Benefits
Potential drawbacks
New employment in the area (waste transport, waste sorting Increased labour costs combined with
and treatment at the waste transport centre, small craftmen’s decreasing prices of the materials
shops)
may have an negative effect on the
economical feasibility of the solution
Revenue from produced energy (fuel), soil enrichment Poor quality of the materials may
materials, and high quality material fractions produced from reduce the economical feasibility if
recycled waste
the residents and workers are not
committed to the recycling
Minimisation of negative environmental impacts of landfill:
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions:
- Landfill methane emissions avoided (600 – 1 000 t CO2ekv/t recycled waste)
- Additional benefit from substitution of fossil fuels by waste
derived biogas (about 0,2 t CO2-ekv/t biowaste)
Reduced production of landfill leachate and odour emissions,
reduced landfill space requirements
Minimisation of the environmental problems caused by
hazardous waste disposal into the environment and landfills
Environmental effects of waste transport minimised by
optimisation of the collection and transport system and by
treatment wastes near the production locations
The functioning of the system (high recycling rates, good Support activities (education and
quality recycled materials to sale, waste minimisation, as well information campaigns, etc.) needed
as use and maintaining of the waste treatment facilities during the first years, and probably
demands high commitment of residents and all the local even later
parties
PR value, Mentougou as a model system
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8. Water and Wastewater Management
8.1 The importance of water
Water is a critical issue in the planning and realisation of the EcoCity. There is little or no
surface water in the area and groundwater resources are limited and, apparently, overexploited. Table 23 give examples of water management and current problems in three of the
priority villages.
Table 23. Water and wastewater management in Long Jia Zhuang, Dan Li, and Jian Gou
(data by Beijing Association of Sustainable Development).
Long Jia Zhuang
Water
source
Groundwater, 2 x
350 m wells
Hot water
Water
consumption
36 - 48m3/year and
household
Wastewater
24 h consecutive Drinking
water supply
treatment
Yes
No
Some solar
water heater
Toilet type
Domestic and
industry wastewater
Rain
No
Public, no
water lavatory
Rainfall reduced in
recent years
Dan Li
Water
source
Groundwater: 2 x
300 m wells
Hot water
Water
consumption
30 m3/d
wastewater
Some solar
water heater
Toilet type
Domestic sewage,
industry wastewater
rain
Public, no
water lavatory
Less rainfall
Seasonality
Rainwater
collection
No
24 h consecutive
water supply
No, one hour at
noon in a day
seasonality
No
Rainwater
collection
No
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water Water supply
Wastewater
collection
Sewage collection
pipe network
Industrial types
Rebuild 2003,
plastic pipe
Treatment
process
Centralized
treatment
Surface water
Land lease, fruits, Yong Ding
small industries
River
Drinking water
treatment
No
wastewater
collection
Sewage collection
pipe network
industrial types
Water supply
network
Rebuilt 2006,
plastic pipe
Treatment
process
Centralized
treatment
surface water
Tourism, fruits,
small industries
Yong Ding
River
Jian Gou
Water
source
Groundwater, 2 x
250 m wells
Hot water
Water
consumption
50 m3/d, 100 m3
water reservoir
Wastewater
Some solar
water heater
Toilet type
Domestic and food
factory wastewater
Rain
Public, no
water lavatory
Less rainfall
24 h consecutive drinking
water supply
treatment
No
Yes
water water
supply
network
1973, cast-iron
and plastic pipe
Seasonality
Wastewater
Treatment
collection
process
Tourist season May Sewage collection
Centralized
- October
pipe network
treatment
Rainwater
Industrial types
Surface water
collection
Water cellar
Tourism, flower
Flood channel
and fruit processing
Water sufficiency is a challenge, especially as the annual precipitation in the area has been
noticed to decline in recent years. The annual water consumption in the three example
villages is between 15 and 40 m3. The highest consumption is in Jian Gou village located high
in the mountains close to Miaofeng peak. The village is a touristic attraction (Miaofengshan
temple) which has a direct impact on the water consumption.
8.2 Water demand
The new villages in the quarries aim at high-end housing, which suggests higher than typical
water consumption compared to other villages. With 2 000 inhabitants in a new village, the
total annual consumption estimate varies from 66 000 to 91 000 m3. The first number
corresponds to the amount of water needed for a comfortable but water-saving lifestyle, and it
is on the same level as the maximum water consumption in the existing villages (in Jian Gou)
in the area. The latter number is approximately the amount of water used by a resident in a
European household2. In addition to these numbers, public and daily services, tourism and
possible industry require water.
Water saving must be taken into account at every stage and in every aspect of the planning
and realisation of the EcoCity. Therefore, it is suggested that the EcoCity development should
avoid businesses and production that use water, such as increased agriculture in the mountain
area. Domestic water use should base on water saving fixtures and appliances (e.g., shower
heads, washing machines).
2
125 l pp/d: 5 l drinking water, 60 l shower, 30 toilet, 30 l other.
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8.3 Sources of water
Average annual precipitation in the Miaofeng Mountain Town is less than 600 mm but there
are uneven distribution and great variation in year-to-year precipitation. The driest area have
annual precipitation is between 100 – 500 mm. About 70% of rain is among June to
September. The total rain water resource is about 66 million m3 for the whole Miaofeng
mountain town area. The ground runoff volume is about 11,22 million m3 corresponding to
1200 m3 per capita.
Ground water resource includes deep and shallow ground water. Shallow ground water is
distributed in YongDing River shoal and the buried depth is about 20 m. Deep ground water
is distributed in bedrock area at a depth more than 150 - 250 m.
Groundwater should be used to a limited level, preferably only for drinking, cooking and
using a dishwasher to save the declining groundwater levels. The estimated ground water
demand is 10 l per person and day. A water supply system needs to be built to supply the
village with service water for showering, laundry etc. The demand of secondary water is
estimated 85 l per person and day. Since there are no other water sources available, rainwater
harvesting must be introduced everywhere in the area.
The rain water harvesting surface is roughly 75 m2 per each resident to cover the demand of
85 l/day provided that the rainfall is at least 400 mm a year, Figure 104. To cover the whole
demand throughout the year, a family of three needs a water storage of at least 60 m3. Since
70 % of the rain falls between June and September, the rainwater tank is mostly full during
those months.
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Figure 104. Annual rainfall in China (Figure: Wikipedia)
8.3.1 Rooftop rain water harvesting
Rainwater can be harvested from the rooftops and can be used for washing and even drinking,
if treated properly. The principle of the system is given in the Figure 105. The rooftop
collection has the most potential for rainwater collection, as the collection surface (the
rooftops) does not need to be built separately. Rainwater flows to water storages in every
house during the rainy season and used during the drier time of the year.
Roof with continuous guttering can be of different material like steel, brick or concrete tiles,
or slate. The water proofing material can not contain toxics or water soluble harmful
compounds. Green roofs tend to absorb water and they are not suitable for rainwater
harvesting.
The first rainwater flush contains dust and particles that need to be either filtered (e.g., sand
filter) or directed away from the harvested water. The system may require a pump to serve the
water to the house’s water system. The quality of the collected water needs to be ensured both
by keeping the collection surfaces (the rooftops) clean and by treating the water before use.
This could mean a combination of different filtration methods (sand filter, carbon filters etc.)
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and possibly disinfection that can be performed with chemicals, UV radiation or other
methods.
Figure 105. Rooftop rainwater harvesting system (Figure: Beijing Association of Sustainable
Development).
8.3.2 Mountain-side run-off collection
In addition to the rooftop collection system, a reserve water supply system should be
considered for the times when the annual rainfall is less than 400 mm (as it occasionally has
been). This could be a combination of a water reservoir in the mountains and even well water.
During the years with very little rainfall even water consumption may need to be lowered.
Since the rainfall is distributed unevenly in the district, rainfall sufficiency must be ensured
when planning the housing.
Figure 106 shows a schematic picture of a water storage that can be used for drinking water
production as well. In this system, drinkable water requires chemical treatment, or use of
osmotic film purification.
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Water
harvesting
Filtering
Storage
Chemical
treatment
Drinking
water
Water for
Secondary use
Figure 106. Water system based on large storage.
Water can be collected into reservoirs in the mountains or in the valley (using a hillside runoff collection system). Quarries area possible mountain-side run-off collection areas. Larger
scale collection is also possible, figure 107, with substantial construction in the greenfield
areas. Water collected to storages or reservoirs needs to be pumped to the villages. The
hillside and mountain collection systems could function as a reserve water supply system
during the driest years.
Rainwater harvesting requires large collection surfaces and storage tanks, and thus it is
difficult to cover the water demand with rainwater harvesting. Large harvesting areas can be
connected to large reservoirs, e.g., in the quarries. The reservoir should be covered from light
to prevent light caused bacterial attack. A storage mined into the rock would decrease the
temperature of the storage, thus reducing the bacterial attack further.
A large storage above (50 – 80 m higher) a village would also provide suitable pressure level
for the water supply system. A pressure drop station serves for a typical water supply system
pressure level enabling, e.g., use of washing machines.
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Figure 107. Large scale rainwater harvesting requires substantial construction in the
greenfield area.
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8.4 Grey water treatment and water recycling
The grey water coming from the bathroom, kitchen and laundry contains contaminants
respective to the wastewater origin: nitrogen, phosphorous, organic matter and even microbes,
but less than sewage in general. However, the amount of nutrients and microbes can be
surprisingly high. The water treatment for recycling must reach a very high standard. An
essential part in efficient wastewater treatment is the use of 100 % biodegradable detergents.
The grey water system cannot accept any toxics but only substances that can be decomposed
by micro-organisms.
The treatment process needs to be chosen according to the quality of the water and treatment
conditions. Since the villages have a cold winter, not all local solutions for grey water
treatment are applicable. Low-tech solutions that need little maintenance should be preferred.
If a local solution is applied, it could be a combination of septic tanks, carbon and sand
filtration, bio filters and disinfection. In a treatment plant an activated sludge process
combined with filtration and disinfection could be one possibility. One alternative is to use an
organic process for treating the grey water. This type of solutions are already in use in China,
figure 108.
Figure 108. Organic treatment of grey water (Figure: Beijing Association of Sustainable
development)
Grey water treatment system can cover a whole village. In addition, systems serving only a
few houses exist. High-level purification results can be reached even with a decentralised
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treatment system. A centralised village based system is economically more feasible. A local
treatment plant has the benefit of easier monitoring of the water.
In case the area has a lot of storm water flowing on the streets during the rainy season, a
separate storm water park can be built to collect and treat storm water. In a storm water park
the water can be treated in a constructed wetland before it is released into the river or another
water system. This prevents the contaminants from the streets from coming to the water
systems.
8.5 Pipeline network
The area needs a number of different pipelines: one for delivering drinking water from the
wells (connection only to the kitchen), a pipeline from the house to the grey water treatment
and a pipeline that brings back the treated grey water. The water collected from the mountains
should not be connected to the treated grey water pipeline.
The quality and quantity of supplied water depend heavily on the material and the condition
of the pipe work. It is quite typical that a water supply system leaks 20 % of the water
supplied. With a professional maintenance, a realistic percentage for water leakage is 5 % of
the water supply. A computer-supervised leakage control system can help the maintenance.
Flow measurements and monitoring at relevant points of the helps to assure that the pipeline
network performs optimally.
8.6 Sanitation
The new detached housing areas should have dry separating toilets in order to avoid wasting
of water. Both non-separating and separating dry toilets are possible options, since sometimes
the use of separating toilets has been considered difficult. Having dry toilets not only saves
remarkable amounts of water but also brings other benefits
There are a number of dry separating toilet models available, figure 109. A dry toilet can look
like a normal water closet. Basically, each toilet bowl has two compartments: one that catches
urine and another that catches faeces. The treatment of dry faecal matter and urine depends on
the model.
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Figure 109. Bathroom with a modern dry toilet.
In a separating toilet urea and faeces are collected separately in order to prevent crosscontamination; urea is a valuable product that can be used as a fertilizer, whereas faeces
contain the vast majority of microbes within human waste. Urea contains a high number of
nutrients and is therefore an effective fertilizer. The collected urea needs to be stored from
one to six months in order to ensure that the microbes contained in it have died. However, if
separation from faeces is not complete, the urea must be stored for at least six months or even
for a year. Collected urine can be stored onsite in underground tanks made of bricks and
cement, and reused for agriculture e.g. at the plantations surrounding the village.
Faeces are collected separately, after which they can be either composted or fermented. Cofermentation with other organic waste such as food or crop residues should be preferred, since
it offers a possibility to energy production. The end product of both processes can be used as
soil amendment, however, the fermented product has a higher quality. Fermentation also has
the benefit that the by-product of the process, biogas, can be used to replace other fuels and
thus save the surrounding nature.
Anaerobic digestion (or fermentation) needs a temperature of at least 10 °C in order to
function. Typically, a large size digester operates either at 35 °C or 55 °C. Some of the
produced energy is needed for heating the reactor unless another heating method such as a
solar heater can produce enough heat to keep the process at the right temperature.
There are many benefits involved with the use of dry separating toilets. In addition to gaining
fertilizer and soil amendment, money and of course water can be saved. When dry toilets are
used, there is no need for a centralized system for treating black water. This means savings in
pipeline construction and maintenance costs and a dramatic drop in wastewater treatment
costs.
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8.7 Conclusions and suggestions
The water management in the Miaofeng Mountain town should base on large-scale rain water
harvesting and storages. The rock in the storages needs to be injected for better water
tightness, and possible harmful emissions from the rock or injection substances need to be
assessed. Rainwater can be purified to drinking water level by chemical treatment or osmotic
film purification. Secondary water requires efficient filtering to suit for other purposes such as
washing.
Groundwater use should be very limited, as the water level has decreased.
Due to lack of water, water use for irrigation should not be increased. Therefore, agriculture
should not be expanded in the mountain area. The preliminary source for irrigation water
should be gray water recycling. Agriculture should be concentrated close to the YangDing
river, provided that the river serves as water storage for irrigation.
New detached housing areas should have dry toilets to save water. Water-saving is also the
basis for selection of water fixtures.
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9. Agriculture
9.1 Agriculture in the EcoCity
Agriculture is one of the ways to a self-sufficient EcoCity. Agriculture design is an important
characteristic of Miaofeng Mountain town EcoCity, as it faces the main problem of the area –
water sufficiency. Local food production reduces the community’s dependency on industrial
systems of food production and distribution. Agriculture is also one of the traditions in the
area, and as such it plays a role in helping to develop an alternative model for suburban living
with a healthy and socially rich lifestyle. Agriculture ameliorates local micro climate,
enhances the ecological carrying capacity and offers convenient choices to enable residents to
live healthily.
The Miaofeng Mountain town has many famous agriculture forms with substantial economic
profits. Based on this background, the agriculture design will develop further to search for
more ecological and social profits, with primary three forms: non-profit educational
organizations, city farm community, modern molecule agriculture. The first two parts are
non-profit, and the yield food is for the local community and donation to the poor old people
in this region. Although they are nonprofit, as a unique characteristic they could broaden the
influence of EcoCity, and make the profit sectors achieve more success.
9.2 City farm
City farm can produce fresh and organic food to the EcoCity residents, tourists and visitors.
Agriculture development can result in an associated farmer’s markets for distribution of
products. Locally available food reduces the need for packaging and transportation
significantly, making life in the EcoCity more energy efficient. The city farm community can
establish great integration and harmony with the inhabitants, and such a structure reaffirms
the links to ancient Chinese farming.
The location of non-profit educational organization overlaps with city farm community. In
addition to providing local food to inhabitants, City farm community itself is a school that
performs in ecological balance. The agricultural structure aims at transparency in the food
chain: where the food comes and where the produced food wastes go. The farm community
can play a role of education by telling tourists, visitors and students the basics of sustainable
agriculture and showing the possibilities of clean food production.
The idea of Molecule Farming (MF) is to realize self-sustainability in material and energy.
Molecule farming in the EcoCity can help to increase the use of biomass in energy production.
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However, the basic sources in molecule farming, such as algae, are not eligible in the EcoCity
due to water shortage and needs to manage water resources very carefully.
9.3 Agriculture Development
9.3.1 Structure planning
The agriculture in the EcoCity can be divided into two structure categories: traditional
sustainable agriculture and industrialized agriculture. City farm and educational organization
are forms of sustainable traditional agriculture, while molecule farming will have
industrialized structure (figure 110). Traditional agroecosystems are the only time-tested
examples of sustainable agriculture that exist today. For example, traditional agriculture in
China’s Tai Lake Region (figure 111) sustained high productivity for more than nine
centuries. Still, the net farm income increased over time, as a result of increased multiple
cropping and the intensified use of organic fertilizers. In the EcoCity, structure of the
traditional sustainable agriculture will be designed in the agriculture system. MF is more close
to a kind of industry, as it is in intensive form and the high-tech play a far more important role
in its development.
Agriculture structure
City Farm Community
Education Center
Molecule Farming
Traditional agriculture
Industrialized agriculture
Local food supply and culture cultivation
Energy and Material supplication
Use any possible place to develop
Develop in Special and Concentrated Area
Figure 110. Agriculture structure
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Figure 111. Traditional agriculture (Photo: Mentougou Science and Technology Office).
9.3.2 Function planning
Agriculture has close relationships with the ecological restoration, cultural cultivation, water
system and waste management system. In order to achieve sustainable fertility on a closed
system basis, the farms will fully use composting coming from waste recycling, while
allowing farmers and gardeners to retain more of the land in a wild state without any
pollutions coming from fertilizer and pesticide. Also, by linking different elements of farm
community and different local process, byproducts and waste generated could be reduced
effectively.
Lotus flower wetland has an integrated role in the City farm community: water treatment,
cultural cultivation, and food production. According to history documents, Lotus flower as
one of the most popular flowers in China has grown for at least 7 thousand years and span
almost all over the country. Lotus Flower is useful for wetland water treatment process. Lotus
flower can be used in the water treatment process by filtrating of rainwater.
9.4 Conclusions and suggestions
The water management should drive the location of agricultural development. Sustainable
land use and water management suggest that agricultural development should take place close
to the river, while existing agriculture can be upgraded close to the villages. The location
planning of agriculture system can fully use the space beside the built architecture and
infrastructure, or even use the roof of buildings. The precondition for agriculture development
in the mountain area is that local grey water recycling allows for irrigation water and thus
more cultivation.
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10. Transport systems
10.1 Transport design and integration
Increased motorized traffic is to a large extent a cause of urban sprawl. At the same time high
number of the inhabitants in a neighbourhood suffer from poor accessibility to services and
jobs. Higher accessibility can be promoted by pedestrian and cycling routes and public
transport modes. Land use priority should be on locating residential areas next to good public
transportation connections. Sufficient facilities for ticket sales and efficient information on
public transportation services (time table publications, route maps, Internet, real time
information on stops and in vehicles) should be available. Public transport services can be
integrated to good stops with pedestrian and bicycle routes to stops and bicycle storage
facilities. The quality of transport vehicles with easy access makes public transport more
appealing. Trunk routes can be supplemented with service lines that operate using smaller
buses broadening the service area. Traffic arrangements can increase the speed of public
transportation by bus lanes, signal priorities and bus streets.
Sustainable mobility can be supported by designing the local transport system primarily to
serve walking, cycling and public transportation, figure 112. Walking and cycling can
compete with driving, but the traffic environment should be comfortable in terms of overall
safety and attractions, adequate lighting and sufficient maintenance of pedestrian and bicycle
routes. Comprehensive route information (route maps, route signs) for pedestrians and bikers
should be available. The street network design can promote safe speed levels.
Figure 112. Local transport system should serve the pedestrians and cyclers. Easy access to
public transport requires short routes (maximum 300 m) to public transport stops. usability of
public transport comes from giving the public transport a priority compared to private cars.
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The choice of a transport mode is based on speed, cost, access and comfort, figure 113.
Pedestrian and bicycle traffic modes have the highest transport capacity, but the utilization of
this capacity is strongly related to comfort. In a well planned urban structure the access to
daily necessities is the highest by walking and cycling.
Figure 113. Mobility pyramid. In a city, passenger car traffic has a very low capacity of mobility.
Efficient land-use planning for walking and cycling enables increase both in capacity and access.
Accessibility decreases and both individual and community costs increase in a transport
system supporting motorized traffic. Thus the selection of traffic mode depends strongly on
how well the spatial planning and transport planning integration has succeeded
The design of a sustainable transport system is dependent on the planning and design of the
whole urban structure. These two elements are seldom designed coherently. To be able to
promote transport modes that have only low environmental consequences, the solutions of the
technical infrastructure have to support transport system design. The design of a complete
transport system is a complex process. The key performance criteria for a system design are
necessity to user needs, eco-efficiency and social efficiency, and cost efficiency.
Figure 114 shows the dependence of the key criteria on varying conformity, performance and
cost indicators. In an EcoCity the design paradigm change allows for a simplified approach:
priority is given to walking and cycling instead of private car use, and to environmentally
205
friendly public transport instead of polluting motorized transport. This paradigm change
carries out costs savings, such as:
Vehicle costs: less private cars
Time costs: less traffic –less rush
Service costs: less private car maintenance
Accident costs: safe traffic – less accidents
Emission costs: less pollution – less consumption
Life-cycle costs: less motorized traffic – less road and street construction and maintenance.
Figure 114. Parameters in a transport system design.
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10.2 Public transport in the EcoCity
EcoCity transport services aim at high-class, well performing and appealing public transport
with equal transport services to everyone. Transport services are connected to community
development allowing for a car independent life-style. Mix of uses in an EcoCity is a planning
requirement.
The objective for traffic planning is to decrease negative effects to environment. The basic
element of an EcoCity is a minimized use of private cars. Therefore, the priority is in planning
of walking, cycling and public transport. The development bases of the transportation system
are
Accessibility to services
Safety and health
Social sustainability by ensuring mobility for all traveller groups
Regional and urban structure
Zero-emission and bio-energy vehicles for transport
Low environmental impact by utilisation renewable energy resources
Efficient and economic systems for transport of goods, delivery, collection and maintenance.
Urban structure and land use should minimize the need to travel and allow for living without a
car by availability of daily services in a housing area. Compact land use aims at locating
housing quarters, businesses and services close to the routes of public transport services. In
the new housing areas, delivery to shops, restaurants, offices etc. can be arranged using
underground spaces in order to calm the surface.
Effective and attractive public transport bases on user demand and easiness of services. In an
EcoCity, all citizens should have equal mobility possibilities. Planning of transport system
bases on multimodality. The EcoCity residents and visitors can have parking places for
bicycles at public transport stops and especially at the railway stations. Tourists can rent
bicycles at the station. Public transport with low-emission or totally emission free busses
inside the EcoCity bases on service lines connecting the villages. Special dial-a-ride lines can
serve elderly and handicapped, and tourism.
New light-weight electric cars (figure 115) suit for taxis in the EcoCity. The capacity of these
cars is driver and 2 – 3 passengers. The waste management in the whole Miaofeng Mountain
town can connect to public transport. Anaerobig digestion can produce gas for fuel to busses.
Service traffic will be allowed in the EcoCity.
207
Figure 115. Light-weight electric car for passenger transport /19/. New electric cars can have
a service distance of 150 – 300 km by one charge of batteries. The present development
focuses also on fast charging of batteries, and in principle a charging time of 3 minutes is
within reach.
The EcoCity can have a car club, car share service, with zero-emission cars. The aim is to
reduce car ownership. The cars may be used in the city and transport to Mentougou centre and
Beijing City. ICT based rental system allows for delivery and pick-up services for the cars to
and from special parking places at the underground spaces of the new housing areas.
Mobility management for public transport (both internal and external) is supplied with mobile
real time information and services including timetables and booking, figure 116. The system
can cover intelligent payment services, and car sharing. It also helps the residents and visitors
to receive information on disturbance in public transport, but also on walking and cycling.
Internet or mobile phone services’ providers and shops, restaurants, hotels etc. can sell public
transport tickets in the area.
Transport connections to and from the city are frequent and function fluently without
congestion. In the future, the Miaofeng Mountain town connects to Mentougou centre and
Beijing city via a train link. Especially domestic and international tourism requires a city rail
link from Beijing to Miaofeng Mountain town. This link can utilize the existing railroad
connections (see figure 72), and new transport services (taxi, busses) from, e.g., Ding Jia Tan,
Shui Yu Shui, or Xie He Jian to Miaofeng Mountain town amenities. Public transport inside
the EcoCity link to the train services at the stations.
Parking places for private cars locate at the railway stations and public transport terminals.
These parking areas need to have a suitable capacity for tourist cars, and a limited number of
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private owned motorized vehicles. Parking should be subject to a parking charge for
organization of parking management.
Figure 116. KAMO – Mobile guide for city traveller /20/. The system guides the user to the
right bus stop at the right time, tags telling the latest timetables at the nearest stop. The
passenger can see the next departures at the bus stop. Using a tag activates the service in the
bus. The service follows the route from one bus stop to another. For regular passengers
there re options for interchanges are given in real time.
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10.3 Conclusions and suggestions
Transport in the EcoCity bases on well-organised public transport. The EcoCity connects to
Beijing City and Miaofeng Mountain town EcoCity via a train link. Inside the EcoCity service
traffic is allowed, but there are no private cars. Car sharing and dial-a-ride services with
electric or gas fired taxis and buses serve for both residents and tourists. Bus routes connect
all the villages. Pay parking for private cars locate close to railway stations and public
transport terminals.
External freight transport (import of products and raw materials, and export of local products)
is centralised through distribution terminals at the outskirts of the EcoCity area.
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11. Integrated community energy solutions
11.1 Design principles
Design of energy utilization in the EcoCity bases based on integration of system energy flows
inside one single balance area, the EcoCity. Heat and electricity flows in and out of the
balance area are estimated separately, and all of the available resources inside the balance area
are utilized to meet to required demand. If the balance area cannot supply needed energy,
more energy should be supplied outside of the balance area. The optimisation of the energy
systems requires iteration between system design and land use planning prior to calculating
and optimizing the intended mass of the buildings.
In the EcoCity energy system design, first step of the design is to determine the energy
consumption inside the EcoCity area. The buildings should be low-energy, passive or zero
energy houses. Communal services and public transportation should be efficient and well
covering. Efficient waste management system is required with high levels of recycling and
waste utilization in energy recovery. Energy consumption should be minimized, even if
energy is produced from renewable sources. Reuse and recycling should be encouraged in
waste management. Waste incineration and energy production is final option, while land
filling is not an option.
Second step of the design is to determine the available energy resources. These resources
include renewable and non-renewable direct energy sources such as solar, wind or biomass,
and indirect energy sources such as municipal solid waste and collected rainwater. Nonrenewable energy sources should also be considered, because bulk of the existing energy
production capacity is conventional non-renewable. Designing EcoCity to be totally selfsufficient should not be an absolute value.
In third design step determines production and demand variations inside the balance area.
Energy consumption varies daily, weekly and monthly, but still energy and heat supply must
be stable for the end users, e.g., in buildings. Heat and electricity are primarily produced from
renewable sources. Solar and power are the most prominent renewable energy sources in large
scale utilization because either wind, solar or both exist in most of the inhabited places around
the globe, Figures 117 and 118.
Biomass can be used when the amount of needed energy is equal or less than the renewal of
renewable biomass resources in the region. In addition, more specific emission-free resources
can be used locally, such geothermal energy. Solar and wind energy production has great
hourly, weekly and monthly variation. Peak solar production is during summer, and peak
wind production is during winter. Combined wind and solar system has lower variation over
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the year than simply solar or wind system, Figure 119. When varied consumption and varied
production are combined in one system, it is clear that the total regulation demand of the
energy system is high.
EcoCity
location
Figure 117. Wind power estimates for the EcoCity location. (Source: U.S. Department of
Energy. National Renewable Energy Laboratories).
Figure 118. Estimated solar and wind energy production variations by month. (Source for
solar radiation year: Zhou, J. et al. Renewable Energy 31 (2006) 1972 - 1985)
212
Figure 119. Combined solar and wind energy production.
11.2 Waste to energy
The basic principles of waste management in the EcoCity are waste sorting and recycling.
Therefore, the residual amount of community waste for waste incineration is very low in the
whole EcoCity. As the energy content of municipal waste normally varies between 1,5 – 4
kWh/kg, (depends on the biodegradable and inert content of the waste), and the efficiency for
a typical waste incineration plant can be as low as 20%. Mass burn incineration is not an
option in the EcoCity, and more sophisticated systems such as gasification are not feasible
for such a low amount of waste.
Anaerobic digestion can process bio waste to methane. The energy content of methane gas is
roughly 10 kWh/m3. Methane serves as bio fuel the public transport schemes in the EcoCity.
Table 24 shows the potential of different bio waste fractions.
Table 24. Methane production potential from bio waste /21/.
Source
Fat (theoretical)
Proteins (theoretical)
Carbohydrates (theoretical)
Slaughterhouse waste
Municipal biowaste
Energy plans (molecule farming)
Manures
Methane production potential,
m3/ton-wet weight
1 014
504
415
150 – 200
100 – 150
50 – 80
9 - 12
213
11.3 Characteristics an integrated solution
The EcoCity energy demand is covered mainly by self-sufficient system, which draws energy
from local renewable sources. In Miaofeng Mountain town, main renewable sources are solar
and wind. Some biomass might be available from the farms and possible molecule farming
activities. Waste to energy systems with biodegradable waste and human waste can be utilised.
Also, altitude difference in the mountain area can be exploited in energy production or storage.
Most of the electricity needed in the EcoCity area can be produced by solar power or by
combination of solar and wind power. Wind power potential in the Beijing area is not great;
however, Miaofeng Mountain town locates west of the Beijing, and has higher wind potential.
Regardless of the chosen concept, electricity production, which is based on solar and/or wind,
requires high level of power regulation and backup power.
11.4 Power regulation
11.4.1 Power regulation principles
There are two ways to cover production regulation need: Self-sufficient system and grid
connection. Self-sufficient system requires the use of all available resources in the electricity
regulation and backup power production. Biogas from anaerobic digestion of biodegradable
waste should be stored and used in gas-engines or fuel cells when main power system (solar
and wind) is not sufficient.
Some electricity can be produced by large-scale rainwater harvesting systems located up on
the mountains. Rainwater collectors can be used as reservoirs, which store energy in the form
of water. During high load, water can be discharged to produce energy by micro-turbines.
This concept can even be further improved to let rainwater collectors or water storages
function as a pumped storage for solar and wind production regulation. During the peak
production in day time (when the solar energy production is at its highest), some excess
energy can be used to pump water up to the mountains into the storage tanks. Later, when
production from main system cannot cover the energy need, or when high level of regulation
is needed, water can be discharged for energy production. The reservoirs can be combined
water storages for human needs and energy production. The reservoir sizes would be very
large, only for human needs in the order of magnitude 100 000 m3, Figure 120.
214
Figure 120. The principle of a pumped storage system. If the reservoir serves also as a
storage for water for human use, the reservoir should be covered, see Chapter 7)
Grid connected energy system would grant extra degree of freedom for system design. Grid
connection would provide the needed hourly regulation to cover production variation from
wind and solar farms. Also during high demand season during winter or mid summer, peak
load could be supplied from the grid. During peak production period, excess electricity could
be sold to customers via main grid.
In the EcoCity, solar collectors can provide the main heat source. The problem with the
installation is the negative correlation of peak demand and peak production. If solar heating
system is designed to cover peak loads during winter, total efficiency would be low. However,
if the system is designed to meet average load, some heat must be supplied from other sources.
Other sources might include solutions such as heat storages, micro-CHP which uses biogas
from anaerobic digestion plant, or heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps can serve for two
needs, heating in winter and cooling in summer.
11.4.2 Systems integration
In order to fully optimize the energy system inside the EcoCity area, all the other systems
which are in some way connected to energy use and or production need to be covered. These
are waste management, water management, transport and agriculture. Biodegradable waste
can be treated in an anaerobic digester. Anaerobic digestion produces biogas and nutrient
rich-solids which can be used on the local farms. Biogas can be utilized in several sectors in
the EcoCity area. Gas can be used in gas-engines to produce electricity and heat, or it can be
used in kitchens instead or mixed with natural gas. Biogas can also be used in transportation.
Biogas vehicles could be visible municipal vehicles like school bus, waste collection vehicles
or city car club vehicles. A visible implementation of renewable biogas produced locally
215
would perfectly promote the idea of EcoCity among the residents and tourists. Also, if biogas
generation could be extended further to cover more area in Shijingshan district or in Beijing
downtown, large scale utilization of biogas could be implemented in the EcoCity area.
Water shortage requires water savings and water collection from other places than
groundwater or nearby surface water bodies. In order to fully optimize this system, rain water
collection can be integrated with energy system. Rain water can be collected in higher altitude
on the mountains, and then discharged down to villages. This altitude difference can be used
to produce electricity by micro-turbines which are installed into the water pipes. More
sophisticated solutions could include pumped storages, where collected water can be
circulated back to storage tanks. Water can then be used to regulate power production and
limited energy production can be compensated during peak loads.
In transportation local vehicles could run without fossil fuels. Substitute energy sources
would include locally produced biogas and electricity. Local public transportation would
include trams or electric buses etc. Biomass from the farms (possible from molecule farms)
could be used in gasification or combustion. However, this solution requires a constant supply
of moderate amount of biomass. At this state, it is unclear if there is enough biomass available
in the EcoCity area, or near it.
11.5 Suggested scalable and modular building energy system
EcoCity concept consist unit blocks of 10 single-family houses or larger terraced house
complexes. Group of 10 houses and terraced house are considered practical and economical
scale for smart system implementation. Both house types are rated for four persons. Singlefamily house (villa) area is 150 m2 and terraced house apartment floor area is 115 m2. Rated
value for domestic hot water demand is 900 kWh/person/year, space heating 10 kWh/m2/year,
cooling 5 kWh/m2/year, and 3 000 kWh/year for household electricity. All houses are stateof-the-art low-energy buildings, table 25.
Table 25. Simulated energy demand of modules of 10 houses and terraced house with 50
apartments.
Demand
Person Household Buildings Villa 10 villas Terraced houses
kWh/a
kWh/a
kWh/m2/a kWh/a kWh/a
50 apartments
kWh/a
Hot water
900
3 600 36 000
180 000
Space heating
10
1 500 15 000
57 500
Space cooling
5
750
7 500
28 750
Electricity
3 000
3 000 30 000
150 000
216
Heating system bases on small scale central heating driven by combined solar heating –
geothermal heat pump cycle. In one group of 10 houses, heat pump and heat storage is located
in the middle of building group. Concentrated solar heating system is installed on the roof of
the houses. In terraced houses, heat pump and storage is located into the maintenance space.
Solar panels are located on the roofs and walls. Domestic hot water is mainly produced by
solar heating system, which is integrated to heat pump driven storage tank. Space heat and
cooling is supplied by high efficiency geothermal heat pump. Extra heat and cold are stored
into bedrock via heat wells. Geothermal heat pump charges the heat wells to store energy to
comply with seasonal variation.
Interior heating and cooling, as well as domestic hot water is supplied from one large heat
storage instead of several single-house storages. Concentrated solution provides savings in
investments, and heat losses are lower. Another option is to build heat tanks and solar
collectors separately in every house in the group. In this solution, space heating is produced
separately in every house, and heat pump is only used for hot water heating. This solution is
easier to complete, but less effective.
11.6 Conclusions and suggestions
Electricity in the EcoCity is produced by solar photovoltaic system combined with wind
power. Due to lack of appropriate wind data on the EcoCity site, wind system cannot be
designed with proper accuracy at this phase. As a rule of thumb, 100 kW wind power
installation produces 200 MWh of electricity. Power regulation bases on grid connection.
Electricity is used to drive heating/cooling system (heat pumps). PV-system production
should be maximised by optimum inclination of 30 – 45o south oriented panels. The
maximum efficiency of high-efficiency commercial PV panels is today 17%, allowing for an
electricity production of about 200 – 250 kWh/panel-m2. Local house based short-time power
regulation is provided by battery system which is located at the pump station with heat pump
and heat storage. Intelligent grid connection enables continues electricity supply.
Main grid provides seasonal power regulation as well as auxiliary power and reserve power.
PV-system requires a relatively large land area if installed as a single solar array system. The
whole estimated land use for a PV system for 10 000 residents is roughly 10 000 m2. It is
feasible to integrate the most of the PV systems into buildings because PV-panels can mainly
locate on the roofs and walls of the buildings..
Table 26 shows the required photovoltaic panel and sizes wind power capacities for building
modules if the electricity production bases only on PV or on PV and wind. PV system covers
217
electricity demand through the year. In larger scale design, it might be feasible to construct
larger solar-wind parks near residential areas to cover municipal and residential energy need.
Table 26. Required solar thermal collector sizes, PV panel sizes and required wind power
capacity if the electricity production bases on only solar, or on solar 50% - wind 50%
estimation.
Supply
Hot water, kWh/a
Space heating, kWh/a
Space cooling, kWh/a
Household electricity, kWh/a
Total demand, kWh/a
Peak demand, kW
Total heat well depth, m
Solar collector area, m2
Alternative 1: only PV
- PV area, m2
Alternative 2: PV - wind
- PV area, m2
- Wind capacity, kW
10 villas unit
Heat
Solar
Electricity
pump
heat
electricity
3 150
23 400
0
3 750
1 500
0
8 400
0
0
0
23 400
0
0
30 000
38400
16
700
40
Terraced house
Solar
Electricity
Heat
heat
pump
electricity
15 750
117
0
000
14 375
0
0
5 750
0
0
0
0
150 000
35 875
117
185 750
000
70
3 000
215
180
900
90
15
450
46
Table 26 features the energy systems for new residential areas. Municipal and services’
energy demand increases the required production capacity by 50 – 100%, and the required
installations accordingly. Due to the environmental values of the Miaofeng Mountain town,
all energy production should be integrated into brownfield areas as in the examples in Figure
121.
218
Figure 121. Renewable energy integrated to buildings and built environment.
219
12. Miaofeng Mountain Town house
12.1 Landmark for the EcoCity
“Missing one basket of soil spoils the entire effort to build a nine-ren mountain.” Ren is a
unit of measurement for length in ancient China. It roughly equates to seven feet. The basket
here refers to a bamboo container that the ancient Chinese people used to transport soil over
short distances.
The legend has it that once upon a time in ancient China, a person started a project to build a
nine-ren mountain. He moved one basket of soil after another and kept piling them up. When
he had almost finished building the nine-ren mountain and needed only one more basket of
soil to call it a success, he aborted the project due to a lack of persistence. Because of the lack
of one last basket of soil, the entire effort to build a nine-ren mountain was spoiled by a
narrow margin.
The story behind this idiom tells us that we should finish whatever we start, make persistent
efforts until the very end, and that we must not ruin the whole plan because of a last-minute
mistake or negligence. Many proverbs or maxims throughout history were derived from this
idiom. All of them encourage people to persist in their efforts until they achieve success or
perfection. For example, there is another famous proverb, “With one more basket of soil, a
hill will be built. Do not build up your effort and then ruin it by last-minute negligence.”
(“The Travelling Mastiff” from The Book of Documents (Shang Shu))
Figure 122. “peaks on the land; a mountain”; sketches of the Mountain house.
The Miaofeng Mountain Town house (figure 122) facilitates a large volume without creating
an unbalanced contrast between the low-rise buildings and the landmark building, which
could easily happen if a high-rise building would be used as a landmark of the eco-city.
The landmark building serves for centralized municipal services for the Miaofeng Mountain
town EcoCity, figure 123. The services in the building include administrative services such as
220
library, Internet services, day-care, primary school, and, e.g., information services, café and a
restaurant, and spaces for small and medium size (SME) high-tech enterprises. Commercial
services such as stores s to combine the municipal services into one building for the whole
Miaofeng Mountain town EcoCity. The core of the terrace house could be a terminal for
public transportation, with a fluent connection to all the services in the building and the
existing town.
Figure 123. Location of the Landmark in the Long Jia Zhuang village – Miaofeng Mountain Town
House
221
12.2 Architectural Concept
A multi-functional mixed-use building is created on the mountain slope in the end of the road, through
which one enters the eco-town, figure 124. The road line continues in the line of glazed roofs of the
building complex climbing up to the mountain. This marks an inner connection of the building
complex, combining different functions of the terraced building. The inner connection leads from the
entrance road and the market square to the office tower. The glazed roofs form a concave surface with
a reminder to the roof shape of traditional Chinese houses. The glazed roof consists of units, which
borrow their dimensions and orientation from the existing buildings. The glazed roof is used to get
natural light deep into the terraced building complex, but also for the photovoltaic panels generating
electricity. The rainwater is collected and filtered. Wind turbines with vertical axis are installed on the
rooftops.
Figure 124. Siteplan
The roof outside the glazed parts consists of steps, leading from the ground level to the upper
platform where the terraced part ends and the tower part starts. The steps serve as an
emergency exit but also create an important symbol of human development and a reminder of
the most important monuments of the history of architecture. Climbing a mountain is a
metaphor used in many Chinese proverbs. The tower peak represents the best modern
technologies but at the same time has its roots in the building tradition and culture of the site
and the area. The steps, forming the roof for the building, are treated as man-made part of the
mountain slope, creating a connection between the nature and human.
The target of the architectural concept is to avoid an unbalanced contrast between the existing
low-rise apartment buildings and the new landmark building. The new landmark building is
designed with respect to the existing culture and roots of the area.
The core of the mountain house could be a terminal for public transportation, with a fluent
connection to all the services in the building and the existing town. Figures 125 and 126 show
the house in the mountain slope.
222
Figure 125. Landmark in the mountain slope
223
Figure 126. Landmark with building integrated PV and wind power. The slope of the roof
allows for a large area PV installation. The roof serves as for rainwater harvesting. The roof
is partly a green roof.
224
13. Life-cycle assessment of the EcoCity
13.1 Benefits of an EcoCity
Te actors that stand to benefit from an EcoCity fall into four categories /10/: the public sector,
businesses, the residents as well as the environment. Cost benefits are a driving force for an
EcoCity. The investment cost is comparable to a normal town development. The buildings
cost more in an EcoCity than in a typical town. On a town quarter level the cost savings come
from reduced number of parking places thus enabling also higher land use efficiency for
housing and services.
According to Finnish experiences on the very low-energy houses show that the extra costs of
construction range from 2% to 7% compared to typical buildings. The cost analysis bases on
real costs from bidding documents and construction costs. The payback time of extra
investments lies between 3 and 10 years Table 27 shows examples of very low-energy
buildings, their energy savings and construction costs compared to houses built according to
present (2010) building requirements in Finland.
Table 27. Examples of very low-energy houses in Finland. The design temperature refers to
design of the heating system’s maximum heat load.
House
Building information
Pietarsaari 1994
Detached house
166 m2
Design temperature – 28 oC
Rovaniemi 1996
Detached house
142 m2
Design temperature – 32 oC
225
Heating/total Extra cost
compared to
energy
typical, %
kWh/m2
13 / 48
Not
available
45 / 100
5,0
Vantaa 2009
Semi-detached house
2 x 187 m2
Design temperature – 26 oC
18 / 60
5,0
Mäntyharju 2010
Detached house
150 m2
Design temperature -28 oC
25 / 50
< 5,0
Valkeakoski 2009
Detached house
240 m2
Design temperature – 26 oC
24 / 70
< 7,0
Helsinki 2009
Apartment house
Design temperature – 26 oC
20 / 60
2,0
Heinola 2009
Apartment house
Design temperature – 28 oC
20 / 70
2,0
226
30 / 80
3,3
Kuopio 2010
Apartment house
2129 m2
Net zero energy house
Design temperature – 28 oC
Yearly net
energy
balance 0
Not
available
yet
Järvenpää 2011
Apartment house
2200 m2
Net zero energy house
Design temperature – 26 oC
Yearly net
energy
balance 0
Not
available
yet
Oulu 2010
Apartment house
Design temperature – 32 oC
The timescale for financial or cost benefits varies. Savings in infrastructure investments are
immediate, savings in operating costs are short to medium term and savings in eventual
decommissioning or deconstruction are long term. Overall, EcoCities are also less costly in
terms of repairing negative impacts on human health and the environment due to the inbuilt,
precautionary protection measures.
Quality of life is an increasing consideration in enhancing a municipality’s attractiveness to
citizens and investors as well as for (eco-)tourism. Benefits to people come from the basic
focus of the development. EcoCity offers environmental and social quality of an area as
perceived by residents, employees, customers and visitors:
Reduced air and noise pollution
Lower risk of injuries by traffic accidents
More public space for people in an attractive, quiet, safe and healthy environment
Car-free streets and squares
A great variety of easily accessible green spaces
Slower-paced, more relaxed, healthier and thus more sustainable lifestyle
More personal interaction with neighbours
Sense of community thus possibly resulting in lower crime rates.
Time and energy savings due to short distances to public transport stops, jobs, school,
shopping, recreation, health care etc.
Convenient temperatures, good levels of daylight and high indoor comfort
Healthy living conditions due to emission-free and safe building materials and systems
Balanced social mix, services, and facilities for all groups of residents foster their wellbeing.
227
Increased their mobility and accessibility options for non-drivers
Attractive and safe environment for children
Benefits related to costs are in many categories lower in an EcoCity than in conventional
urban development:
Lower investment costs
o For infrastructure (streets, sewers, water pipes etc.) because of compact development
o For parking facilities due to reduced car dependence and thus a lower level of
motorisation
o For reduced urban sprawl due to dense and well-organised settlements.
Lower operating and usage costs
o For heating, cooling and lighting, because of more energy-efficient buildings as well
as due to utilization of local energy resources and solar and wind energy
o For transportation due to minimised trip lengths (short distances) and the resulting
higher share of walking and cycling trips as well as an efficient and well-used public
transport system
Lower life-cycle costs due to
o Less infrastructure maintenance costs due to compact development
o Less energy-intensive buildings and the generation of energy from renewable
resources (higher investment but significantly lower operating costs),
o Less maintenance and repair costs due to high quality of design and construction,
which may also increase up-front investment costs but require less maintenance
and/or repair or replacement
o Use of locally produced materials that are re-usable or recyclable.
An EcoCity enables more sound general economy in the region. Costs to public economy
decrease while a good infrastructure for new businesses increase local wealth and economic
activities:
Less environmental damage and harmful emissions and thus reduced negative side effects,
e.g., damage to human and environmental health.
More economic activities due to an ICT-infrastructure for high-tech companies, and in
turn, additional inhabitants and other businesses
Businesses benefit on inhabitants spending due to improved employment and less
spending, e.g., on transport
Providing liveable public spaces, e.g., public centres with amenities and services support
for local retail trade
For developers the risk of balanced mixed-use projects is lower than in mono-functional
residential or commercial developments. Better utilisation of land area, i.e., more square
meters for sale or rent due to higher density allows lower prices for space, which enhances
attractiveness to a larger group of (potential) residents and businesses.
228
Natural environment benefits of the rate of resource use and emissions:
Less land demand and sealed-up area due to compact dense urban patterns preserves
undisturbed natural green areas and agricultural lands and allows for natural processes
such as water cycle and carbon-mixing in green plants
Fossil fuel consumption decreases due to minimised and more efficient motorised
transport
Energy-efficient buildings reduce all energy use
Low energy demand in general contributes to climate protection through reduced green
house gas emissions as well as improved local and regional air quality due to fewer
exhaust emissions.
Climate change mitigating communities are one of the key actions in prevention of climate
change impacts. Globally, investors’ interest in energy-efficient buildings is increasing.
Forerunning companies also seek premises from buildings that support the company’s
environmental strategies and differentiation in the local and global market place.
In general, consumption of goods is slowly changing to consumption of services (e.g., the
Internet). Therefore, high-tech service companies may be the key service and job providers in
an EcoCity. As the interest in an EcoCity increases among new technology providers, young
professionals, and people looking for a safe, attractive and healthy living environment, the
value of the whole EcoCity increases. A presumption is that the EcoCity provides good
connections (transport, accessibility, wireless and other high-speed communications) for the
inhabitants and companies.
Resale value of the EcoCity properties is higher than with a typical town. The resale value
difference can be assessed in relative terms without limiting the point of sales. If the resale
value of the reference case is 1,00, energy-efficient community with its own energy
production systems (independence from centralized systems) and a variety of housing from
basic demand up to high end housing and services has a relative value 1,05 … 1,20. This
evaluation bases on information gained from energy system assessment in the Finnish new
communities adopted for the EcoCity assessment /18/.
13.2 Life-cycle costs of the EcoCity
13.2.1 Sustainability indicators for building
EcoCity concept bases on a new way of thinking. Economical profit and cost effectiveness are
not the sole and only purpose of the development. The meaning of the EcoCity concept is to
create a future’s society, in which people are capable to live in harmony with the nature. The
most efficient building and built environment solutions minimize the negative human impacts
229
on nature. Clean, healthy, and comfortable environment are attributes that do not negate the
implementation of economic efficiency. Energy-efficiency increases by using best available
technology and innovative solutions. These measures should not be considered just as an
additional investment cost. More efficient energy production and utilization brings notable
cost saving on the long run. Proper waste management and its integration to municipal
services and energy system can even increase economic benefits of the development. The use
of all available resources in the most effective way maximizes both ecological and economic
efficiency.
The implementation of the principles of sustainable development is a fundamental goal of the
EcoCity. ISO TS 21929 /22/ defines a framework for sustainability assessment of the lifecycle economics of a building. The same principles are useful in considering the life cycle
economics of an EcoCity. The following economic flows describe the economic flows
–
energy and water consumption, waste management
–
maintenance, repair, and renovation
–
renovation and deconstruction,
–
development of the economic value of a the area, and
–
revenue generated by the build environment and its services.
The economic indicators indicate monetary flows connected to the EcoCity life-cycle.
Performance is the key option in an EcoCity. Building performance is gaining stronger
consideration in the connection of sustainable building, and thus the management of
performance is an important part of sustainable development process.
There is no experience yet of the design and construction costs of an entire EcoCity. However,
taking into account the above listed benefits of an EcoCity, table 28 gives estimates on costs
and environmental impacts of an EcoCity.
Table 28. Estimation of cost and environmental impacts of an EcoCity. Cost impacts are
given as reduced (-) and increased costs (+) compared to a typical town development. The
most cost savings come from the operation of the EcoCity and side impacts such as healthy
environment.
Cost
structure
Housing
Service
buildings
Typical
solution
Basic MTG
building
Basic MTG
building
EcoCity
solution
Miaofeng
passive house
Miaofeng
passive house
230
Cost
impact, %
+5 … 10
Environmental impact
Energy demand -60 … 75%
+10
Energy demand -60 … 75%
Energy
production
Condensing
coal power
plant
-5 … +20
Distributed
CHP (bio gas,
bio mass), wind
power, building
integrated solar
heat and
electricity,
ground source
heat and cool
(GSHC)
utilizing
renewable
electricity
Density, carfree, less
parking places,
local sewage
systems,
composting
Source
No source
separation,
separation,
recycling,
centralized
management, waste to energy
waste
disposal site
Low-cost
Private car
dependence, public transport
accessibility inside and to
and from the
to public
EcoCity, bio
transport
gas based
public transport
Typical low- High speed
connections
speed
connections, everywhere in
the EcoCity,
Internet
Internet based
cafes, etc.
services for
inhabitants
Local operators
Central
operators for for distributed
systems
centralised
systems
Infrastructure Typical
present town
design
Waste
sorting,
collection
and
management
Public
transport
ICT
Maintenance
231
-5
Condensing coal plant:
800 - 1200 kg CO2/MWh
CHP with solid bio fuels:
30 – 50 kg CO2/MWh
CHP with bio gas:
< 20 kg CO2/MWh
Wind power:
5 – 10 kg CO2/MWh
Solar PV:
35 – 60 kg CO2/MWh
Solar heat:
< 10 kg CO2/MWh
GSHC with cop 3,0:
< 20 kg CO2/MWh
Reduced private car traffic
Reduced land use
Composting for soil
enrichment
Reduction of generated waste
Reduced land use for waste
disposal sites
Bio gas collection for energy
production
-5 … +10
Transport emissions: -90%
+10
Reduced need to travel
±0
Reduced maintenance
The economic impacts of EcoCity development are only indicative. The real impacts can be
assessed at the design and implementation phase of a development. Also, more accurate
information on local cost and technology level is needed.
13.3 Life-cycle assessment
13.3.1 Life cycle economics
Life cycle costing (LCC) is a technique for estimating the cost of whole buildings or even
housing areas, infrastructure and systems, buildings with systems and materials. The
technique can assist decision-making in investment processes. LCC is used to evaluate the
cost performance of a development throughout its lifecycle, including acquisition,
development, operation, management, repair, disposal and decommissioning.
The main content covers principles of life-cycle economics with reference to
Design options and alternatives
Investment options
Decision variables
Uncertainty and risk.
Figures 127 – 129 show the sources of costs in the analysis. The cost categories are not
accurate; however, they give an implication of the level of the costs in different segments of
the development.
232
EcoCity construction
buildings
infrastructure
jobs &
services
housing
data from
local sources
data from the
feasibility study
transport
systems
energy
systems
part
part
part
part
systems
part
systems
part
systems
part
systems
part
systems
systems
systems
systems
unit price
of a part
system
x
unit price
of a part
system
volume/
amount
=
costs of
a part
system
water
systems
waste
systems
green
infra
see detailed
descriptions
separately
volume/
amount
+
costs of
a part
system
grand total construction costs
=
Figure 127. Principles of collecting grand total construction costs of the EcoCity.
infrastructure
gardens
sports & leisure
parks
telecommunication
wlan
Figure 1283. Principles of collecting part system costs of infrastructure.
233
green
infra
ICT infra
treatment
collecting
sorting
waste
systems
transport fuels
heating/cooling
electricity
grey water recycling
energy
systems
ground water
waste water
rain water harvesting
water
systems
drinking water
railroads
parking
roads & streets
transport
systems
buildings
jobs &
services
housing
detached
houses
grounding &
stabilization
terraced
houses
building
envelope
multistory
houses
windows,
doors
offices
shops
agriculture
& industry
tourism
HVAC,
automation
installations
Lifts
(energy)
other
Figure 129. Principles of collecting part system costs of buildings.
The LCC-analysis requires rather detailed information on the EcoCity and its size, structures,
services, etc. Therefore, the analysis relates to implementation phase of the desired EcoCity
concept. Because of the predictive nature of life cycle costing methods, sensitivity analyses
are often important in the connection of life cycle economics. Economical analysis is a
method to be used in early stages of planning and design of an EcoCity, if there is information
available on both a reference case (business as usual) and the EcoCity related to life cycle
costs. Figure 130 outlines the possibilities to utilise life cycle based decision making in
comparing solutions or analysing cost-effectiveness, profit and cash flows.
Figure 130. Main phases and objects of life-cycle based decision making.
234
LCC analysis connects to chosen period of the life cycle. Functional life cycle may be very
short, 1 - 3 years. Economical life cycle based on rent or financing period is longer, 10 - 30
years. Technical life cycle is a period between construction and disposal, for example 50 100 years. The choice of a life-cycle period should base on real demand assessed in target
setting, and furthermore, in decision-making. The process has a substantial influence on cost
distribution.
Classification of life cycle costs is very alike in different standards and solutions. It is
important that the costs cover all costs within the chosen period. The economy of an EcoCity
concept concern
- Savings in energy consumption and reduction of emission
- Impacts on comfort in buildings and built environment
- Changes in investment costs
- Changes in life cycle costs within chosen period
- Impacts on value and profits
- Pay back time.
Life cycle economics of an EcoCity bases as far as possible on real costs. However, there is
no ireal cost information available, and thus the assessment follows the following guidelines:
Calculation period is basically 20 years (depreciation period) which refers to a typical
minimum service life of building service’s systems without the need for maintenance
repairs
Capital costs include procurement and finance costs. Procurement cost covers all
procurement costs of the entire The estimated portion of finance is 60 – 80 %, i.e., roughly
15% in relation to yearly procurement cost. Yearly capital costs are assessed by dividing
the total procurement costs with calculation period and multiplying the yearly
procurement cost by 1,15.
Energy costs are defined as yearly costs with energy consumption and average energy
price during the calculation period using 2% real increase for energy prices.
Maintenance costs cover systematic maintenance operations and costs incurred from
unforeseeable repairs. Differences in maintenance costs of an EcoCity are estimated to be
low.
Life cycle costs (LCC) are calculated as yearly costs and net present value by multiplying
yearly costs by calculation period
Comparative life-cycle assessment utilizes typically net present value approach. Energy and
housing investments base on yearly costs. The calculation period is a so called normal year,
i.e., middle of the calculation period that takes into account real increase in cost level.
Average yearly costs can be calculated by dividing the present value by the length of the
calculation period:
235
A
i(1 i) t
P
(1 i) t 1
Where
A = yearly cost
P = Investment cost
i = interest rate (assumed 2%)
Calculation period (20 years)
Life-cycle costs can be budgeted, e.g., for a period of 10 – 40 years. Real increase in energy
costs can be 2 % corresponding to average energy costs 1,25 times higher cost after 20 years
calculation period compared to calculation year
Table 29 gives a framework of a simplified assessment of life cycle costs of an EcoCity. The
assessment bases on cost level in Finland, as the construction costs in China are not available.
In an ideal case the improvement of energy economy can be covered by energy cost savings.
Other savings may come from reduced number of car parking, infrastructure maintenance,
etc.. The basic assumption, however, is that the only differences in cost levels are with the
energy costs and construction and ICT infrastructure costs. In case of lower energy
consumption, the importance of green energy production increase. In addition, the role of user
will be more and more significant.
The assessment of life-cycle costs bases on the cost differences given in the table 28. The
following assumptions are made:
The total gross floor area of the assessed development is 100 000 m2, of which
Community centre 7000 m2
Jobs and services 23 000 m2
Housing 70 000 m2
Energy demand in the EcoCity is on the average 68 kWh/gross floor m2/year
o Electrical energy in the EcoCity is produced with a solar PV (50%), wind energy (50
o The EcoCity is self-sustainable in terms of energy, i.e., no fossil energy is used in the
EcoCity.
o Ground source heat pump system serves for heating and cooling
o Total energy investment bases on the following estimates
Solar electricity: 20 RMB/Wp
Wind energy: 10 000 RMB/kW
Energy demand in a typical modern town is 140 kWh/gross floor m2/year
o Electrical energy in the typical town is produced with a coal fired condensing plant
o Total energy investment 8 mRMB
Solar thermal energy covers 50% of the water heating demand both in the typical town
and EcoCity, and thus the solar thermal is not considered in the life-cycle calculations
236
Construction costs:
o Basic construction cost of a typical new apartment house including ICT
infrastructure 5000 RMB/gross-floor m2 /23/
o Basic construction cost of a typical new service and office building including ICT
infrastructure 9500 RMB/gross-floor m2
o Basic construction cost of the new community centre including ICT infrastructure
10500 RMB/gross-floor m2
Maintenance costs in an EcoCity do not differ significantly from those of a typical modern
town, and thus the maintenance costs have been neglected
Service life of new buildings is assumed to be at least 50 years
EcoCity: Total investment including energy production systems 1970 mRMB
Typical town: Total investment including energy production systems 1830 mRMB
The life-cycle assessment example concerns a village of 2000 residents.
Table 29. Life-cycle assessment of the EcoCity and comparison to a typical town development. Costs
are given in million RMB.
Category
Unit
Typical town
EcoCity
Calculation period
years
20
Energy cost increase
%/year
2
Cost basis
Year
Investment cost 2010
mRMB
Average energy cost
RMB/MWh
63
125
188
63
125
188
Capital cost
mRMB/year
112
112
112
121
121
121
Energy cost
mRMB/year
9
18
27
2
4
6
Life-cycle cost
mRMB/year
121
129
137
123
125
127
Life-cycle cost
mRMB/20 years
2420
2580
2740
2460
2500
2540
2010
1830
1970
The energy cost depends on the chosen price of energy. The economic price with zero margin
can be assessed using a simple equation:
237
Where
h = price of energy RMB/kWh
ci = annuity factor of capital costs
com = yearly use and maintenance costs relative to investment (roughly 0,02)
I = Investment, RMB
e = produced energy, kWh/a
The energy system investment in the EcoCity is assumed 27 million RMB and the produced
energy 3028 MWh in a year. Using the calculation parameters of the table 29, the price of
produced energy h 0,5 RMB/kWh. This analysis carries uncertainty with the chosen cost
basis of the energy production units such as the installation costs, land costs, and procurement
and permission related costs. The whole energy cost and life-cycle cost assessment should be
carried out in the design phase with more accurate knowledge on the various parameters.
13.4.1 Carbon footprint
Life-cycle assessment approach (LCA) aims at comparing environmental impacts of products
and services. LCA has been generally accepted as the only legitimate basis to compare
alternative products and services, and the approach is firmly adopted also in the European
assessment tools /24/. The international standardisation organisation ISO has worked out a
series of standards concerning the environmental assessment of products /25, 26/.
The Finnish method for the voluntary environmental specifications of building products was
renewed in a project coordinated by the Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries RT.
The project also worked out a methodology for environmental calculation /27/. Environmental
specifications of building materials and products and examples environmental specifications
of building structures are available through a database /28/. The information bases on
production in Finland and, thus, the data is not directly applicable in countries with varying
energy mix.
Life-cycle assessment is a compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential
environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle. LCA addresses the
environmental aspects and potential environmental impacts (e.g. use of resources and
environmental consequences of releases) throughout a product's life cycle from:
Raw material acquisition,
Production,
Use,
End-of life treatment,
238
Recycling and final disposal (i.e. cradle-to-grave) .
Climate change is one of the key impact categories considered in an LCA. is caused by the
Greenhouse effect induced by emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the air causes climate
change. Carbon footprint is the overall amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHG
emissions (e.g. methane, laughing gas, etc.) associated with a product along its supply chain
and sometimes including emissions from use and end-of-life recovery and disposal.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has specified characterization factors and
coefficients as CO2 equivalents for climate change and CF calculation, table 30.
Table 30. Characterization factors and coefficients as CO2 equivalents for climate change
and CF calculation
GHG
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
HFCs
Sulphur hexafluoride
PFCs
Chemical
formula
CO2
CH4
N2O
SF6
Coefficient
1
21
310
140 – 11 700
23 900
6 500 – 9 200
According to the given factors and coefficients carbon footprint is calculated as follows:
CF = CO2 * 1 + CH4 * 21 + N2O * 310 + HFC * 140 + PFC * 6500.
Based on the database information, indicative carbon footprints of four storey heavy-weight
and light-weight apartment buildings according to the requirements set for a passive house are
in figure 131. Building structures are given in figure 132. It is assumed that both buildings
have the same building services systems including solar PV and solar thermal systems for
energy production. It should be noted that the results are valid in a case where the buildings
and their components are produced in Finland. The Chinese environmental specifications of
building products and structures were not available for the analysis.
239
2
Carbon footprint of a heavy-weight concrete building 280 kg/m , 100 years life-cycle
3%
18 %
10 %
57 %
Building envelope
Windows and doors
Building services' systems
Solar energy systems
Renovation during life cycle
Transportation
10 %
2%
2
Carbon footprint of a light-weight wooden building 120 kg/m , 100 years life-cycle
5%
22 %
21 %
5%
23 %
Building envelope
Windows and doors
Building services' systems
Solar energy systems
Renovation during life cycle
Transportation
24 %
Figure 131. Carbon footprints of a wooden apartment building (above) and a concrete
apartment building (below). The buildings are equal in terms of floor area and volume and
energy demand.
240
Figure 132. Building structures used in the assessment (top to bottom roof, external wall,
base floor). Partition walls are light-weight walls in both buildings. High-performance
wooden windows and doors (thermal transmittance U = 0,7 W/m2K) are applied.
The comparison of the EcoCity to a typical town bases on major differences between the two
alternatives. Therefore, urban structures that are similar and building components that are
common for both cases can be omitted in the analysis. The carbon footprint of a typical
building does not differ significantly from the carbon footprint of a very low-energy building
with the exception of the impact of building integrated solar energy systems.
The main reduction in carbon footprint of a typical building compared to the EcoCity building
come by manufacture and construction in terms of thermal insulation level and window and
door structures. On the other hand, adaptability of the building due to improved design
decreasing the demand of future renewal and reduced heating and cooling system lower the
carbon footprint of the EcoCity building compared to the typical building. Therefore, it is
assumed that the only significant difference comes from the solar energy systems integrated
into the buildings. However, the Chinese typical buildings often have solar thermal systems.
241
Based on an assumption that the EcoCity buildings are heavy-weight concrete or masonry
buildings with similar systems with exception of building integrated solar systems, the overall
carbon footprint (calculation period 100 years) of the EcoCity compared to a typical town are:
EcoCity: 28 000 ton CO2
Typical town 25 000 ton CO2.
Carbon footprint caused by the use of energy in the entire EcoCity depends on how well the
suggested renewable energy production systems cover the energy demand. The following
assumptions apply in the assessment:
Energy demand in the entire EcoCity is on the average 68 kWh/gross floor m2/year
o Electrical energy in the EcoCity is produced with a solar PV (50%), wind energy (50
o The EcoCity is self-sustainable in terms of energy, i.e., no fossil energy is used in the
EcoCity.
o Ground source heat pump system serves for heating and cooling
Energy demand in a typical modern town is 140 kWh/gross floor m2/year
o Electrical energy in the typical town is produced with a coal fired condensing plant
Solar thermal energy covers 50% of the water heating demand both in the typical town
and EcoCity, and thus the solar thermal is not considered in the life-cycle calculations
The emissions of energy production are in table 28. The assumptions above give the
following carbon footprint of the energy use in the EcoCity and a typical modern town
( calculation period of 100 years):
EcoCity: 34 000 ton CO2
Typical town: 1 120 000 ton CO2.
The above analysis does not include traffic emissions in a typical town or emissions from, e.g.,
energy use in agriculture. In short, the EcoCity can save more than one million tons of Carbon
emissions in one hundred years compared to a typical town.
13.5 Conclusions and suggestions
The preliminary life-cycle assessment shows that the EcoCity can also be economically
profitable. There are simplifications in the assessment due to parameters that can be assessed
only in the design and implementation phase of the development. However, it is clear that an
EcoCity has a significant impact on climate change mitigation. The EcoCity serves also for
healthy and safe environment and as such it also contributes to human health and costs related
to healthcare.
An important feature of life-cycle assessment is assessment of technical and economical
service life of the chosen solutions. In general, sustainable construction aims at solutions that
242
have a long service life pre-assessed in the design phase and implemented in the procurement.
There is still lack of information on the long-term performance of, e.g., solar PV installations.
Typically, the producers give quarantine on the electricity production during 20 years of
service. The PV installation should produce electricity at a level of 80% of the initial peak
efficiency after 20 years of operation.
There are different needs for life-cycle based decision-making on different levels of activities
to be utilized by different organisations. As the starting point in generalizing life-cycle
assessment based decision-making, is to specify concepts and calculation model as far as
focusing the most essential life-cycle characteristics on different levels of business. They also
cover the most important aims of technology development.
Generalizing of life-cycle optimized facility concepts should mean reduction of heating and
electrical energy making it easier to optimize energy management of different types of buildings of
different ages. At the same time, the importance of renewable energy resources and reduction of green
house gas emissions increase.
There are different needs for life-cycle based decision-making. This relates to different levels
of activities in development of an EcoCity. The generalization of life-cycle based decision
making is to specify concepts and calculation model focusing on the most essential life cycle
characteristics of different concepts. The approach also covers the most important objects of
technological possibilities. The approach refers to
Reduction of energy demand for optimizing energy management schemes including
maximised utilization of renewable energy resources
Increase of both local employment and clean production
New kinds of business possibilities.
The steps in the decision-making process should cover:
Costs
o Investment costs with separated costs for energy-efficiency improvement
o Maintenance costs of heat/cool, electricity and water supply, and technical services
o Life-cycle costs
Calculation parameters
o Economic service life, interest rate, energy price now and estimation for the future
o Comparison of renovation concepts
o Investment costs, maintenance costs, financing contribution
Impacts on building’s values
o Long-term performance
o Safety and health issues
o Environmental impacts
o Economic efficiency according to values/cost relation
o Appearance and architecture
243
14. Implementation
14.1 Strategic planning
The implementation of the EcoCity requires strategic planning with clear responsibilities of each
stakeholder. The goal of the development should be made clear to everybody, e.g., by using the
EcoCity framework (chapter 4) as a target setting tool.
Collaborative urban planning /1/ is suggested for the process. The focus of in the development
is in the initial stage of the planning. The municipality (or developer) selects partner
companies for the implementation. The procedure enables concurrent interactive cooperation
between city planning units and companies in preparing the city plans and developing the
companies own project plans. A Project Implementation Unit (PIU) is the core of the
development. PIU is the link between the authorities and project development.
Collaborative urban planning builds on a few key principles. It is worthwhile launching the
cooperation between enterprises and a municipality with a joint vision-creating process
concerning the urban development project. It allows complementing the goals and visions set
earlier by the municipality or city by ideas suggested by companies. The content of the vision
is approved by a development board of the municipality and region.
The selection of partner companies requires a systematic selection process. Earlier
experiences show that assessment of companies using references and a limited design and
idea competition are the tools for finding suitable organisations for the project. A limited
design and idea competition is carried out on invitation basis after a pre-assessment of
possible candidates. The municipality selects as partners those companies whose design
proposals and ideas are found best.
The design and control of an urban development project requires quality and performance
criteria. The EcoCity framework is the tool for defining the desired properties and quality
levels of the area. Related goals can be set already when creating the vision for the area.
Quality and performance criteria are needed in establishing the company selection programme
and later in plan preparation and control of companies in the project planning.
Collaborative urban planning has been tested in the development of Vuores area in Tampere,
Finland. The companies were highly eager to participate in collaborative urban planning
which allowed selecting first rate design proposals and ideas for further design. The benefits
and added value from partnership in urban planning are the result of cooperation between the
designers of the municipality and companies. The municipality can utilise the design
resources of companies without a finalised plan limiting the work of designers. Companies,
244
again, are more motivated to participate and invest resources in design when they have the
opportunity to implement an area clearly larger than a single plot, for instance, a quarter.
Figure 131 gives a preliminary organisation of the EcoCity implementation. The suggested approach is
to build a small-scale example in the first phase, and enlarge the development according to
experiences gained. The process is supervised by the development board, however, taking into account
the needs and possibilities of the market based procurement and profitability.
‘
Feasibility
study &
Vision
Local investments
and companies
Int'l investments
and companies
NDRC
supervision
Joint venture: design and
construction responsibility
Development board
Project
Implementation unit
Government/
EU support
Requirements,
technologies
Political
support
VTT
consortium
Local
supervision
Local
Local Government
Government //
Clients
Clients
Concept development/
Planning & Design
Sustainability
Project
organization
Environment
Commissioning
Services
Infrastructure
Refurbishment
Reconstruction
New villages
EcoCity
construction
Investors
Miaofeng Mountain Town EcoCity
housing
energy
systems
water
systems
transport
systems
waste
systems
jobs &
services
green
infra
Figure 131. Organisation of the Miaofeng Mountain town EcoCity development.
14.2 Stakeholders and responsibilities
Table 30 shows the responsibilities of each stakeholder groups in various stages of the development.
245
Table 30. Actors in the procurement protocol.
246
14.3 Financing
The implementation of the EcoCity requires political and economic imperatives and
incentives to undertake a serious and significant effort in the area of construction of an
EcoCity. The presumptions for the development are appropriate funding, level of knowledge
within the organisation, market attitudes, attractiveness of the development to key customer
segments, and municipality’s role in industry and trade promotion for creation of new jobs in
the region. The key question is how to make the EcoCity attractive enough for willing and
well-established first customers. Figure 131 visualizes the roles in the development.
Industry and trade
promotion:
Jobs
Joint Venture:
Diverse knowledge
Market drivers:
Market push,
consumer attitudes
EcoCity
Consumer pull:
attractiveness
of the EcoCity
Figure 131. Generating demand for an EcoCity as a living and working environment.
Industry and trade promotion, consumer attitudes and attractiveness of the development are
the key parameters in finding the new comers for the EcoCity. The role of the municipality is
to generate favourable environment for the development.
Social and economic acceptance of the EcoCity concept is a large assembly. The framework
in the figure 132 shows the complex EcoCity concept’s dependence on company networks,
municipal decision making, legislation, financing, and inhabitants’ own economic
possibilities. The target for a successful implementation of the EcoCity is in creation of
necessary jobs and premises for high-tech economic activities to attract diverse inhabitant
groups.
Population growth, stability of jobs, financing capacity of the regional economy depend on
economic management of the whole region. Jobs enable sustainable development of services
for the inhabitants. The development should be parallel: Housing, jobs and services are
devloped parallel, so that the basic needs of the inhabitants (e.g., day-care, shops, public
transport, ICT) are available from the beginning.
247
Industry and trade promotion
Development
of regional
economy
Innovation
management
Jobs
Joint venture/
company
networks
EcoCity
Development
of municipal
economy
Inhabitants’
economy
Needs,
services,
properties
Market attitudes
Strategic
planning
Legislation
State support
Financing
Property sales
Investors
Figure 132. Steering mechanisms for EcoCity development. Municipal steering includes
industry and trade promotion and strategic planning incentives. Collaborative planning
enables utilization of diverse knowledge and experiences in the development.
The EcoCity can be developed as a co-operation between The People's Republic of China and
Finland. The role of the governments and their agencies should remain in enabling the
implementation of the concept. The financing for the development itself comes from different
sources. The basic assumption is that the EcoCity will be developed as a market driven
project with the incentives from the municipality, region and the state that help to solve, e.g.,
legal questions, land-use and construction requirements etc..
International co-operation within financing requires an attractive and appealing EcoCity
solution with good connection to businesses in the Beijing capital area, transport connections
and established services. The foreseen value of the development requires promotion on many
levels of information and communication. EcoCity brand should be used from the beginning.
There are international examples of how to promote the brand of a city by environmentally
friendly buildings, e.g., in Freiburg in Germany. It is as well important not to corrupt the
brand by customer promises or service provisions that will not execute in the outcome.
248
15. Summary
The proposed EcoCity area locates in the Miaofeng Mountain Town North-West of Beijing
City. The area has natural values, and it has been declared an ecological area. This restricts
the use of natural environments to a minimum. The area consists of 17 separate villages with
varying number of inhabitants.
The economic structure of the proposed EcoCity area lays on agriculture and tourism. Stone
mining in a number of quarries has employed a number of people in the area. During the
recent years, the quarries been shut down, or they are in the process to be shut down due to
their environmental consequences. Thus the work possibilities have decreased.
The aim of the feasibility study was to find out concepts for both technical and economic
development that improve the socio-economic structure of the area. Therefore, the feasibility
study suggests following design principles:
Sustainable land use in the EcoCity protects the green environment and utilizes brownfield
areas for development. The shut down quarries allow for different types of development from
new housing to commercial and touristic services, water management systems based on rain
water harvesting.
New eco-efficient high-end housing can give work to present inhabitants in construction and
services. The revenue accrued from the sales of the new housing gives an incentive to develop
the existing villages. New housing can be very low-energy houses, or even zero-energy
houses. The proposed concept for new housing follows the target setting of passive houses, as
they also form a basis for all other extremely energy-efficient housing.
Renovation of existing housing stock can concentrate on improving the quality of life of the
inhabitants. This includes actions to reduce the energy demand of the housing, and to improve
indoor air quality and comfort. The existing stock need to be surveyed to find the buildings
that can be renovated with an economically sustainable process, and houses that can be
demolished and building materials to be recycled and used in new construction. Locally
produced low-cost insulation blocks topped with plaster provide the main additional
insulation system for existing houses.
Self-sustainability in energy is a key to a sustainable community. New energy systems should
serve especially new construction in the area thus providing also one of the touristic amenities
and a research and demonstration possibility. The local distributed energy production can
serve by a net site zero-energy approach, where the sum of the purchased energy and
renewable energy produced in the area is zero on annual basis. Local distributed energy
production also enables energy sales into the main grid.
249
Service infrastructure can base on information and communication technologies. The ICT
approach enables easy access services for tourism, education and e-learning, transportation,
and energy services, resource sharing and load control. The user oriented service
infrastructure also provides a platform for connections inside the area and external services.
This infrastructure also provides possibilities for teleworking, thus also making the new
housing area interesting to independent jobs and high-tech service developers
.
High-tech services, research and development can serve new economic activities and new
and existing villages. New research institution specializing on environmental research can be
founded in the area. This institution should have a strong international research focus to
improve the recognition and brand of the EcoCity. High-speed broadband wireless internet
connections also serve the institution(s).
Public transport development enables access to the EcoCity from Beijing city and downtown
Mentougou. A fast passenger train link from Beijing makes the area attainable for
international tourists. Local transport services provide jobs for the inhabitants. A dial-a-ride or
call serviced transport system serves for both inhabitants and visitors. A car pool can be
founded for inhabitants and visitors, based on easy to access Internet services.
Agriculture is one of the basic work possibilities. The area has specialties that are not
available anywhere else in China. Therefore, it should be developed in two directions. Firstly,
agriculture provides clean food to the inhabitants and visitors. Secondly, agriculture can be
developed to molecule farming providing biomass for energy source in the area.
Tourism is one of the key services in the area. Due to the area’s natural values, historical
amenities and agricultural specialties the area can be developed for sustainable tourism. Each
of the existing villages should have an individual image. Transport services produced by the
local cooperatives of businesses can combine the villages to a network of villages. Low
carbon transport system enhances the image of an EcoCity.
Maintenance and security systems allow for jobs for the villagers. Different maintenance
activities also provide the inhabitants an important role in management of the EcoCity.
250
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yliopisto, Taloustieteen laitos. Selvityksiä 42. Helsinki 2006
22.
ISO/TS 21929-1:2006. Sustainability in building construction -- Sustainability
indicators -- Part 1: Framework for development of indicators for buildings
23.
Chung, Stephen, China: Beijing Construction Costs Higher Among the Big 4
http://www.real-estate-tech.com/articles/SRS020703.htm
24.
Cole, R. J. et al. 2005. Tokyo Sustainable Building -05 conference
25.
ISO 14040 Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and
framework
26.
EN ISO 14044. Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements
and guidelines
27.
Häkkinen, T. et al. 2004. Methodology for compiling environmental specifications for
building products and assessing environmental impacts of buildings. Confederation of
Finnish Construction Industries RT. 55p + app. 28 p. (in finnish).
28.
Tools and methodology for environmental assessment. http://rem.e21..fi/
252
Appendix: Examples of technology providers
Appendix: Finnish High-Tech products for an EcoCity
Examples of sources of information for Finnish High-Tech products enabling the implementation of the Finnish High-Tech concept of
Business field
Thermal
systems
Company
insulation Paroc Group
web address
http://www.paroc.com/Channels/com/building+insulation/solutions/default.asp
SPU Systems Oy
http://www.spu.fi/structural_solutions_for_low_energy
Thermisol Finland Oy
http://www.thermisol.fi/?setlang=eng
Finfoam Oy
http://www.finnfoam.fi/
Windows and doors
Lammin Ikkunat Oy
http://www.lammin.fi/eng/products/
U-value < 0,8 W/m2K
Skaala Oy
http://www.skaala.co.uk/en/windows.html
Karvia ikkunat ja ovet Oy
http://www.karvianet/
Domus yhtiöt Oy
http://www.domus.fi
Building
solutions
services' Uponor Oyj
http://www.uponor.cn/
Enervent Oy
http://www.enervent.fi/main.asp?menuid=10000&langid=3&countryid=900
Swegon Ilto Oy
http://www.ilto.fi/Ilto.phtml
Ensto Group
http://www.ensto.com/global
Vallox Oy
http://www.vallox.com//etusivu.asp?kieli=1
253
Suomen Terveysilma Oy
http://www.terveysilma.fi/
RCL Linja Oy
http://www.rcl.fi/en.php
Oilon Home Oy
http://netfi.oilon.com/
Kaukora Oy
http://www.kaukora.fi/en/front
Suomen lämpöpumpputekniikka Oy
http://www.lampoassa.fi/en/index.html
Lonix Ltd
http://www.lonix.com/index.php?page=solutions&lang=en
Fidelix =y
http://www.fidelix.fi/Default.aspx?Page=home&Lang=Eng
Fatman Oy
http://www.fatman.fi/fi/yritys/in-english
Buildercom Oy
http://www.buildercom.fi/english
Solar energy systems
Naps Systems Oy
http://www.napssystems.com/
Wind power
Eagle tuulivoima Oy
http://www.eagle.fi/index.asp?pn=1&kieli=2&aihe=68&avaa=Windpower
Winwind Oy
http://www.winwind.fi/english/etusivu.php
Oy Windside Production Ltd
http://www.windside.com/index.html
Hietaranta Oy
http://www.hietaranta.fi/
MW Power Oy
http://www.mwpower.fi/
Entimos Oy
http://www.entimos.fi/kaavio.htm
ST1
http://www.st1.eu/index.php?id=2901
Barco Bioenergia Oy
http://www.barcobio.fi/english/barcobioenergia.html
Benet Oy
http://www.benet.fi/default.asp?SivuID=15000
Bioste Oy
http://www.bioste.fi/index.php?lang=en
Biolan Oy
http://www.biolan.fi/english/
Ecosir Group
http://www.ecosir.com/in_english/company_info/
CHP systems
Bio fuels, bio energy
Environmental products
254
Waste management
Waste water
management
Water purification
Transport
Molok Oy
http://www.molok.com/eng/main.php
Marimatic Oy
http://www.marimatic.com/index.php
Ecolator Finland Oy
http://www.ecolator.fi/
Green Rock Oy
http://www.greenrock.fi/english/
Oy Watman Ab
http://www.watman.fi/english/brochures.asp
Raita Environemnet
http://www.raita.com/english.htm
Hyxo Oy
http://www.hyxo.com/products/water-treatment/
Preseco Oy
http://www.preseco.eu/index.php?id=2627&lang_id=1
Fenno Water Oy Ltd
http://www.fennowater.fi/index.php?page=products#p11
Plusdia Oy
http://www.plusdial.com/index.php?id=76
VTT
http://www.vtt.fi/uutta/2007/20070521.jsp?lang=en
255
256
TIETORATKAISUT
JULKAISUJEN TOIMITUS
Series title, number and
report code of publication
Author(s)
Nieminen, J. et al.
Title
Miaofeng Mountain Town EcoCity
Abstract
An EcoCity essentially has high ecological quality but at the same time it is technologically
sophisticated and most modern. This is a kind of town that has not yet been realized anywhere
in the world. The attempts to build an EcoCity so far base on optimization of different sectors
or technologies, and thus they compromise between the high-level targets and present level of
design. However, there is not just one EcoCity concept but a variety of possibilities that need
to be adjusted to fit the local context, local culture and local economic realities. This is the
way to achieve a possible solution with regard to the local resources, but at the same time to
meet the high goals set for an EcoCity. High-tech solutions are one way to the EcoCity, but
they are not the only goal of an EcoCity.
The project produced a concept of an EcoCity to be built in Miaofeng Mountain town in
Mentougou District Beijing, and suggestions for implementation of the concept as long-term
development. The feasibility study combined the Chinese and Finnish expertise and
experiences on sustainable communities. The development bases on the Finnish experiences
on production of environmentally friendly materials, buildings and sustainable communities
combined with the Chinese technology and local know-how.
ISBN
978-951-38- (soft back ed.)
978-951-38- (URL: http://www.vtt.fi/publications/index.jsp)
Series title and ISSN
Project number
Report
Date
Language
Pages
2009
English
93
Name of project
Commissioned by
Mentougou Beijing District EcoCity
Mentougou Beijing District Local Government
Keywords
Publisher
Eco-efficiency, energy-efficiency, ecocity,
environment
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
P.O.Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Finland
Phone internat. +358 20 722 4520
Fax +358 20 722 4374
257