The Green Solar Cities, EU-Concerto project focuses on the practical large scale implementation of solar energy technologies in combination with new build and retrofit low energy building in the cities of Copenhagen, with its city part Valby, in Denmark and Salzburg in Austria. This book aims to influence decision makers in European cities towards a similar approach to the Green Solar Cities project, in close cooperation with leading building component suppliers, energy companies and engag...

How will the world be powered in ten years' time? Not by fossil fuels. Energy experts are all saying the same thing: solar photovoltaics (PV) is our future. Reports from universities, investment banks, international institutions and large investors agree. It's not about whether the switch from fossil fuels to solar power will happen, but when.Solar panels are being made that will last longer than ever hoped; investors are seeing the benefits of the long-term rewards provide...

'As we move towards the 2016 zero carbon target in house building, Passivhaus construction looks like becoming not just popular in the UK, but commonplace. This is a no-nonsense and engaging introduction on how to do it.' KEVIN MCCLOUD-The Passivhaus Handbook is an essential guide for anyone wanting to realise a supremely comfortable, healthy and durable home with exceptionally low energy costs.Passivhaus design focuses on ...

Now in its second edition, Sustainable Materials shows how we can greatly reduce the amount of material demanded and used in manufacturing, while still meeting everyone's needs.Materials, transformed from natural resources into the buildings, equipment, vehicles and goods that underpin our remarkable lifestyle, are made with amazing efficiency. But our growing demand is not sustainable. Production of just five materials – steel, aluminium, paper, plastics ...

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO STRUCTURAL GLASS FACADES FOR ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, AND BUILDERSOnce an experimental building form, structural glass facades have matured into a fully robust technology. Structural Glass Facades and Enclosures documents, defines, and categorizes the current state of the art in long-span glass facade design and construction, with a focus on structural systems, glass cladding options, and implementation strategies for innovative desi...

Cities are a big deal. More people now live in them than don't, and with a growing world population, the urban jungle is only going to get busier in the coming decades. But how often do we stop to think about what makes our cities work?Cities are built using some of the most creative and revolutionary science and engineering ideas – from steel structures that scrape the sky to glass cables that help us communicate at the speed of light – but most of us are too busy to notice. S...

Although the idea of an electric car is almost 180 years, old it is only now that we are learning to embrace the thought that our petrol cars won't last forever.There might be several reasons why you're holding this book in your hand. Concern about the environment, determination to cut your fuel bill, or simply curiosity. Whatever the reason, the answer is within. This consumer guide is for housewives, petrol-heads, pedestrians, green activists, everyone - but most importantly, it's...

Passivhaus is the fastest growing energy performance standard in the world, with almost 50,000 buildings realised to date. Applicable to both domestic and non-domestic building types, the strength of Passivhaus lies in the simplicity of the concept. As European and global energy directives move ever closer towards Zero (fossil) Energy standards, Passivhaus provides a robust ‘fabric first’ approach from which to make the next step.The Passivhaus Designers Manual is the most...

Winner of Choice Magazine - Outstanding Academic Titles for 2007Buildings account for over one third of global energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Reducing energy use by buildings is therefore an essential part of any strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby lessen the likelihood of potentially catastrophic climate change. Bringing together a wealth of hard-to-obtain information on energy use and energy efficiency in buildings at a level wh...

Every day there are news reports that highlight spiralling energy costs, accelerating energy consumption, serious concerns over fuel security and fears that oil production may soon decline. All such reports are set against a background of the most serious threat to the world today - global warming and the devastating impact of climate change.This informative and wide-ranging book, written by an acknowledged expert, demonstrates how renewable energy technologies can help meet CO2 reduction ...

Materials and the Environment: Eco-Informed Material Choice, Second Edition, is the first book devoted solely to the environmental aspects of materials and their selection, production, use and disposal, by one of the world's foremost materials authorities. It explores human dependence on materials and its environmental consequences and provides perspective, background, methods, and data for thinking about and designing with materials to minimize their environmental impact.Organized into 15...

As the ever-changing skylines of cities all over the world show, tall buildings are an increasingly important solution to accommodating growth more sustainably in today’s urban areas. Whether it is residential, a workplace or mixed use, the tower is both a statement of intent and the defining image for the new global city.The Tall Buildings Reference Book addresses all the issues of building tall, from the procurement stage through the design and construction process to ne...