Yangzhou Evening Post - Jiang Chuangang

ISC country director of China, Wan Yang (middle) speaking to reporters

On Jun. 28th, the Yangzhou Low Carbon Community Demonstration Project came into operation. As the first low carbon community project of Yangzhou’s old city, it will be integrated into the local culture of the old city both in terms of building style and functionality. The primary part of the project will be finished within the year and the entire project is anticipated to be completed by April. 18th, 2013.

The old city district, with 1 million square meters of low-rise residential buildings and 80 thousand people residing in 19 thousand households, plays an important role in Yangzhou. However, various problems are present within the district, including low comfort of living, poor residential environment and inadequate supporting facilities. The implementation of this project will help ease and solve these problems and the project, if successful, can be disseminated to other cities.

Construction will complete by April 2013

The project covers an area of 4 thousand square meters and the building area about 2800 square meters. The project will include exhibition rooms of low carbon building, energy conservation model houses and a public arena for local residents. Institute for Sustainable Communities is contributing the latest low carbon knowledge and technologies in planning and implementing the project.

Institute for Sustainable Communities, ISC for short, is a U.S.-based, non-profit organization. It focus on spreading the experiences and technologies of efficient energy use worldwide and helping promote environmental quality and sustainability on a community level.

ISC’s country director of China, Wan Yang, told the reporters that 80% of GHG emissions in China comes from industry and urban areas. He explained that they decided to work with Yangzhou because the city has a unique concept for city renewal—to combine old city renewal with protection rather than to engage in standard mass demolishment and reconstruction. The main purpose of working with Yangzhou is to, by establishing a no GHG emission system, empower and improve the living standard of the old city’s local residents.

Highlights of this project: both low carbon, energy efficient and convenient for living

Highlight 1: Sunlight “walks”

The demonstration area of the project will contain a sunlight lighting system which will collect sunlight and deliver it where needed. The cover will collect sunlight and then transmit the sunlight to the ceiling through a light pipe. The ceiling will be equipped with a daylight diffuser which will help light the room, even the basement. The system is both heat-insulated and efficient in collecting sunlight, which prevents the outside air from coming into the room.

Highlight 2: Wash your face with purified rainwater

A rainwater collecting system will be built on the roof to collect rainfall, and a container with a purification unit inside will be set near the ground. The landscape pond will also play a role in rainfall collection. A portion of the rainwater will go into the rainwater pipe network, while another portion of the rainwater will be directly used after purification to water flowers and plants, for flush toilets and for indoor use.

The ground of the demonstration area will be paved with water permeable bricks which will allow the rainwater to more easily permeate and further feed the ground water system. Downward facing concave green spaces, which will be built in the demonstration area of the project, will have a stronger capacity for carbon sequestration than ordinary green spaces. Additionally, downward facing concave green spaces need less water than ordinary ones.

Highlight 3: free electricity for the street lamp

A photovoltaic system will be constructed for outdoor lighting in the demonstration area. The system will absorb light in the daytime and charge the storage battery. When it is dark outside, the battery will transmit the electricity for outdoor lighting.

Highlight 4: exchange heat with the ground to regulate the indoor temperature

The ground-source heat pump air-conditioning system will use the underground rock, soil, ground water and surface water as low temperature heat sources. The condenser or evaporator will be buried underground, which will allow the ground to function as the heat-exchanger. This system will save more than 40% of energy compared to an air source heat pump system, and 70% of energy compared to an electric heated system.

Related links:http://js.people.com.cn/html/2012/06/29/123177.html