First Algae-Powered Building Goes Up in Hamburg
A 15-unit apartment building has been constructed in the German city of Hamburg that has 129 algae filled louvered tanks hanging over the exterior of the south-east and south-west sides of the building—making it the first in the world to be powered exclusively by algae. Designed by Arup, SSC Strategic Science Consultants and Splitterwerk Architects, and named the Bio Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) House, the building demonstrates the ability to use algae as a way to heat and cool large buildings. (x)
You guys this is so cool: this building has the potential to be completely energy-independent, with the algae growing during the day and serving as power source, shade & cooling, UV protection, and a sound buffer. The outside of the building will also look really cool as the algae grow, and the panels change color and shift toward sunlight throughout the day.
The algae will essentially serve as a bioreactor, generating biomass which is processed into ‘biofuel’ which will then power the building’s activities (heating, electricity, etc.) throughout the day:
The algae flourish and multiply in a regular cycle until they can be harvested. They are then separated from the rest of the algae and transferred as a thick pulp to the technical room of the BIQ. The little plants are then fermented in an external biogas plant, so that they can be used again to generate biogas. Algae are particularly well suited for this, as they produce up to five times as much biomass per hectare as terrestrial plants and contain many oils that can be used for energy. (x)
The building is set to open later this month, and many researchers and engineers are eager to see if this idea can be practically applied to other buildings around the world.
Potentially, the concept could power whole buildings at very low running-costs and act as a CO2 sink.
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