First Stadium in the wolrd 100% Powered by the Sun-Dragon-Shaped Taiwan National Stadium in Kaohsiung (CC Attrib-Peellden)
(Please click on red links & note magenta)
Yes, people from Taiwan once again is leading the pack! I just want to remind our viewers/readers of another fantastic solar structure completed in 2009 for the World Games, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Taiwan National Stadium at World Games Main Stadium-Panorama view (CC Attrib-Smarway777)
Stadium Roof of Taiwan National Stadium in Kaohsiung (CC Attrib-Peellden)
Auditorium of Taiwan National Stadium in Kaohsiung (CC Attrib-Peellden)
National Stadium of Taiwan in Kaohsiung after closing of World Games panorama 2009(CC- Attrib: Solomon203)
It is designed by Toyo Ito, the first stadium in the world completely powered by the Sun, producing 100% of its electric energy from solar PV. It is otherwise known as the National Stadium (official name) (Chinese: 國家體育場; pinyin: Guójiā Tǐyùchǎng; also named 龍騰體育場), formerly known as the World Games Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is currently the largest stadium in Taiwan in terms of capacity. The stadium has a capacity of 55,000 people. Since the conclusion of the World Games2009, the stadium has been used for some Taiwanese football team matches. Its semi-spiral shape, like a dragon, utilizes its 14,155 sq meters (8,844 solar panels, generating 1.14 million kWh annually) of solar roof to power the stadium and its 3,300 lights and two jumbo vision screens. To illustrate the incredible power of this system, officials ran a test and found that it took just six minutes to power up the stadium’s entire lighting system! I imagine people from Taiwan will continue to amaze us with various progressive solar projects in the decades to come.
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
~have a bright and sunny day~
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: www.sunisthefuture.net
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams!”
“Le futur appartient a ceux qui croient a la beaute de leurs reves!”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~
If such were the case, then people from Taiwan are simply some of the most beautiful dreamers on this planet. During the month of February of 2015, I had the opportunity to visit Taiwan. Its neighboring states include thePeople’s Republic of Chinato the west,Japanto the east and northeast, and thePhilippinesto the south. Its former name Formosa dates back to 1542 when Portuguese sailors sighted the main island of Taiwan and named it Ilha Formosa, meaning “beautiful island“.
Upon closer examination, one realizes some of the significant contributing factors to Taiwan’s success story: it is ranked highly in terms of freedom of the press, health care, public education, economic freedom, and human development.
To summarize my overall impression of Taipei, Taiwan: it is one of the most civilized 21st century cities in the world! It is a city where people are polite, orderly, and considerate, with the cleanest subway system I’ve ever seen where not a single piece of trash could be found !
It is not surprising that one would be able to find some of the most progressive and aesthetically intriguing architectural designs in Taiwan, as seen above and below in the Agora Garden Tower design by Vincent Callebaut Architectures SARL and various projects. It is a new sustainable residential tower in Taipei currently under construction to be completed in 2016. In the center of Xinyin District of Taipei, the Agora Garden project (as the name suggests, Agora, in ancient Greece, means a public open space used for assemblies and markets) aims at limiting its inhabitants’ ecologic footprints by building a vertical landscape with low energetic consumption on this last and only biggest parcel of land for residential use. It integrates the recycling of organic waste, used water, renewable energies, and various state-of-the-art nanotechnologies (BIPV solar PV, rain water recycling/harevesting, composts, etc.). The BIPV’s are placed in the pair of giant horizontal shades atop the building. Its trademark spiral is inspired by the double helix of the DNA molecule, suggestive of the life force it brings to the city. Utilizing its helical twist through a 90 degree angle (at 4.5 degrees per level in this 20- level building), it is creating a series of “suspended open-air gardens”, superimposing vertically wide planted balconies of suspended orchards, organic vegetable gardens, aromatic gardens, and other medicinal gardens. Contrary to our historical perception of “buildings”, Vincent Callebaut has created a living organism in Agora, overpassing the passive role of most buildings as passive energy-consumers. Agora is designed not only to be self-sufficient in terms of energy (electric, thermal, and alimentary), but has gone a step beyond to produce its own organic food while taking a dynamically fluid geometry! I never thought I would see a building that would be able to project our human relationship to nature and our environment so musically! It is truly a Helical Force of Life!
Agora has answered the four main ecologic objectives:
reduction of the climatic global warming
protection of the nature and the biodiversity
protection of the environment and the quality of life
Thanks to President Obama for visiting Everglades of Florida on Earth Day and bringing attention to the importance of action in slowing the climate change in order to preserve our beautiful Everglades for future generations.
Did you know that many are celebrating April 22 as the Earth Day each year? Earth Day aims to inspire the awareness of and appreciation for earth’s environment. It is usually celebrated with outdoor performances such that individuals or groups perform acts of service to earth. Some simple acts you may want to consider participating in: planting trees, picking up roadside trash, becoming involved in recycling and conservation. Here at Sun Is The Future, since our mission is to spread the Sunshine to all parts of the planet earth by information/education via www.sunisthefuture.net, www.youtube.com/user/sunisthefuture, www.pinterest.com/sunisthefuture , www.facebook.com/sunisthefuture, https://plus.google.com/+SunisthefutureNet , micro-finance (to help entrepreneurs in different parts of the planet to establish small businesses in solar/renewable energy/energy efficiency/recycling via www.kiva.org/team/sunisthefuture, and online Sunshine Store at www.sunisthefuture.com . For we, the Solar Enthusiasts, believe that Solar Energy is the solution to: Energy-Pollution-Climate Change-International Conflicts. So, let’s add one more act of service to your Earth Day celebration: Share the Sun Is The Future with our fellow Earthlings, for we want and need to transition globally into the Solar/ Renewable Energy Age as quickly as possible. So please visit www.sunisthefuture.net and :
If you’re not a Florida resident, then think of ways to encourage more effective solar/renewable energy policy for your state. This web site has information for incentives for renewable energy & energy efficiency in all 50 states in USA.
If you’re not a USA resident, then think of ways to encourage more effective solar/renewable energy policy for your community/province/county.
There’s much we all need to do/act. Below, please allow me to share this video:
Ask yourself what it is that you can do to help increase the healthy longevity of our beautiful planet earth, below.
I just found out that today is actually also the 10th birthday of Youtube! To celebrate the existence of Youtube, allow me to share the VERY First Video that was uploaded on Youtube:
THANK YOU & HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOUTUBE!!!
Thanks to Youtube for enabling Sun Is The Future to be able to share much with our readers/viewers from over 186 countries (our sister publication Windermere Sun in more than 81 countries). We are eternally grateful for our connection to Youtube.
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
~have a bright and sunny day~
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: www.sunisthefuture.net
Isn’t it terrific that in the process of searching for solution to one problem, the California Drought, in our previous post, one may be led to a new horizon that holds the promise to all critical earthly issues: Energy-Pollution-Water-International Conflicts-Local Economics. Such is the case when I came across the concept and video on “Seawater Desalination via Solar Power Satellites“. I felt the need to find out more about Solar Power Satellites for energy is the common denominator and deciding factor for economic growth, inflation, and national security. There is great need for all earthlings to transition quickly from a paradigm with pollution to a new paradigm of clean energy and better quality of life. Solar Energy future truly holds the key for it creates the least amount of environmental risk compared to other alternative energy sources. Now, in order to reach the desired growth speed to meet the demand of our growing earthly population, Solar Powered Satellite or Space-Based Solar Power would be the ultimate answer to address all of these issues.
Years ago, space-based solar power was too expensive and impractical. But things have changed since then. “The topic appeared to be dead several years ago, but it has received new life in the last year and a half,” said John C. Mankins, former head of Advanced Concepts Studies at NASA Headquarters, at a “Green Series” lecture in the Pearl Young Theatre in 2008.
To recap a bit of history regarding Space Energy industry: Peter Glaser, a vice president at Arthur D. Little, invented the “Solar Power Satellite” in 1968. The patent for that satellite was received in 1973. The basic design concept of a space-based solar power system in the 1970s was inefficient, difficult to launch, had no automation and received negative feedback from the National Research Council (NRC) and the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA). Much have changed since 1973: We have increased solar power generation efficiency, increased efficiency in wireless power transmission, created easier launch capabilities and have a more retractable design that does not require any astronauts or space factories, as the 1970s version did.
John C. Mankins, former head of Advanced Concepts Studies at NASA Headquarters, made the point that “you don’t need hundreds of billions of dollars to see if these new systems are economically viable.” He admits that we are faced with a “grand challenge,” in part because there is no U.S. organization responsible for both space programs and solar energy security. That was then, now we have SpaceX, a company that has already improved/dramatically reduced the cost of space transport and launch.
Solar Power Satellite-Suntower concept
Solar Power Satellite-Solardisk concept
Solar Power Satellite- Sandwich or Abascus concept
At this point, please allow me to introduce you to several Solar-Based Solar Power concepts at wikipedia (illustrated above) and a gripping TED talk on Space Energy Presentation by Peter Sage, an international serial entrepreneur, below (There are two parts to this talk):
Be prepared to hear a lot more about Space-Based Solar Power in the coming decade! As you can see, fellow earthlings, it is necessary to collaborate globally in order to enable the success of such projects. Time to reinforce our Collaboration and Global Mentality for our coming century! We are looking forward to a future with the technology that is capable of transferring energy, on demand, any where on earth, in real time, as it’s needed, 24 hours a day. Nothing else can do that! It is truly the real promise of Space-Based Solar Power!
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
~have a bright and sunny day~
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: www.sunisthefuture.net
For the first time in California history, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory water use reductions on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. No Foolin’! Finally the state’s four-year drought had reached near-crisis proportions after a winter of record-low snowfalls.”This historic drought demands unprecedented action,” Brown said, standing on a patch of dry, brown grass in the Sierra Nevada mountains that is usually blanketed by up to 5 feet of snow. In an executive order, Gov. Brown directed the State Water Resources Control Board to impose a 25% reduction on the state’s 400 local water supply agencies (serving 90% of California residents). The agencies will be responsible for coming up with restrictions to cut back on water use and for monitoring compliance. State officials said the order would impose varying degrees of cutbacks on water use across the board — affecting homeowners, farms and other businesses, as well as the maintenance of cemeteries and golf courses.
“We’re in a new era,” Gov. Brown said. “The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day, that’s going to be a thing of the past.” The state had trouble reaching the 20% reduction target that Gov. Brown set in January 2014 when he issued a voluntary reduction order. The state water board has the power to impose fines on local water suppliers that fail to meet the reduction target set by the board over the coming weeks.
The California Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House majority leader, said, “The current drought in California is devastating. Today’s order from governor should not only alarm Californians, but the entire nation should take notice that the most productive agriculture state in the country has entered uncharted territory. I’m from the Central Valley, and we know that we cannot conserve or ration our way out of this drought.”
To Gov. Brown and Rep. McCarthy, I’d like to say, “Consider Solar Desalination!” Below is taken from Wikipedia on the topic of solar powered desalination unit. There are also several videos helping to explain the process of seawater desalination and various technologies of solar desalination, utilizing our abundant sea water. Historically, due to the great deal of energy that is required in seawater desalination, desalination has not been utilized much in USA. With the dramatically decreased cost of solar coming on scene, Solar Desalination is now more likely to be an economically feasible solution to the California drought. Please be sure to also view the last video on “Seawater Desalination via Solar Power Satellites” that will utilize the currently existing 27 oil rigs and off-shore platforms to serve as receiving antennas for the power beams of space solar satellites, running salt water desalination plants and using excess energy to power homes, cities, and industries in California.
A solar powered desalination unit produces potable water from saline water through direct or indirect methods of desalination powered by sunlight. Countries such as Australia, Italy and Egypt have adopted this system as an alternative source of water for the population.
The intermittent nature of sunlightand its variable intensity throughout the day makes predicting its efficiency difficult. However, incorporating a thermal energy storage system solves this problem and ensures constant performance even during non-sunlight hours and cloudy days, improving overall efficiency.
There are some concerns regarding seawater desalination such as the efficiency level and environmental impacts that would need to be monitored continuously. But solar desalination may provide California with the viable solution, I am optimistic.
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
~have a bright and sunny day~
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: www.sunisthefuture.net
