Developing a spatial- and technology - policy to provide domestic comfort to the urban inhabitants of North Western Europe

• Karel Mulder,

Problem

• climate change, 3-5 ˚C until 2100• urban heat islands, up to 7 ˚C

warmer • Enhanced urban heat effect, 1 ˚C

• More heat waves• Increased mortality• Airconditioners are introduced where they were not used thusfar: Summer peak in electricity:• Problem: cooling water for power stations

Options at various levels

1. City planning: cooling effect of parks, rivers, lakes, canals

2. Neighbourhoods: trees, ponds, road (materials)3. Buildings: roofs, (vegetation/reflection/hot water

production), construction, orientation, insulation, materials

4. Sustainable Cooling:-geothermal cold (energy balance), efficient heat exchangers-Waste heat for cooling? Absorption chillers.

The outline of a research program

RatioRed/blue /green

Climate dataknmi

Effects of parks and other vegetation

Roof characteristics:

vegetation, reflection, ...

Effects of ponds and canals on local

temperature

Rules of thumb for design

Models:- cognitive models

-mathematical models

Effects of Configuration of

buildings

Effects of materials of roads, parkings

and walls

Effects of energy underground

(energy storage)

Effects of Activities (industry, traffic,

etc.)

Heat absorption cooling:A win-win-win situation?

Industry: ban on cooling water discharge if water temperatures exceed 28˚C

Utilities: no new demand peak in electricityConsumers: ?All: less CO2

A Lock in?Barriers?

Sufficiency of passive measures?What if industry has less waste heat in future?A centralized cooling grid in combination with

aquifers or sea water?Will there be efficient, smaller scale absorption

coolers?