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Across the developed world, towns, cities and later suburbs formed under conditions that no longer apply. Cheap and abundant fossil fuels -- coal, oil, gasoline and natural gas -- once
seemed inexhaustible. Relatively few big cities had factories and pollution was a local problem. Today an ever larger proportion of an ever growing population -- now at 6 billion, compared to 2.5 billion in 1950 -- is joining the developed world and creating its own modern settlements. Where will they get the energy? One answer is by shifting to such renewable resources as solar power and wind. Another is to build homes with natural energy efficiency.
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Retractable glass panels allow sun heating in winter, natural cooling in summer. |
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Natural gas driers and water-heaters are more efficient than electrical ones. |
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Big, south-facing ("passive solar") windows reduce heat-energy needs by 30 percent. |
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Compact fluorescent lights with occupancy-sensors cut energy use by up to 75 percent. |
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Smaller, north-facing windows reduce heat loss in winter. |
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A long narrow, house uses sunlight most efficiently. |
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White metallic roofing can cool attic temperature by 30 degrees in a sub-tropical climate. |
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Today's solar panels can generate up to 60 percent of the average home's electrical power. |
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Insulated walls offer up to 75 percent savings on heating and cooling. |
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Sources: Landscape Architect, Eco-Urbanism, The Practice of Sustainable Development |
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