A new sustainable city is being developed in southwest Florida that has the lofty goal of being the first solar powered city in the world. The plan for the new city, named Babcock Ranch, will be approximately 17,000 acres large and expected to have a population of 45,000 residents in 18,000 households. In addition, Babcock Ranch will have 5 million square feet of retail, commercial, office and civic space. The goal for the developers, Kitson & Partners, of the project is to create a truly sustainable city, with the concept, design, and construction of the city fully committed to a sustainable mission.
The city will be a joint venture between the State of Florida and private industry. In order to provide sufficient energy for such a city, the utility Florida Power & Light has plans to build the largest photovoltaic power plant in the world. The proposed power plant will cost in excess of 300 million dollars and will have a power capacity of 75 megawatts. The plant will produce an excess amount of solar power during the day, allowing the city to be a net-zero energy development.
Babcock Ranch will utilize smart grid technology to optimize energy efficiency, resulting in significantly lower electric bills. The developers of the project have employed the computer systems giant IBM to provide the necessary software and technology to operate the city's smart grid system. This technology will provide real time monitoring of all energy loads throughout the city, making it possible to regulate high load appliances to operate during off peak hours. The IBM software will also control city services such as transportation and communications. Developers hope that these technological advancements in green design and smart city technology will allow Babcock Ranch to become a "living laboratory" for renewable energy, green technology, and communications.
The plan for Babcock Ranch emphasizes a goal of protecting and preserving the natural environment. Almost half of the development (8,000 acres) will be set aside for green space, including parks, trails, wildlife refuges and nature preserves. Native plants will be used to landscape the city, saving water by decreasing the need for irrigation while blending the city seamlessly in with its natural surroundings. The city will also take extensive measures to limit light pollution through its "dark skies" initiative. Babcock Ranch will also place an extreme importance on water conservation. The city will operate using low flow fixtures, greatly reducing water demand. In addition the development has shown a dedication to preserving and restoring the watershed in the area by protecting the natural wetlands of the site.
Babcock Ranch will be a walkable community, encouraging alternative transportation methods and utilizing multi-use buildings. The city will be not be divided into separate subdivisions or districts; but rather residential, commercial, retail, and office space will be combined to create a rich diversity. This type of development has been increasing gaining in popularity across the country, and leads to higher real estate values.
The proposed advancements of Babcock Ranch in the fields of sustainable design and smart city technology is truly fascinating. In fact, the developers of the project have been in contact with Google to possibly introduce their self driving car in Babcock Ranch as a case study before widespread distribution! Babcock Ranch is truly the green city of the future.
This sustainable community project looks promising with many of the components for success being addressed in the preliminary stages of development. It poses simple as well as sophisticated solutions that attribute to the public and private sectors efforts of wanting Florida to be a leader in innovative sustainable strategies. It also encourages a healthier and more beneficial way of living by offering alternative modes of commuting and by exemplifying the positive outcomes to living in such a green community.
ReplyDeleteThe development seems like a promising step in the right direction, however the construction of the photovoltaic plant seems like it could be slightly problematic. The plans from my understanding and the images presented for the development clearly show the use of rooftop space for the arrays, however I don't think the images show a city that can generate enough energy for itself and be a net exporter of energy as they have claimed. I found that FPL is planning on building a 400 acre photovoltaic farm to compensate for the difference in energy. What type of land is being used for this installation? Problems might arise if it is used for food production or, even worse, if it is an untouched natural landscape (probably not the case though). Additionally, is adding this solar farm to call a development sustainable truly sustainable, or should a sustainable community be able to operate and supply the needed energy within the boundaries of the development?
ReplyDeleteThis is a truly monumental effort to say the least. The idea of powering an entire city off photovoltaic power is an interesting one. I came across the 400 acre photovoltaic farm figure on the Babcock Ranch Website like the commenter above me. This is a mind boggling figure. We have talked about how expensive it is to just install a rooftop photovoltaic system so it is hard to even comprehend the cost of 400 acres of solar panels plus the cost of all the additional rooftop panels in the city itself. I suppose Southwest Florida is the best place to try this kind of city out given its unparalleled year round sunshine. Money does not really seem to be a factor for the investors, though. Morgan Stanley is backing the project and helped front the $700 million dollars that went towards purchasing the land.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theledger.com/article/20080414/NEWS/804140399