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Amsterdam offers a haven for low-energy future
Amsterdam offers a haven for low-energy future
In an old harbour crowded with houseboats, Amsterdam is looking to the future with plans to construct low-energy homes in a climate-neutral neighbourhood.
The Houthaven development, with more than 2,000 homes built on peninsulas, is still just a blueprint. But the project is seen as a demonstration that European Union efforts to dramatically improve energy efficiency in buildings are both achievable and economically desirable.
Paula Eckoldt-Wormgoor, a Houthaven project manager for the city, outlined the project’s sustainability goals as she guided a boatload of visitors through the wind-swept harbour northwest of the Amsterdam’s central railway station.
The four-floor residential structures are designed to reduce energy waste so much that designers believe that solar panels and compact wind turbines incorporated into the development will provide nearly all the community’s electricity needs. ..............(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.euractiv.com/energy-efficiency/amsterdam-offers-low-energy-future-news-512766