Bo01: The Scandinavian neighborhood sustainable paving the way for 100% renewable energy powered housing developments
By: Ariana Contreras
Tags: Bo01, Urban Design, Renewable Energy, Lda 140, Sustainability

Bo01, often referred to as “The City of Tomorrow,” was completed in 2001 for the European Housing Expo. It is a high density, mixed-use neighborhood development located in Malmo, Sweden. It measures about 54 acres large (including the large water bodies located within the site), has over 1400 housing units, and hosts a population of 2,343 (1).

The Strandpromenaden, or waterfront promenade, is wide, open and makes a straight line towards the sea “which makes a contrast to the motley interior of the district. Waves, wind and spindrift are allowed free play” (4). In contrast, the Kanalparken is more sheltered from the winds and the sea by buildings. The Kanal parken connects the streets with lush green space planted with trees and flowers. On the east side, there are taller, 4–5 story buildings which provide a unique view of the Öresundsbron. The tallest building in Scandinavia, the Turning Torso, is located within Bo01. This impressive structure is 54 stories tall and contains 147 apartments (12).

The presence of water shapes the basic framework and boundaries of Bo01. The district faces the sea to the northwest and the district itself is intersected by a grid of streets and promenades, with canals acting as both corridors and boundaries that facilitate pedestrian traffic. Bike and pedestrian lanes link buildings and spaces within structures. Since the district is pedestrian friendly, the speed limits are kept at 30 Km/hr or about 18.6 mph for vehicles and bicycles (1).

Genesis

The city of Malmo thrived in the industrial era as a port and shipbuilding city. Unfortunately, by the 1990’s the industry, and any remnant of commerce, had vanished from its dockyards. The city suffered economically and socially being left without its industrial core. This industrial decline coincided with a variety of environmental issues that impacted Sweden in particular such as acid rain, mass seal deaths, etc. Local political leaders decided to set their efforts to “rebrand and rebuild the city” into a sustainable urban model (7). A major component of this was to remediate and regenerate the brownfield industrial docklands which the city bought back from private owners in 1996. Bo01 was Vastra Hamnen’s first revitalization project. The development very quickly became the model for the future of Vasta Hamnen’s developments focusing on sustainability above all (7).

Source: Ariana Contreras

Sustainable Design

Bo01 has made sustainable urban design principles something beautiful, ergo combining aesthetics and utility. The environmental designers of the site took great effort to integrate green spaces with the architecture utilizing many trees, creeper plants, ponds, and green roofs in order to maximize their potential for biodiversity. In fact, a major sustainability focus for the project was to compensate for habitat loss due to the site’s industrial history and current redevelopment. This initiative has seen notable success so far. Despite being a generally wildlifeless site pre-development, there are now nine species of seabirds that breed at Bo01. Additionally, the courtyards are now a valuable habitat to salamanders, frogs, and three species of bats while the saltwater canal provides a home for various species of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans (1).

A picturesque green roof in Bo01 using a variety of plants to increase biodiversity, capture and filter rainwater, and improve aesthetic value. Source: http://buildipedia.com/aec-pros/design-news/ecocity-malmo-sustainable-urban-development

Source: http://buildipedia.com/aec-pros/design-news/ecocity-malmo-sustainable-urban-development

One of the design goals of the development was for every resident to be able to see water from their home. The great variety of visually appealing water recapture technologies used throughout Bo01 use open runnels to channel stormwater into built ponds, waterfalls, and other water features that function as water sources for gardens, habitats, and filtration systems before the water eventually reaches the saltwater canal located on the eastern half of the development. The filtration system feature is of particular importance because all stormwater excess flow is redirected to the Oresund Strait from the saltwater canal. Therefore, the water features not only increase the visual design value of the site, but also serve as a crucial step in the stormwater management system preventing site pollutants from reaching the ocean (1).

Displayed above is one of the many scenic rainwater retention sites situated between residential structures.

Source: http://thenextgreen.ca/2017/06/11/bo01-sweden/

Sustainability is the foundational design principle of the public spaces located within Bo01. Public spaces often center around design features that double as aesthetic structures and functional spaces such as the water features previously mentioned, biologically diverse green space, and even an “ecological playground” for children (1). These spaces encourage social interaction for residents and visitors alike. Bo01 encourages sustainable living by promoting community interaction and putting into practice the principles of Green Urbanism.

The “ecological playground” above combines play and sustainability in a beautiful landscape design.

Source: http://thenextgreen.ca/2017/06/11/bo01-sweden/

Sustainability — 100% Renewable Energy

One of Bo01’s biggest sustainability goals, and arguably the most cutting-edge of them all, was to use 100% locally sourced, renewable energy to power the entire neighborhood. Renewable energy alone is not necessarily “cutting-edge,” however, applying this technology on such a large scale and based on local conditions for energy production is rather innovative. In order to achieve this goal, Bo01 makes use of a variety of renewable energy sources.

Solar Collectors

11 Solar collectors are located on 10 buildings throughout Bo01 which are used to gather thermal energy from the sun and then transfer the collected energy to a medium such as water, air, or solar fluid. Fans or pumps are used to move the fluid through the collectors, where it is heated. The collected solar energy is then transferred into the interior of a building or a heat storage system where heat can be later be released when it is needed. Heat generated from the sun can be used in district heating to keep homes and offices at Bo01 warm during the cold winter months. Solar collectors rated for high temperatures can be used to generate steam for electricity. “The heat production is supplied with the heat from the solar collectors. 1400 m2 of solar collectors are realized on apartment buildings and 200 m2 of these are vacuum collectors. The solar collectors are directly connected to the district heating system, precluding the need for extra storage tanks” (2).

Solar Panels

The sun is an inexhaustible source of energy which can be harnessed with the right equipment to power a city. Although solar energy can be used to heat homes, solar power harnessed by photovoltaic cells can be used to produce electricity. “The electricity for the homes is produced by… 120 m2 photovoltaic solar panels on the buildings” (2).

The energy generation system located Bo01 is capable of producing 5,800 MWh of thermal energy, 5,000 MWh of cooling and 6,300 MWh electricity. “It is designed to provide heat and electricity to 85,000 m2 of living space” (1).

Geothermal Turbine

Using geothermal energy has many benefits because it is a renewable energy source that is extracted from the natural heat of the Earth’s crust. Although geothermal power cannot be implemented everywhere, geothermal technology is widely used in Sweden due to the country’s active geothermal fields. “There is a geothermal hotspot under Bo01 allowing them to locally extract heat from seawater and an aquifer” (2). Geothermal energy is exceptional in that it can be used 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and has more reliability and energy availability than coal fired power plants.

Biogas Generation

Biogas is a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor and other gasses which are produced by bacteria when they break down organic matter. Normally, biogas is generated by landfills and waste water sewage plants and is released into the atmosphere. This is problematic because methane gas is a potent greenhouse gas. However, at Bo01, methane generated by recycling food waste is used to power busses used in public transportation. A potent greenhouse gas and pollutant is recycled into fuel.

Every kitchen in Bo01 is equipped to efficiently deal with food scraps by utilizing a food waste disposal installed under the sink which pulverizes food waste and sends it through a series of pipes to storage bunkers located beneath the apartments. “Food waste is used to generate biogas in a Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digester” (3). As useful as an anaerobic digester is, there are certain feedstocks that the digester cannot turn into fuel such as wood, plastics, rags, and most synthetic materials.

Sustainability Analysis Renewable Energy Technology’s Materials

Copper

Application

Heat exchangers, hot water pipes, pressure valves, electrical wiring, and pumps.

Copper is an essential metallic element that is used in the manufacturing of renewable energy infrastructure such as geothermal systems, heat exchangers, and solar power systems. In geothermal systems, copper is used both in its pure form or as an alloy which is a mixture of two or more metallic elements. At Bo01, in addition to being used in renewable energy technologies, copper alloys such as brass (copper+zinc) and bronze (copper+tin) are used to make the water and gas valves that regulate flow and pressure. These alloys are used for this application due to their durability, tensile strength, corrosion resistance, and the ability to form tight fits with piping.

Environmental Footprint

Modern mining is a resource intensive process which requires heavy machinery to harvest this valuable resource. “Copper is sourced from primary sources such as mining and secondary sources such as recycling” (7). Primary copper production begins with open pit mines where the copper bearing rock, known as ore, is extracted. Secondary sources of copper are obtained from recycling copper containing items such as old electronics, appliances, insulated copper wire, and plumbing fixtures.

Inconel & Nickel Alloys

Application

Geothermal turbine blades, high temperature fasteners, heat exchanger tubes, and pipe valves.

Inconel is a category of austenitic nickel-chromium based super alloys manufactured by Special Materials Corporation. Inconel alloys are corrosion and oxidation resistant and are suitable for extreme environments such as geothermal plants where parts have to withstand high pressure and heat. When Inconel is heated up in the presence of oxygen, it forms a thin and stable passivating oxide layer that protects the surface from further corrosion. This chemical characteristic is also found in other Nickel alloys such as 316 stainless steel, which forms a thin and stable passivating oxide layer that protects the surface from further corrosion. Although Inconel is more costly to use compared to other nickel-chromium alloys such as 316 stainless steel, it offers far superior corrosion resistance and strength.

Environmental Footprint

The mining and production of nickel & its alloys has a large impact on the environment. Large amounts of energy, mostly in the form of fossil fuels, is used to mine the ore. Heavy machinery such as trucks and excavators are normally run on diesel fuel which is made from petroleum. “Emissions from smelting nickel and from the burning of fossil fuels to obtain the energy to process the metal contributes towards anthropogenic climate change and the acidification of the water and soil around mining sites and smelters” (9). In the case of the nickel mines on the island nation of New Caledonia, mining companies have cleared rainforests, destroyed entire mountains and have left massive craters in the ground as a result of their activity. In other Nickel producing areas such as Norilsk, Russia, pollution from Nickel production has negatively impacted the health of workers who live in the city. Despite the current environmental implications of producing nickel, it is an important material which plays a big role in sustainable energy production.

“Inconel and other nickel alloys are 100% recyclable which means that the material can be processed over and over again while maintaining its quality” (14). When a power plant is renovated or demolished, the metals recovered from the debris are sorted by alloy type and by similar composition. The Inconel is then transported to a scrap yard where it is further processed and packaged as a valuable and sellable commodity that can be used by manufacturers to produce new products made with that material.

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