Got news from Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province: the world's first ultra zero-carbon office tower just opened its doors! 🌱✨ Standing 117 meters tall, this building runs entirely on green energy thanks to high-tech solutions. Here’s how it rocks sustainability ⬇️
Solar-Powered Curtain Walls
Instead of standard rooftop panels, this tower wears photovoltaic glass on its east, south, and west sides. These windows generate DC (direct current) power right where it's needed, cutting energy loss and covering 25% of the building’s needs. Talk about multitasking windows! 🪟⚡
EV Batteries Get a Second Life
After EV batteries retire from cars, 14 of them move into the building’s energy system. They store extra juice from the solar glass and cheap clean energy from the grid during off-peak hours (when demand and prices drop), then feed power back during peak times or cloudy days. Smart storage = steady energy! 🔋🌃
Smart Building Inside and Out
Say goodbye to old-school switches. Nearly 24,000 micro-sensors automate lights, ACs, and even elevators. The result? 30% less energy use, 30% higher operational efficiency, and 20–30% lower investment costs thanks to digitalization. Efficiency level: expert mode! 🕹️📈
Overall, this tower saves around 500 tons of carbon emissions from the solar glass and another 2,500 tons by using green electricity. That’s like taking hundreds of cars off the road each year! 🚗💨
As Yu Dexiang, chairman of TELD New Energy, puts it: "Digital tech helps us cut costs and carbon, proving that smart buildings are the future." Ready to live and work greener? This is just the beginning. 🌏🚀
Reference(s):
World's 1st ultra zero-carbon building inaugurated in E China
cgtn.com
