Brattørkaia, Snøhetta, sustainability, sustainable design, Norway, heat pumps, heat exchanger, solar power, solar cells, holistic approach, energy-positive construction

The Powerhouse Alliance is creating the first office building in Norway that produces more energy than it uses. The Powerhouse is designed by Snøhetta and the result is a completely new architectural concept for what will be the world’s northernmost energy-positive building. Buildings account for 40 percent of the world’s energy consumption, and energy-positive construction is an important part of the solution to global warming. The development is a complex and challenging task that requires holistic approaches and thinking. The building is unique and shaped by its surrounding conditions.

Solar energy harvesting is the main design driver for this project. Solar cells, heat exchangers and heat pumps will produce electricity and heat for the building, and sea water will contribute to both the heating and cooling system. The building rises from the fjord towards the north creating a south-facing sloping roof, an optimal condition for solar energy production. The location of the solar cells and windows in the façade accounts for the sun’s intensity to optimize day lighting conditions and minimize energy consumption. In the areas most exposed the sun, the window openings are reduced to minimize the solar heating of the building, while the dense construction of the façade maximizes use of solar energy.

This new construction is designed with the intent that the excess energy produced during the building’s operational lifetime will exceed the energy used to create the building. Brattørkaia is located by the sea in downtown Trondheim and is the planned site of Norway’s first energy-positive office building.

Brattørkaia, Snøhetta, sustainability, sustainable design, Norway, heat pumps, heat exchanger, solar power, solar cells, holistic approach, energy-positive construction

Brattørkaia, Snøhetta, sustainability, sustainable design, Norway, heat pumps, heat exchanger, solar power, solar cells, holistic approach, energy-positive construction

Brattørkaia, Snøhetta, sustainability, sustainable design, Norway, heat pumps, heat exchanger, solar power, solar cells, holistic approach, energy-positive construction

Brattørkaia, Snøhetta, sustainability, sustainable design, Norway, heat pumps, heat exchanger, solar power, solar cells, holistic approach, energy-positive construction

Brattørkaia, Snøhetta, sustainability, sustainable design, Norway, heat pumps, heat exchanger, solar power, solar cells, holistic approach, energy-positive construction

 

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