Renewable

systems

This architectural practice operates in an arid environment where water movement, where there is any, is seasonal, presenting few opportunities for water wheels, turbines, jack pumps or mini-hydro installations.

Because rainfall is a scarce commodity; rain water capture, treatment and the demand management of its use are high priority design issues in the projects.
This is described on the separate page.

Commercialised renewable energy systems utilise principally wind and sunshine.
Wind turbines are available both for mains power supply and individual development energy supply. The latter range between 0.2kW and 10kW peak output, the size, location, tower height selected in each location to maximise effectiveness.
In general, greater tower heights maximise power output of the system, location should assess both power drop in transmission from tower to poiint of use, andacceptable distance to mitigate noise from the turbine.

Solar systems include both heating and electrical generation. Heating options are discussed on the separate page.

Electrical systems utilise photovoltaic cells of various manufacture and power outputs to convert direct sunlight to DC electrical power. Common types are poly-crystaline, semi-crystalline and amorphous (thin film).
Electricity from the cells is controlled by regulator to storage, and delivered via circuit breaker protected circuits to suit building wide zoning and voltage segregation.

Location options include:-- a separate 'power station' separate from the building where generation, storage, inversion and back up are all situated - integrated to the building with each function included in the building layout, notably photovoltaic panels integrated to roofs of appropriate pitch and orientation, storage in secure or ventilated spaces, control and inversion gear as part of the building's control centre - in residential buildings usually in the kitchen.

The renewable energy supply industry favours the former layout, including tracking system for the PV modules, and back up petrol driven generator.

This practice usually develops buildings with the renewable energy system integrated, only the wind turbine remote, and avoiding back up entirely.

Kitchen based facilities can include monitor indicators and control sub- board.
Indicators can include volt/amp supply, storage volt, inversion incoming DC volt/outgoing AC; some commercial regulators also include 'accumulated to date' records.

Storage of electricity conventionally is by battery, lead acid or gel type.
For the future high speed flywheel, fuel cell or conversion to liquid hydrogen storage are emergent storage options.

Electrical system layout issues are described in the separate page.