Arup to design world’s first ‘solar city’ in Arizona

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=3100686&c=0

Arup to design world’s first ‘solar city’ in Arizona

2007 issue 47

By Olivia Boyd

Mixed-use development for 300,000 inhabitants will rely on the sun for all daytime energy

Engineer Arup is planning the world’s first “solar city” in Phoenix, Arizona.

The prospective 33,000-acre development will include housing for 300,000 people as well as high-tech and commercial schemes.

Arup, which is helping to build the world’s first eco-city at Dongtan near Shanghai in China, will play a civil and engineering role. It is thought work on the site is unlikely to begin before 2010.

Gary Lawrence, Arup’s urban strategy leader, said: “We’ve just signed contracts to do a masterplan in Pheonix and that will be the world’s first completely solar city.”

The town will export energy to the grid in the daytime but will have to import it at night as solar panels cannot produce electricity when the sun is down.

...

[greenman3610]

1. with energy storage technology, they can go solar 24/7

but energy won't be the problem.

water will.

[Bobbieo]

2. That is 100% correct!!!!! So. Az is in a drought right now.

[tinrobot]

3. Yep.

Phoenix is way too big already.... 300,000 more people will only compound the water problem...

[msongs]

4. they're gonna need water more than they need electricity.... nt

[Bobbieo]

5. Tucson is going to be in worse shape than Phoenix - it is higher and drier.

[Javaman]

6. okay so let me get this straight...

instead of providing solar water heaters and solar panels to existing homes, they are going to waste more oil by using materials that were manufactured via fossil fuels to make a "green community"?

And on top of all of that, they are going to further sap the already drought ridden arizona of more water to build this useless community?

yeah, great planning, just brilliant... :eyes:

[valerief]

7. Gotta keep those handfuls of rich people rich. nt