PETAL INTENT
The intent of the Energy Petal is to create new sources of renewable energy that allow projects to operate year-round in a resilient, pollution-free manner. In addition, the Energy Petal prioritizes energy efficiency as a means to reduce wasteful spending, of energy, resources, and capital.
Today, buildings consume more energy than any other final use. Most of the energy generated for these buildings is from ecologically destructive and often politically destabilizing sources that include coal, gas, oil, and nuclear power. Large-scale hydro, while inherently cleaner in generation, comes at the expense of widespread disruption to ecosystems. Combustion of wood pellets and other biomass can release particulates and carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere that can affect public health or strain land reserved for food production while robbing the soil of much-needed nutrient recycling. The combined negative impacts of this energy infrastructure are becoming increasingly evident, as ever-increasing carbon emissions from energy use are resulting in changes to the climate that threaten the safety and prosperity of communities worldwide.
The Energy Petal attempts to establish a new paradigm for humans’ relationship with energy, in which the places we live, work and play become catalysts for a healthy and resilient future.
IDEAL CONDITIONS + CURRENT LIMITATIONS
The Living Building Challenge envisions safe, resilient and decentralized energy infrastructure powered entirely by renewables. The energy grid will supply power equitably to incredibly efficient buildings eliminating the negative externalities associated with combustion or fission.
Although considerable progress has been made to advance the cost-effectiveness and the performance of renewable energy technologies, many projects still perpetuate fossil fuel energy infrastructure due to cost or regulatory barriers. In order to truly realize the social, ecological and economic benefits of clean energy, there must be even more urgency placed on moving away from combustion-based energy sources. Storage of energy in the form of batteries or advanced materials will also enable teams to more effectively utilize the energy harvested on site and support the phasing out of short-term combustion needs on the utility grid.
