algae

[Darren Dirt]

http://www.electronicproducts.com/Power_Products/Power_Management/Talk_about_going_green_Apartment_building_powered_by_hanging_algae-filled_tanks.aspx

"this system is providing not one, but two forms of alternative energy ? solar thermal and geothermal energy ? to heat and cool the building without any assistance from fossil fuels"

A 15-unit apartment building in Hamburg, Germany, has been outfitted with 129 algae-filled tanks hanging on its fa?ade, all dedicated to powering the building itself.

The unique system makes the building the first in the world to be exclusively powered by algae.


Designed by Arup, SSC Strategic Science Consultants, and Splitterwerk Architects, the building is referred to as the ?Bio Intelligence Quotient House.? The way it works is pretty straightforward: Algae is retrieved from the nearby Elbe River and placed in large, thin, clear cases that contain a water solution. The algae live here and are provided nutrients and carbon dioxide via an automated system to encourage growth.


The tanks themselves, it should be noted, are affixed to the southeast and southwest portions of the building?s exterior. They rest on scaffolding that turns the algae toward the sun throughout the day.

As the algae grow ? typically during summertime ? their increased mass provides more shade for the building to help keep it cool and also serves as a sound buffer to outside noise.


Excess heat built up in the tanks during this time is transferred to saline water tanks underneath the building and stored for later use.

When algae growth reaches a certain point, it gets harvested and taken to a processing facility inside the building. Here, the biomass is converted to biogas, which, in turn, can be stored and later used to heat the building during wintertime.