Algae-Based Energy Buildings

The world is facing declining in fuel reserves at a time when energy demand is exploding. Nowadays, the energy we use is from fossil fuel sources and the generation of energy releases the greenhouse gas CO2 and energy is transported over large distances. Buildings contribute 40% to the total energy consumption in Iran and therefore, if buildings can generate their own energy, it will have a large impact on the total energy consumption. Currently popular sustainable energy harvesters are windmills and photovoltaic panels. These systems can sustainably generate electricity, but it cannot take up CO2 to support the goal of meeting the value of 20% below the 1990 level by 2020. Microalgae can mitigate the CO2 and produce energy at the same time. The focus of this paper is on the use of algae as a building component that reduces the external energy demand in existing and new buildings. Especially the use of algae in façade design in closed photo bioreactors can be implemented as components in buildings. These closed photo bioreactors appears in many shapes and have to meet specific conditions for microalgae cultivation. Conditions for microalgae to survive and grow are dependent on (sun)-light, nutrients, pH, CO2 and temperature. The building will have a dynamic appearance with a liquid façade that also works as an adaptive sunshade. Most of the results documented about the productivity of microalgae are measured in laboratory conditions. So designing a building with the main focus on microalgae as element is quite new in the world of architecture. This paper can only provide insights of the possibilities of algae when used in architecture in comparison to industrial applications, and insights of the current algae technologies. In comparison to fossil fuels, biofuels are not profitable yet in terms of costs and low harvesting efficiency. That’s why we search for new applications as in components in buildings to find new ways to use algae in the build environment.

کلیدواژه ها:

algae ، biofuel ، sustainable energy ، green buildings ، algal façade ، bioreactor