layer according to scientists has been depleted by about forty percent
over the past century and green house gases have altered meteorological con-
ditions. Unfortunately, the collective social consciousness of educated masses
of our society has not concerned itself with the disaster awaiting our future
generations and continues to ignore the seriousness of the situation.
Press Clippings
As principal agents of human welfare, we scientists, engineers, and architects
must individually and collectively assume responsibility for correcting the
course of future technological development. To accentuate the seriousness of
the misuse of the nonrenewable energy resources, I would like the reader to
take notice of the following news articles published in various periodicals.