Thursday, May 17, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Dutch: We still have a room!
Holland, as one of the nominees in the big ten of countries
who has taken the most benefit from renewable energy sources for its electricity,
has installed instruments for producing alternative power everywhere in the
country. With the total of 41,543 square
kilometers, the country simply requires 800 square kilometers of solar panel
installed in order to cover the need of electricity. Since it is impossible to
create entirely free spaces for the panels, the Dutch play it smart by
installing some of them on buildings’ and houses’ roof, and even smarter that they
are trying to install the panels on the road. The project is piloted on a
cycling path.
But why a cycling path?
The fact that there is 113,018 kilometer of paved road and the
increasing numbers of people who prefer to ride bicycle, has encouraged cities
in the country to provide more lanes for the cyclists. One of the cycling paths
in Krommenie, a city in Northwest of Amsterdam, is having 1.5-2.5 cm of solar
panels installed on it. These solar panels are designed in such a way that they
can hold truck’s weight. It is estimated that the electricity obtained from the
sunrays at midday will be able to power streetlights, traffic lights, and even
houses nearby. The cycling path is chosen because bicycle will not cover the
entire streets even during a traffic jam.
Another creative idea has been applied in 2009, when an
organization called the Sustainable Dance Club produced the Sustainable Dance
Floor (SDF) and has it installed at a club and bar in Rotterdam called Watt. This
dance floor panel will produce kinetic energy which is stimulated by dancing
steps of the clubbers. A battery bar is projected on the wall which, according
to the club owner, is to show the clubbers the level of electricity they have
produced. Every person who dances energetically tend to produce 20 W, not so
much in contributing to the city, but enough to cut the power bill of the
building. On the same year, the variant of the floor, a single tile panel, was
installed at a paved road of Toulouse, France and the two-week trial resulted
in powering one street light which is derived from 8 panels.
In the future, I am picturing to have SDF installed in crowded
public places such as sidewalks, crossroads, or jogging tracks in order to obtain
bigger energy; or hopefully solar panels covering median of highways. Consideration
of budget should not limit the benefit in the long run, it is an infestation
and it is covering even more world problems, such as obesity, the decreasing of
fossil fuels comparing with the demands, air pollution, etc. Furthermore, the use of public
places will, as well, indirectly forced people to behave supportively other
than creating a big curiosity, for example, if SDF is installed at the jogging
track, jogging might become more attractive. The Dutch is right, there is
always a room for everything.
Reference;
Picture is modified from http://www.sharethedamnroad.com
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