| My first impressions of Malmö in the
early 1990's were
of a drab, worn out industrial city which had seen better days. It
appeared to comprise Soviet-style apartment blocks with a climate to
match. Like any major city it has, of course, one or two pleasant
areas, in Malmö 's case, the old town near the railway station and ferry
port as well as the redeveloped Western Harbour, a much visited example
of how to turn an industrial wasteland into a sustainable community.
The Western Harbour redevelopment allowed
developers to produce homes within an overall design framework with very
tough energy efficiency criteria (even by Swedish standards).
Electricity is generated by a 2MWe wind turbine a couple of kilometres
away, but with a dedicated supply to the area; heat is provided by heat
pumps (using the wind generated electricity) making use of aquifers
immediately beneath the development which provides for a degree of
interseasonal heat storage. This heat, together with that from a
biomass combustion plant, is fed into the district heating mains.
So far the system has performed well, although it has become apparent
that residents have opted for a higher standard of comfort than
anticipated and thus use more energy than delivered by the renewable
energy system; building construction has also left something to be
desired and heat losses are again higher than expected. Still, it
is reassuring to see that it is quite possible to build sustainable
communities without having to resort to silly eco-bling or having to
turn the thermostat down to freezing! |
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