The city of Beddington's 'Zero Energy Development' housing project is at the forefront of a radical shift in urban development.
"From the train, a visitor can easily spot Dunster's development. Its multicolored rooftop ventilation systems look more like rooster heads than wind cowls. In fits of whimsy and utility, the two-way cowls spin in the breeze to deliver fresh air. Outgoing stale air heats incoming air, ensuring comfortable temperatures ineach room of the superinsulated homes. No energy-guzzling heating systems or circulation fans are required.
High-tech tricks like this, along with solar panels, double- and triple-glazed windows, energy-efficient lights and appliances, and the power plant, which burns urban tree waste, help residents enjoy a hypergreen lifestyle. (Since the power plant burns trimmings from trees, which absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide as they grow, the process is considered "carbon neutral"; additionally, the plant is nearly twice as efficient as conventional off-site facilities that burn fossil fuels, and so clean-burning that its particulate levels are negligible.)"
Thanks to Brenda Meyer
FULL STORY: Better Homes and Garbage
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