The Refshaleøen
ENERGY
DUCK
Energy Duck is an entertaining iconic sculpture; a celebration of
local wildlife; a renewable energy generator, store and exporter; a
habitable destination and a city scale information beacon.
The common eider duck is resident in great numbers in Copenhagen,
however its breeding habitat is at risk from the effects of climate
change. Energy Duck takes the form of the eider to act both as a
solar collector and a buoyant energy store.
Solar radiation is converted to electricity using low cost, off the
shelf PV panels. Some of the solar electricity is stored in the form
of gravitational potential energy via water pressure. At night,
when there is no solar radiation the water pressure can be released
through hydro turbines within the duck’s belly providing renewable
electricity at all times. The floating height of the duck is an indicator
of the amount of city wide energy use relative to the renewable
generation.
Often the prospective negative environmental effects of climate
change, brought about by excessive C02 emissions can seem a
removed and distant issue. Energy Duck frames the issue of climate
change, ecology and the importance of renewable energy in a local
context.
Common Eider
Good
Bad
Baltic Sea Pressure Index
Showing combined effect of all environmental pressures.
ENERGY DUCK
Copenhagen has the admirable aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2025.
To achieve such a low carbon future requires a city scale transition to
renewable electricity. At this scale, due to the inherent intermittency of
renewable energy sources it is essential to be able to store energy and
release it as electricity at a later time when the wind is not blowing or the
sun is not shining.
Energy duck stores solar energy by making use of its floating nature. Energy
is stored by virtue of the difference in water heights inside and outside the
duck. Solar energy is used to pump water out of the duck and buoyancy
brings it to the surface. When stored energy is required to be delivered, the
duck is flooded through one or more hydro turbines to generate electricity
which is transmitted to the national grid by the same route as the PV panel
generated electricity. Energy Duck can be used to cover short term fluctu
ations (e.g. cloud cover) for hundreds of houses or long term (a few days)
demands of around fifty houses.
At night the duck is lit with very low power colour changing LED lamps. The
colour pattern undulates with a rhythm proportional to the output of the
hydro turbines.
Lightweight steel external space frame
supports PV panels and the dummy
panels.
The skin is not water tight, it doesn’t
need to be.
Visitors inside move through an
enormous honeycomb mesh of light
weight steel viewing the PV panels
above and the water pressure store
below.
Internal sheltered spaces formed
from ETFE transparent skin
Internal tubular steel space
frame
Water storage tank walls
formed from prefabricated
GRP sections.
Annual Solar Radiation Collection
Computer simulation used to tune the duck shape to collect the most solar radiation.
Community
Anytime Energy
Solar power export
to Copenhagen
Potential future development
Egg Gate House. Provides secure visitor
access to the duck interior and houses
the switch gear required to transmit
electrical energy to the national grid
Local demand
met from daytime
solar
Local demand
met from night
time hydro store
Solar power
generated from PV
panels
Energy Duck
Solar power
recharges energy
store
TOTAL SOLAR POWER
Peak Power 400kW
enough for
800 Houses
Annual Power 400MWh
enough for
Evening
160 Houses
Morning
Local power
demand
STORED POWER
Energy available in
the store
Total Store 400kWh
Sun path
enough for
Midday
Houseboat community
Siting the installation in the sea allows valuable
land to remain available for amenity and/or future
development.
Hydro power
generated from the
store
800 Houses
Day
Night
Next Day
for short term fluctuations
or
50 Houses
for 24 hours
Energy Duck is adequate to provide more than
enough for the needs of the fellow water residents
in a future house boat community.
Simple and Efficient
External space frame uses a
combination of quad and tri shapes
to accommodate panels and create
the duck form.
Panel sizes and joint angles are
w to create a kit of parts for the
construction.
Light weight steel space frame.
No secondary PV panel support
frame is required.
PV Panel.
Size shown 1500mm x 1000mm.
Panel clamp
Simple light weight,
low cost dummy
panel.
Energy duck is not reliant
one a particular type of PV
panel. The space frame
design can accommodate
panels from a wide range of
manufacturers.
Air gaps between panels and
frame ensure panels remain cool
and run at optimum efficiency.
Internal steel tube
space frame structure
ENERGY DUCK
Angel of the North
Gateshead
UK
Night time background image by Johan Biilmaan
Rundetårn
Copenhagen
DK
Energy Duck
Copenhagen
DK
Statue of Liberty
New York
US