Oakland EcoBlock EcoBlock Pathway to Urban Sustainability: IMPLEM - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

7/17/2018 1

Oakland EcoBlock

IMPLEM PLEMENTING ENTING URB URBAN CLIM CLIMATE CHAN CHANGE AD ADAPTATION BY BY ME MEAN ANS OF OF AN AN INTE INTEGRATED DE DESIGN SIGN SOL SOLUTION

City of Berkeley – June 27, 2018

EcoBlock

Pathway to Urban Sustainability: A Transformative Response to Climate Change

U.S. cities represent a huge climate change problem

 80.7% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas  40% of U.S. GHG emissions emanate from buildings  Residential share of GHG emissions ≈ 53% of all total buildings

Our CO2 & water footprints are invisible during the day Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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The extent of the challenge is revealed at night California’s energy footprint is not sustainable

 Urban sprawl is putting severe pressure on infrastructure systems  Climate change uncertainty is exposing cities to heightened risks Los Angeles San Francisco Bay Area

Climate change is a huge long‐term risk for California

 Wa

Warming ng trends ends

• average temperatures rose nearly 2F

during the 2nd half of 20th century & are still rising (Source: NASA)

• Probable future climate regime:

extremes of drought & rainfall

 Ci

Citi ties are are expose exposed to to gre greate test ri risks sks & CA CA is is th the nat nation’s ’s mo most st urban urban sta state

• 95

95% of population lives in cities

• 2016 pop. = 39 million
• 2030 pop. = 44 million
• no long‐term, budgeted solutions

The integrated design problem of greening our cities

 Social outreach, engineering, legal/regulatory, finance & environment

energy transportation wastewater microclimate food business & finance water people

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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The ‘sweet spot’ that solves the integrated design problem

 Global  Continent  Country  Region  City  District  Neighborhood  Block  Family  Individual

Too Abstract Too Big

Sweet spot

Too small

The EcoBlock Hypothesis: The most cost‐effective level to drive zero‐carbon, resilient urban systems at affordable cost, based on environmental equity & shared prosperity is the block‐ neighborhood‐district scale.

Why can the city block be a key to urban sustainability?

 U.S. cities are built on a grid plan

1865‐1940: birth & expansion of the block system…

Oak Oakland, land, 186 1869.

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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There are 3,500 potential EcoBlocks in Oakland

Oak Oakland, land, 193 1939. Modesto Modesto Sacra Sacramento to

The same pattern of grid plan development was repeated throughout California (& the U.S.)

Despite varying geometries all residential blocks are the same

 The aggregation of houses into closely‐packed, discrete parcels

By aggregating energy, water, wastewater & transportation on a block‐scale, EcoBlocks can drive dramatic cost‐efficiencies, impossible at the individual house‐scale Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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EcoBlock – Opportunities & Challenges

Conf nfronted ronted wi with th th the th threat of

• f clim

climate ch chan ange & age agein ing housin housing: Opportunities – The future is retrofitting

• a vast

vast market market: 80 80% of

• f U.S.

U.S. residen residentia ial hou housin ing inve inventory

• +50%

+50% of

• f US

US GHG GHG emission ssions from from residen residentia ial ho housin ing & priv private cars cars

• hu

huge dem demand for for inve investment in in gree green jo jobs bs & effici cien ency cy tec technologies

• un

untapped sup supply ly of

• f ‘green

reen infrastructu frastructure re fina financin ing’ in in deb debt cap capita tal markets markets

• Challenges – The size of the task
• gig

gigantic ic hou housin ing stoc stock in urgent need of repair and/or upgrades

• inef

inefficie ficient home energy & water systems

• defe

deferre red maintenanc nance of water, storm water & sewage infrastructure

• depen

ende denc nce on fossil fuel cars

• glob

global wa warming ing ‐ predicted severe heat‐waves & long‐term droughts

Block‐scale retrofits can solve the integrated design problem of greening our cities ‐‐ at affordable cost

• 1. People
• 2. Energy
• 3. Transportation
• 4. Water
• 5. Wastewater
• 6. Microclimate
• 7. Food
• 8. Financing

Solving the integrated design problem of greening cities

1.

• 1. People

People

• 2. Energy
• 3. Transportation
• 4. Potable Water
• 5. Wastewater
• 6. Microclimate
• 7. Food
• 8. Finance

Oakland EcoBlock profile

• 30

30 bui uilding dings

• 28 houses (often 2‐3 units per house)
• 2 multiple dwellings (20 studio flats)
• aver

average building building age: age: over

• ver 10

100 year years

• in need of repair/restoration
• energy inefficient ‐ big GHG contribution
• water & wastewater wasteful
• dem

demogra raphics

• families + kids, singles, retired couples
• approximately 110 inhabitants
• mi

mixed ethnic hnicities ties

• mostly white, African‐American, Asian
• socio

socio‐econom economic sta status

• lower‐to‐middle class
• some gentrification

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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• 1. People

2.

• 2. Energy

ergy

• 3. Transportation
• 4. Potable Water
• 5. Wastewater
• 6. Microclimate
• 7. Food
• 8. Finance

Solving the integrated design problem of greening cities Electricity: communal, solar rooftop microgrid system

Utility Garage

All solar electricity: integrated overview

Flywheel storage

 Syste System arch archit itectu ture re:

• ~250 kW PV, DC microgrid
• operates via a utility loop under

the sidewalk (blu (blue)

• single connection to the grid
• utility garage housing the power

electronics and storage.

 Estim Estimate ted PV PV syste system output: put: 450 MWh/year

• 80% lower electricity usage
• removes natural gas in homes
• CO2 reduction 90%

All‐solar electric: communal, rooftop‐PV, DC microgrid

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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Communal, on‐site advanced flywheel storage

 mu multi‐hour hour flywheel ywheel tec echnol hnology gy

• 30‐year design life
• minimal operations/maintenance
• zero CO2 emissions
• no capacity degradation
• unlimited daily cycling
• > 88% round‐trip efficiency (DC)
• passive air cooling: no HVAC required
• operates in extreme high & low

temperatures with zero efficiency loss

• no hazardous materials
• low cost manufacturing process
• high end‐of‐life value material
• 100% recyclable

Nighttime storage for homes, EVs, smart street lighting Environmental case for solar electrifying California’s cities:

• Average Oakland block = 40 homes
• 40 homes produce = 450MWh/year
• Oakland has 3,500 potential EcoBlocks
• 450MWh/year x 3,500 blocks

= 1,575 575 GWh/year GWh/year

• > Topaz Solar Farm in San Luis Obispo

= 1,100 100 GWh/year GWh/year

• = 5x California's in‐state coal‐generated

electricity in 2016 (324 324 GWh/year GWh/year)

• 1. People
• 2. Energy

3.

• 3. Transport

ansportation tion

• 4. Potable Water
• 5. Wastewater
• 6. Microclimate
• 7. Food
• 8. Finance

Solving the integrated design problem of greening cities

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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The EV‐home integration: revolutionizing transportation

 Toda Today ‐ residential homes & private automotive transportation are separate…  Tom Tomorro rrow ‐ shared, sustainable mobility

will be an extension of the house, part of an integrated system of solar‐powered smart appliances.

• 1. People
• 2. Energy
• 3. Transportation

4.

• 4. Po

Potable ble Wa Water

• 5. Wastewater
• 6. Microclimate
• 7. Food
• 8. Finance

Solving the integrated design problem of greening cities Water, storm water & wastewater

Storm water collection

12 L/hr NASA Forward Osmosis System 5 L/hr NASA Forward Osmosis System

Water conservation in the home

wat water recy ecyclin ling clo clothes wa washer

• 80% water recovery
• saves on average 600 gal/year
• low installation costs

gr gray wat water to to toile ilet

• 75% water recovery
• low‐flow toilets
• saves on average 750 gal/year
• higher installation costs

wat water fix fixtures

• economical taps & shower heads
• ow installation costs

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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• 1. People
• 2. Energy
• 3. Transportation
• 4. Potable Water

5.

• 5. Wa

Wastew stewater ater

• 6. Microclimate
• 7. Food
• 8. Finance

Solving the integrated design problem of greening cities Treated wastewater: re‐using a resource

• 1. no loss of water to sewer
• 2. waste solids transformed

into valuable compost

• 3. nutrient‐rich water ideal for

fruit & vegetable gardens, landscaping & streetscaping

• 4. nitrogen, phosphorus &

potassium (NPK) re‐cycled to enrich local soils

• Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45, 7100–7106.

EcoBlock design: potable water savings up to 70%

• estimated home

home savings: 40%

• roof‐top water capture & reuse
• efficient water conservation fixtures
• sink & shower gray water re‐cycling
• = 40% of potable water consumption
• estimated landsca

landscape savings: 30%

• average California home uses 30% potable

water for landscaping & gardens

• wastewater reuse avoids wasting potable
• estimated combine

combined savings : 70% 70%

• 1. People
• 2. Energy
• 3. Transportation
• 4. Potable Water
• 5. Wastewater

6.

• 6. Mi

Microcl croclimate

• 7. Food
• 8. Finance

Solving the integrated design problem of greening cities

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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Microclimate solution: recycled wastewater irrigation

For home gardens & streetscape:

• avoids potable water use
• re‐charges local aquifer
• retains microclimate benefits
• 1. People
• 2. Energy
• 3. Transportation
• 4. Potable Water
• 5. Wastewater
• 6. Microclimate

7.

• 7. Fo

Food

• d
• 8. Finance

Solving the integrated design problem of greening cities

• 1. People
• 2. Energy
• 3. Transportation
• 4. Potable Water
• 5. Wastewater
• 6. Microclimate
• 7. Food

8.

• 8. Fi

Finance nance

Solving the integrated design problem of greening cities

 Gr Green een Infrastructure frastructure Fi Finan nancing ing

• ‘green bonds’ fund projects with positive

environmental benefits

• asset‐backed securities with payment
• bligations supported by secure cash‐flows
• green bonds finance low‐carbon, climate‐

resilient infrastructure – like EcoBlocks

• investing in climate‐smart development

projects key to achieving 2015 Paris goals

• dramatic growth of green bond market
• growing investor appetite for long‐term

investments with environmental benefits

Financing the EcoBlocks of Tomorrow

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018

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Green bond financing strategy in California: ‘Mello‐Roos’

 Communi mmunity ty Facil Facility Di Districts ricts – ‘CFD ‘CFDs’

• Defined as voter‐approved, land‐secured

financing for projects of “public welfare”

• 2/3rds vote from district residents required. If

passed, the project is financed by a bond ‐ that can be a green bond if ‘climate‐friendly’

• tax

tax‐deduct deductible: “assessments on real property

• wners may be deductible if they are levied for

the general public welfare by a proper taxing authority at a like rate on owners of all properties in the taxing authority's jurisdiction.” – U.S.Internal Revenue Service

• municip

municipalities lities rec receive a tax tax subsid subsidy: interest‐ income not taxed

Oakland EcoBlock partners

Late Communications Energy Commission July 25, 2018