ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how architecture fits into the idea of energy planning. It argues that applying biomimetic principles to energy planning inevitably leads to the solar economy as a critical goal. Buildings are the front line for demand reduction: itself the first step towards a solar economy. To move towards a resilient solar economy, energy transmission is essential for countries where solar potential is insufficient to meet demand. It is theoretically possible to transmit energy as high-voltage direct current from solar power plants in North Africa to the UK with about the same losses as conventional AC grids. Photovoltaic solar farms and concentrated solar power installations will generally be located, for obvious reasons, in regions with high levels of solar intensity, and an intriguing benefit arises. The Green Power Island, designed by architects Gottlieb Paludan, is a speculative but highly realistic proposal that integrates a number of renewable energy technologies and energy storage systems in a symbiotic cluster.
