Sustainable Water Matrix
Net Positive Water Purification 1
We take inspiratio
Net Posit
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on from the earth to design solutions to global issues
tive is the architectural solution to the universal water scarcity
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Organization Principles Net+ has dedicated the past several years designing a long term affordable solution to Global drought. We are in an age of uncertainty concerning water resources which will destabilize world markets. The California drought alone has the projected potential to cause a $40 Billion collapse on the local markets. This disaster will potentially reach global institutions as well as cause mandated mass emigration from the most affected regions. This proposal has the capacity to serve locations all over the world that could be built before the most severe shortages occur. We researched all of the most successful water purification projects in the world and we examined all of the positive components as well as the most inefficient or irresponsible design decisions. This Ensemble of drawings and images are a result of years of work in environmental engineering and architecture. There has never been a solution that involves the integration of architecture and engineering on a building scale. Technology has never been available until this decade to integrate all system into a working facility with the capacity to serve millions of people.
Design Principles
•Design a positive energy cycle •Reduce the construction materials •Maintain and support marine life as well as life on the site •Generate clean renewable energy •Open dialogue with the public •Create an affordable system that is healthier than all other current and future colleagues. 4
Urban Planning
Site Desig
gn/Selection
Tectonic Details
Portable Units
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Introdu Chapter 1 6
uction 7
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California Drought
What is the problem?
Only 1 percent of all of the water on earth is freshwater and nearly every major city in the world is failing to keep up with the water demands. As the global temperatures rise, potable water decreases through evaporation and consumption. California [pictured left] loses billions of dollars due to the drought every year and all life that depends on these lakes have either died or are endangered. The larger issue is that there are no current technologies that are able to combat this global issue. Net+ has been investigating this problem and has produced technology that not only solves the issue of water but also makes it 45x more cost effective. Our solar desalination tech is a macroscale solution to global drought rather than microscale machines that service a few homes. Net+ desalination systems not only produce clean water from saline sources such as oceans, they also purify contaminated rivers and lakes. The byproduct of these facilities is renewable energy as well as cleaner coastal regions due to its brine handling process. This detailed analysis is a proposal for a new type of infrastructural incision that opens up new possibilities in new urban design.
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Chapter 1 | Introduction
to
Desalination
What is Traditional Desalination? Why is Desalination not adopted along all coastal regions?
Saline (Salt Water) is extracted into 2 primary substances, water and salt.
What types of desalination are there and what is the most common?
There are several types of processes that remove salt from ocean water but the most common is Reverse Osmosis.
Traditional desalination is costly and it is an environmental issue concerning brine discharge. Nearly all coastal cites were established where freshwater resources such as rivers terminate at the ocean. These rivers have been depleated by inland cities which leaves little freshwater available for cities further down the river.
Why is Desalination necessary for our future?
Who relies on desalination as their primary source of hydration?
Hundreds of millions of people around the world rely on clean drinking water that is sourced from the ocean and salt water lakes and seas. These climates are almost exclusively in arid regions with an abundance of sunlight.
Less than 1 percent of all water on earth is freshwater and human consumption is beyond the natural production. Desalination is absolutely critical for humans to survive the next century. Nearly all cosmopolitan cities from London to Singapore have water scarcity issues that haven’t been addressed.
What is the public view on desalination?
•Current facilities are expensive to build as well as maintain. •They do not pay for themselves over time. •The environmental impact is significant due to the handling with the brine. •They use a tremendous amount of energy that is not viable for long term use. (All are true with current facilities)
Intake
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Filter 1
Filter 2
Filter 3
If it’s such a critical issue, why is there no innovation compared to other technologies?
Unfortuantely water technology is not sexy and it doesn’t get much attention compared to the newest mobile apps. Its a much more complicated issue than most other technologies due to the nature of the technology. There are also no universities dedicated to solving these issue compared to the mobile tech industry.
Auto Shut-off
Reverse Osmosis Membrane
Filter 4
Carbon Filter
Water Grid
Chapter 1 | Introduction to Desalination
Map of dependency on Desalination 11
Chapter 1 | Introduction
to
Desalination
How does the most common desalination [Reverse Osmosis] work?
Membrane 4. The final stage in the reverse osmosis cycle is the most vital component to the success of the process. The filtered water is then pumped again at a high speed through long narrow tubes that are have a strong membrane 12
Costs and Waste 6. All of the membranes and filters need to be replaced on a regular basis. This takes a full staff working around the clock to monitor and replace all of the components. These costs add up to several millions of dollars per year to operate. The energy that goes into making water clean is even more costly because of fluctuation of the price of fossil fuels and other means of energy supply. If we are to become more energy independent nation, we need to first look at our utilities because the largest burden on our environment is from our inefficient power plants and water facilities. 5th Stage Post Carbon Filter Clean Faucet Water Auto Shut Off Valve
Storage Tank
Flow Restrictor
Drain Water 4th Stage RO Membrane
1nd Stage Pre Carbon Filter
Filters 3. In order for reverse osmosis to be successful, several layers of carbon filters must be installed to remove the majority of the impurities that are inherent in any natural sources. These filters are costly, take several people to order and install and become waste after their ability to clean the water is compromised. The cost of new filters and installing them is a burden on the taxpayer. The more reverse osmosis systems that are built around the world, the long term cost effects multiply.
Brine Handling 5. Brine is one of the most difficult items that must be dealt with in order to mitigate the marine damages as well as the toxic properties that are introduced to land. Current brine handling techniques mixes ocean water to dilute the saline to acceptable levels. Concentrated saline is not easily diluted unless there is a volatile reaction. Often times the intake and release are close enough to each other so that the intake will pump in higher concentrations of salt in future cycles because the outgoing salt was not properly handled before exiting the facility.
2nd Stage Pre Carbon Filter
High Pressure Pumps 2. After the water is extracted from the ocean, the holding tank is either exposed to the sun which evaporates or it is directly pumped into multiple filters. The water needs to be pumped at a high rate and high pressure in order to be successful at moving through each phase of the cleaning process. The high capacity pumps are vital to the overall function of the system. If one or both break down, the replacement will take weeks to ship and longer to install. This could severely compromise the water supply to the consumer.
that captures the salt and allows the water to pass through. In many cases the water is still too dangerous to drink so it is filtered again through high pressure pumps.
3rd Stage Pre Carbon Filter
Intake 1. Water is extracted from a pipeline built on the seafloor that disturbs and kills marine life because it contains the highest concentration of sea life . Extracting water from the ocean floor is the least ideal location for extracting water from the ocean because the highest concentration of marine life is on the seafloor. Special Permitting is required to build on the coast that may take months or years to be approved. Rigid construction is designed to not move under strong currents. The rigidity of the structure allows for salt and mineral deposits to build up within the pipeline over time effectively making them short lived .
Reverse Osmosis
Contaminated Feed Water
Chapter 1 | Introduction to Desalination
What is Net Positive Solar Purification? Intake 1. Extracting water was a design problem that needed to be addressed in the most responsible way possible to save time money and marine life. We looked at all of the inefficiencies that current water intake systems had and we decided to take a completely different approach. In order to avoid applying for coastal permits we decided to not have any construction on the ocean floor that wasn’t absolutely necessary. The intake tubes are flexible high impact pipes that float in the pycnocline region of the ocean. The area where it is located allows boats and ships to pass over but it stays away from the marine life at the lower strata. When water is extracted, there are only few life specimens that are able to live because of the strong currents. The strong currents are ideal for the flexible tubes because the movement breaks up minerals and sediment that would build up over time. The tubes would be suspended in the pycnocline with the use of a simple buoy system that would take the energy from the ocean to power the small intake pumps. High Pressure Pumps 2. There are no high pressure pumps used in this system. The passive design pushed towards a minimal energy cycle. There will be a need for small pumps for the geothermal coils that will flow through the primary chamber.
the chamber. The sun heats up the water in the chamber to create steam. This steam is pure water that rapidly condensates on the surface of the geothermal coils. The pure water is then diverted to the main supply. Brine Handling 5. The same strategy for the intake is used to dissolve and distribute the water back to the ocean. The difference with this strategy and the current practice is that ocean water will dilute the brine back to acceptable levels but the brine will be at high temperatures. This allows the brine to dissolve and mix with the ocean water much more effectively. Our office will push to have recycled water that comes from showers, street runoff and non toxic sources to dissolve with the brine as well. When the recycled freshwater is dissolved with the brine at high temperatures, the bacteria that could be in the water will be killed by the heat and high concentrations of salt. Right now recycled water is fined if it is untreated and disposed of by releasing it in bodies of water. This gives an opportunity to safely dispose of recycled freshwater while eliminating the harmful brine that is being mitigated in final process. This saves money and it improves the environmental health of the coasts.
Filters 3. Filters are not a component to this design. We are able to achieve cleaner water without the use of any carbon filters that will need to be replaced and wasted. There are no components of the system that will need regular replacement to contribute to direct waste. This cuts down on material costs as well as needing employees to maintain the basic components. Primary Chamber 4. The purification process is where all of the activity concerning water desalination or distillation occurs. The water that is stored in the preliminary holding tank lowers the temperature of coils and sends the cold tubes into 13
Chapter 1 | Introduction
to
Desalination
Net Positive Solar Purification Process
Responsibly extracting water from the ocean or freshwater sources that generates more energy than it requires to run the facility. Net positive also includes the elimination of material waste and staff to run a facility.
How is this system different than reverse osmosis and other desalination facilities?
Net positive purification integrates architectural and engineering techniques to create a passive cleaning system. This system has the ability to clean any type water and is not limited to saltwater. Freshwater or anything in between such as brackish water is capable of being distilled and purified. The primary difference is that net positive purification is a more efficient and safer solution to desalination or filtering that could save millions of gallons in fossil fuels a year.
What are the costs of net positive purification?
Construction costs are estimated to be 0.5-1 percent of the costs to build a reverse osmosis plant. Operating costs are estimated to be $100,000 a year opposed to $50-$80 million a year for reverse osmosis.
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What are the environmental costs?
•When fully operational, the facility will generate energy to either be saved in Tesla Batteries or sent back into the grid for local electrical use. •Our team has spent months designing the most environmentally responsible solution to extracting ocean water and freshwater by eliminating heavy construction on the seafloor where marine life is most abundant. •We have also taken into consideration the longevity of the materials and design strategies in order to reduce failure of components to save money over time rather than planning for rapid replacement.
Chapter 1 | Introduction to Desalination
Annotation Details A B C D E F G H I
Hydrokinetic Bouy Pycnocline Release Valve Intake Valve Data Collection Point Subsea Flexible Tube Pump Radiant coils Potable Tank
J Heliostats K Evaporation Chamber L Thermal Bridges M Condensation Core N Pressure Release Turbine O Primary Turbine P Brine | Wastewater Solution Q Distribution Drum
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a erial v ieW of veral Aerial Plan of o Typical a c
b
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Full Scale Provid
ystem l sSite
J g h
d
k
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e a hydrokiNetic bouy b excess release c iNtake d iNtake PumP
i e discharge i holdiNg taNk f radiaNt coils J heliostats g heliostats k Water to city h chamber 17 17
des water for up to 100,000 people
Intake & Release termina
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This system saves millions of dollars and
als
months of constrution on the sea floor
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What
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makes
our system so valuable?
City & state governments pay billions in fines to the Environmental Agencies because they dump contaminates into our rivers and oceans. Our tech purifies those contaminates through an innovative new process. This saves each city hundreds of millions in fines while cleaning up our marine habitats.
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Details Chapter 2 22
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Precedent
The earth is the most efficient desalination machine that we have yet we have not been able to replicate its ability to source water from the ocean to create potable water. The simple cycle is as follows: 1. The sun heats up the ocean enough for evaporation to occur. 2. Once the water is cool enough to condense, clouds form. 3. After there is enough pressure and optimal conditions, precipitation occurs. After water has evaporated from the oceans, the water is not only potable, it is in its purest form. What if a single building could create and augment this process to create a sustained long term solution to potable water shortages? What if we could rehydrate the natural landscape by no longer sourcing our water from rivers and reservoirs and return them to the lush fertile lands they once were? The solution lies with a single structure that amplifies the energy of the sun to boil ocean water to create steam. Throughout this presentation please reference this cycle to visualize the natural cycle of the salt water/potable circle.
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Inspiration from the Earth
Program strategy Although humans may never be able to intentionally change the weather, localized geoengineering and geophilia (taking inspiration from the earth’s natural cycles) efforts could replicate and augment the natural process in a sealed environment.
This system takes inspiration from the earth’s natural cycle and replicates the process in a compact environment. The solar radiation that is absorbed by Los Angeles’ beaches every day is enough to power the entire Southern California Region. What most people do not realize is that solar radiation is effective for
more than generating electrical energy with solar panels. Its greatest asset is its thermal ability to change the state of water. Using inexpensive fresnel lenses to boil salt water into steam is an inexpensive solution to desalinating water while responsibly sourcing renewable energy. After the steam is produced, cooling coils in the center of the structure force the condensation of the steam into a separate chamber. This is the purest form of potable water that has few impurities. The cold water sourced for the cooling coils comes from geothermal energy by running the coils underground into natural cold water reserves.
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Urban Planning Integration
This system is designed to use gravity to its advantage in order to reduce the load on pumps and conveying equipment to distribute throughout the city. The integration of this system into the local urban context would allow for more immediate responses that could increase the efficiency of the water grid as well as increase the local efficiency of the surrounding buildings.
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Architecture and urban planning are in a difficult impasse in this particular moment due to the concerns of the environment and the obesity epidemic. Several peer reviewed studies show a healthier neighborhood has multiple levels of mixed use. The integration of water resources and utilities as a local Identity will increase the energy efficiency of the systems.
Section Details
sectioN details
The image below is a preliminary section of the primary chamber that will rapidly evaporate the ocean or freashwater with the use of augmented solar energy. The ultraviolet light that aids in boiling the water The image below a preliminary section of the primary hour before becoming inert. There are several new purifies and kills isbacteria.
chamber that will rapidly evaporate the ocean or systems being built around the world that use this Ultraviolet lightthe rearanges the DNAsolar andenergy. keeps The them from technology reproducing (splittinglight apart) freshwater with use of augmented butasuxually they use artificial bulbseventually instead allowing the bacteria to live for an hour before becoming inert. There are several new systems being built ultraviolet light that aids in boiling the water purifies of using the sun. The light bulbs cost a tremendous around the world that use this technology but they use artificial light bulbs instead of using the sun. The and kills bacteria. Ultraviolet light rearranges the DNA amount of energy and need replacement every week light bulbs cost a tremendous amount of energy and need replacement every week which drives the overall and keeps them fromcycle. reproducing asuxually (splitting which drives the overall embodied energy cycle. embodied energy apart) eventually allowing the bacteria to live for an
release turbiNe folded PaNels heliostats
treatmeNt Pool
radiaNt coils
thermal coils
core steam turbiNe
freshWater
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Site Selection
Los Angeles has few locations where it is not covered with concrete or buildings. One unbuilt location that would be ideal for this system is the portion of land that is adjacent to LAX. This location would be the most efficient in terms of transportation regarding water and resources. The ancillary buildings are a secondary phase that could be injected into the spaces in between in order to produce energy efficient housing and retail spaces. The reason the land is undeveloped is due to the noise pollution that is generated from the airport. With proper insulation, nearly all frequencies could be eliminated through recycled mass in the walls. The buildings around the net positive purification structure are a secondary phase that could change the way we understand urban planning and development near coastal regions. More thought and research needs to be conducted to make the most responsible decisions moving forward.
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Central California
These facilities will produce enough water to allow california farms to be autonomous from the unstable water grid.
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Techtonic Details
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Reduction of Waste Increase Efficiency The exterior envelope is designed to allow the most amount of solar energy within the chamber during the course of the entire year. The curvilinear form is meant to use the least amount of materials to maximize the efficiency of the system as well as cut down on material waste. This waste reduction design is crucial to our principals that we strive to design with the least environmental impact and reduce costs in order to reduce economic impact.
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Advancement in the Field 10 years ago this would be an ambitious design that would be expensive and not cost effective but with today’s material libraries and computational design tools, these systems can be designed and built within a few months. This is an exciting time for architecture and engineering because we are able to design what we previously thought would be unobtainable. This system has the potential to cost the price of a grocery store yet be able to serve a significant portion of Los Angeles County.
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Taking the pieces | Apart Our facilities are detailed to every gasket. We are able to fabricate these units faster than any typical building and ship it across the world as easily as an Ikea bed. We use standardized materials and connection devices in order to save time and money while providing the highest quality design.
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Connecting Old Facili
ities with New Technology
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Analysis + Prototyp Chapter 3
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Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Preliminary Design
The initial sketches are vital to organizing the overall intent. These are some of the original drawings of the original ideas for the project. Since then the design has evolved and become more complex. The sketches show some ideas that have yet to be designed or calculated on a more sophisticated scale. In the next few months more simulations and calculations will be performed to increase the efficacy of the finalized design before construction documents will be synthesized.
Facade Assembly Vector Sketch
Connection Detail
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Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Longitudinal Section
Infrastructure Plans 45
Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Climate Analysis
The data that made these charts are sourced from the US Department of Energy.
These data driven documents tell us everything most Californians already know, Los Angeles is hot and does not get cold more than a few moments a year. This climate is ideal for solar desalination on a large scale. The humidity is low which makes the exterior conditions favorable. Using these charts as well as more sophisticated digital tools, intelligent design decisions could be made in order to increase the efficacy of the matrix. Engineers who dedicate their lives by creating these documents and interpreting data are great resources to contact in the future when designing the final product. Multiple engineers and environmental specialists have reviewed this strategy in order to legitimize the strength of the design process. 46
Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Software Permutations
Optimization is the journey that will never end. The most reliable relationship we have is with the sun and the climate patterns. This constant allows the geometry to be flexible to the solar demands that the system needs. Countless iterations from optimization programs such as honeybee in conjunction with Ladybug to predict the solar radiation that will be on the site during all times of the year. Some of the calculations have been as specific as to optimizing every hour of every day of the year to find the most effective geometry. Another constraint is the scale and material restraints that need to be explored further in order to not make any custom materials manufactured which would increase the price of the overall system. One of the primary concerns for this project is to build a full scale at as low cost to the local government as possible. Each new built system is a learning experience that will inform new design decisions that will move towards creating the best water purification systems as well. 47
Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Site Section Diagram
Geothermal is a broad term that simply means using the earth’s natural heat or cold resources as a means of generating energy. In this particular case the primary geothermal source is the ocean water. The pacific ocean near Los Angeles stays at a constant 55-65 degrees. There have been several design iterations that have resulted from research and consulting with the top professionals in engineering, architecture and urban planning for infrastructure to make this system the most efficient embodiment of new desalination. This is an earlier diagram of the system without heliostats which could be implemented in locations where land or resources are scarce. This system would work perfectly without heliostats and the maintenance would be less challenging.
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Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
This is an exaggerated representation of a configuration of cooling coils on the core. These coils will be between 33°F-60°F and will reduce the pressure of the upper atmosphere in the chamber in order to condensate, drop into the cooling tank, and directly move to the primary water grid. 50
Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal is a broad term that simply means using the earth’s natural heat or cold resources as a means of generating energy. In this particular case the primary geothermal source is the ocean water. The pacific ocean near Los Angeles stays at a constant 55-65 degrees. With the utilization of cooling coils that oscillate water between the primary solar chamber and the holding tanks, little or no energy is required to cool down the water to force the condensation process. The coils work in the same way a cold glass of water condensates on a warm day. The difference is that the disparity between temperatures will be much greater which will force the condensation to drip rapidly into separate holding tanks. Once the water has condensed into the holding tanks, the water is pure water. No filters or treatments will be needed. The water that is produced in this system would be rated as the cleanest drinking water available in southern California. All other facilities that are currently built across the country filter out as much bacteria as possible but there is always a small percentage of transmittance that we drink every day. This chamber will be boiling water the water to convert it into steam. The boiling process kills all bacteria and it is too dense to evaporate with the steam. 51
Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Simulating Efficacy After the initial design concept was studied and detailed, models were constructed and tested in order to increase the efficiency and efficacy of each iteration. The timeline of the evolution shows the layers and complexity that is necessary for a full scale construction. The iterations start with the proof of concept to the current models that are more efficient in material usage and solar distribution. New models and thermal studies will be posted to the website with updates on all findings. The aspirations for the research is to build a series of structures before the drought hits its peak. The amount of research into this body of work is more than most buildings and power plants undergo before construction but when these early projects get built, the ambition is to learn from them and improve the design to make California completely energy independent concerning water and the majority of the utilities that are connected within the network. Later ambitions for this project are to understand the strength of this system enough to generate enough clean power to make new cities and developments completely independent from the grid. The beauty of this design is the safe nature of the entire loop. There are no dangerous concerns for the environment or the surrounding context. We work hard at permutating the safest and most environmentally low impact systems as possible. We plan to lead in designing an energy independent future that pays for itself faster than solar panels and windmills. 52
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Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Proof of Concept Have you ever stepped into a hot vehicle when it is below freezing outside? The solar energy that penetrates into the vehicle is trapped and can remain cold for hours. Ideally net positive purification would be constructed in warmer environments that do not receive heavy snowfall but the system would work. If a vehicle cabin would be completely covered in glass, the temperatures inside could kill someone even if the air conditioning was on.
Solar Receptor The largest surface collects the most solar energy
Pure Water The primary holding tank is where the condensation has collected and is safe to drink
Utilizing the strength of the sun to absorb and contain the solar energy, this initial prototype was used in Los Angeles in several conditions including a rare overcast day. The performance for this prototype yielded more than expected pure water. The form was generated by taking the average perpendicular solar angle for the summer, 33.5 degrees in order to capture the most direct sunlight into the chamber. The solar angle in the largest plane on the pyramidal form. After several studies, the conclusion was exciting and slightly scary at how much energy is captured within the space. The chamber was boiling water almost instantaneously without the use of any machinery or equipment.
Cooling Tower The tower augments the condensation process to force the steam to collect at a rapid pace Untreated Water This is the beginning of the purification process.
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Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Massing|Shadow Studies After the initial prototype proved to be more successful than initially calculated, the form needed to evolve in order to accommodate all of the months of the year. We needed to calculate and digitally build a model that would address the solar angle at all times of the year. The form is a direct result of several months of research and development into the heat capacity and efficacy standards our team had set for this project. After completing several form studies, physical 3D Printed models were created to track the shadows and thermal temperatures of the concave and convex surfaces. The initial proof of concept was exciting and showed us the power of what could be developed on a large scale but it lacked the ability to be scaled up to the size of a building. The new design accommodates all angles of the sun at all times of the day for nearly every day of the year. Nobody in the world has designed a form this accurate in terms of solar efficacy before. The design became more complex with the realistic sizes of geothermal coils and other important components that would be later resolved through designing the core.
Core The Core was modeled separately in order to study the water tension.
Core The Core was modeled separately in order to study the water tension.
Base Future iterations will have a higher attention to the site integration. 56
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Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
Previous Development
Research into materials developed in congruency of building the mass studies which informed us on how to increase the solar energy at a minimal cost to the construction. This allowed us to experiment with lenses and coil material. At the small scale this was built at we could not fully explore the thermal capacity of what this design is capable of but it gave us a glimpse of what potential we could use and improve upon before designing the full scale building. After digitally and physically building the 3d Printed model of the most successful mass study, the design is tested in several locations around Los Angeles. This is a small scale model that could not be completely simulated because of its restraints. With proper funding, we will be designing more accurate and comprehensive models. The next generation of models will need to be printed on a large format 3D printer with more options with printing material and layer thickness. The next models will have a full working coil systems and more accurate materials. Larger systems will be built at larger scales and simulate the tectonic relationship from the glazed facade and the mullion system.
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Core Further Integration in water tension design makes more efficient collection choices.
Glazing Each panel is optimized to be perpendicular to the sun for the longest duration of the year.
Base Future iterations will have a higher attention to the site integration.
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Chapter 3 | Analysis + Prototypes
curreNt develoPmeNt
Current Development
The new redesign incorporates heliostat technology that amplifies solar radiation The new redesign incorporates heliostat to the condensation chamber. This new technology that amplifies solar radiation to the technique increases the evaporation speeds condensation chamber. This new technique while reducing the cost of land. The majority increases the evaporation speeds while reducing of the apparati are hidden underneath the of land.which The majority of thefrom apparati the cost heliostats are shaded theare radiation. hidden underneath the heliostats which are shaded
from the radiation. Years of research, prototyping and consulting have allowed for more intelligent Years of research, prototyping and consulting design studies that have reduced the costs while have allowed for more intelligent design increasing thehave efficiency. Thethe newest design studies that reduced costs whilecould easily save hundreds of millions of gallons of increasing the efficiency. The newest design could easilywhile savesaving hundreds of millions of in fossil fuels the country millions gallons of fossil fuels while saving the country taxes a year. millions in taxes a year.
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Market Chapter 4 62
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Chapter 4 | Market
Global Market
Information provided by WHO (World Health Organization) The following information shows the capacity to reduce costs for the global market and increase more reliable means of drinking water. United States [Per Year] $42 billion in aid to developing countries $322 Billion in supply and maintenance $216 Billion in sanitation $9 Trillion market Globally This net positive purification system has the ability to reduce the costs of water globally while reducing carbon emissions to nearly 0 percent if the global markets turned to this new source of water purification. Constructing these systems would reduce the need to donate United States’ domestic resources while providing long term sustainable solutions to potable water scarcity. Clean water will also reduce disease and uncertainty in how we predict global epidemics as well as reduce the needs of pharmaceuticals. Farming will become more accessible to coastal regions and areas where freshwater is contaminated by particulates that diminish the health of the aquatic cycle. This could reduce food shortages and increase certainty within global markets. Keep in mind that this system works even more efficiently in freshwater that needs to be cleaned before drinking. This system has the potential to replace energy intensive treatment plants that filter water from rivers and resivoirs. The ultimate goal is to move towards a global market that has provides this service to undeveloped nations in a modular package. 64
Chapter 4 | Market
Freshwater 0.93 % Saline Lakes 0.07%
Oceans 96.5%
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Future Aspirations
Chapter 4 | Market
The primary problem that nobody knows or wants to discuss is wastewater and greywater. Our current infrastructure in major cities is too simple. We have the potential to reduce demand of the overall water supply as well as permanently Convert Los Angeles into a greener city in regards to plant life.
We allow nearly all of our used water to drain into a single pipe that is sent away from our buildings. If we use natural shampoos and conditioners (which are easy to find and are affordable) and set in place ordinances to restrict the sale of only natural cleaning products, nothing in the shower drains would be toxic to plant life. Shower water and wastewater from inert sources such as bathroom sinks and cleaning services (car washes), could be diverted into a separate underground system that would be used for irrigation and geothermal matrices. Shower water alone would cover all of the needs for irrigation in Los Angeles County and would not need to be taken from the drinking supply. Los Angeles is in the process of overhauling the majority of the underground infrastructure but there are no proposed plans of implementing any new innovations but rather a large band aid to the current failing pipes. If new plans to revive and edit the primary water mains with new plumbing technology in buildings by 2050, the city could be a model for the rest of the world for wastewater management and innovative techniques towards architecture.
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Chapter 4 | Market
Obstacles •Finding land that is appropriate for the surrounding communities. •Connecting this system to the primary utility lines. •Pressure Release •Cooling coil technology •Variable efficiency depending on solar exposure
Strengths
•Little or no energy •Inexpensive to construct •Water is pure rather than treated •No need for dangerous cleaning additives such as chlorine or fluoride •Reduction of waste from filters and transportation •Gravity reduces the dependency on grid electricity for pumps. •Little maintenance •Few maintenance workers. Less employees. •Completely non toxic materials •Integrated into urban landscape •Taking water from an unlimited supply rather than finite resources such as rivers and reservoirs •Not occupied by people which makes permitting and construction costs low. •Codes do not apply in many conditions due to the nature of the structure making the construction timeline faster. [Non human occupied spaces] •Developers could be sold the system schematics in order to privatize the sector and eliminate the monopoly of government owned utilities. •Pays for itself within a year. Local and long term investment.
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Chapter 4 | Market
Overall Costs to Build Each Project: Our Project (Net Positive System): Solar Desalination $8-$16 million dollars per system [Depending on Scale and location] 10 recommended= 30-50 million dollars total $100,000 in maintenance per year
Competition Reverse Osmosis Desalination (Carslbad, San Diego) 2 Billion Dollars per plant $200 Million Dollars in maintenance per year High costs to clean and distribute water Pipeline from Washington
$30 Billion 1 Billion in maintenance each year Destruction of forests 7-10 year construction, long after CA has depleted water resources.
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Chapter 4 | Market
Estimated Costs for Standard Facility: Caisson Foundation: $800,000 - $1,500,000 Concrete and Formwork $2,800,000 Including chanel and reservoir Fresnel Lenses 450 Panels per system @ $45 a unit = $20,250 Labor per panel: 450 @ $150 = $67,500 Mullion System 450 Panels x 4 edges/unit = 1,800 Mullions @ $200 = $360,000 Labor per unit 350/unit @ 1,800 = $630,000 Prefiltration screens and Safety Precautions $200,00 Geothermal Coils: 2000 meters @ 125/m $250,000 Buoy Terminals: 10 @ 35,000 $350,000 Intake and Discharge Coils: 2200 Meters @ 85/m $187,000 Copper plating Construction $335,000 Pressure Release/Regeneration Matrix $200,000 [Producing energy from pressure] Permitting: Minimal permits needed due to the nature of the structure. Unoccupied structures are not held to the same scrutiny as buildings that have people working/living within. $80,000-$130,000 Utility Costs $300,000 Transportation Reimbursements $80,000 Hard Costs: $7,409,750 Soft Costs 40% = $2,963,900 Total Building Cost [Without Land] = $10,373,650 69
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Chapter 5 | Competition
Competiting Markets
This chapter discusses the differences and challenges that other desalination technologies have attempted to fix but have not managed to create solutions to the largest issues with desalination. Desalination has generated a distressing name due to its major faults. After tectonic and economic research, we have taken the most difficult challenges of the desalination systems and turned them into economic and environmental benefits for the entire cycle. The embodied energy in the cycle of reverse osmosis and even newer forms of solar desalination have high demands on the electrical grid to run pumps at high velocities. Net positive facilites produce more energy than they consume. No other facility has designed a system has a positive embodied cycle. This increases the value of the system as well as the environmental efficacy of the project which expedites the entitlement process for construction. Dredging the ocean floor where the majority of marine life exists is not only costly to build and maintain, its dangerous to the environment. All desalination facilities have a floor construction that degrades over time as well as calcifies due to the rigid nature of the materials. The response to this difficult challenge was to reinvent the intake process. With keeping maintenance and costs in mind, we designed a flexible tube that is held by buoys and placed below the surface so ships and motorboats 72
could pass. Since the pipe is flexible, it naturally breaks up the calcification that would occur in the ocean. That saves on maintenance as well as it does not need divers to repair the pipe because a boat could lift it out of the water and service it without damaging the system. This technique saves millions of dollars in construction costs and the lifetime is exponentially increased. Brine handling is the most controversial subject that has not been handled safely in any current desalination facility on the planet. High concentrations of salt is dangerous to marine life as well as life on land. We have made the most difficult problem of any desalination project into the most attractive feature of the overall system. All cities in the country pay large fines for discharging toilet and shower water into our lakes, rivers, and oceans. Many larger cities such as Los Angeles pay up to $100 million each year in fines to funds appropriated by the EPA to manage and regulate the pollutants. By mixing the waste water with the hot brine that the facility produces, the city saves a $1 billion a decade and it solves the most difficult issue desalination technology today. This is one of the most disruptive features of the system besides desalinating water on a large scale for while creating energy.
Chapter 5 | Competition Full time staff is expensive and increases liability of the project during its lifespan. A net positive facility does not need a full staff to operate machinery. It saves costs on the owner and the consumer. (The taxpayer) Traditional facilities as well as new solar desalination techniques are costly. They rarely produce a return on their investment. This new facility has simple construction techniques and industry standard components such as steam turbines and durable tubing from subsea oil extraction that already exists in the ocean. The reason many people would think this system is costly is because of the parametric form but a triangulated grid is the least expensive and most reliable structure for curvilinear geometries. The reason for high costs of any buildings are the human component. Floors, safety regulated access, air conditioning, lighting, moving parts, finish materials, etc. are what determine high costs of a building. This facility is empty on the interior and it uses unsophisticated structural members. The most expensive component to most buildings are the glazing units because they are metallic coated and are double glazed to keep out the sun. This facility requires the cheapest glass because it wants zero reflectivity and it wants the radiation to enter the facility without barriers.
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Chapter 5 | Competition
Reverse Osmosis This is the most common system in the world. The newest system which is in Carlsbad California, consumes hundreds of millions of gallons of fossil fuels, cost over $1 Billion to build and it discharges mass quantities of brine into the ocean. That is fatal to marine life as well as eliminates any seafood that could be cultivated in the entire region. Reverse osmosis does not purify water, it only makes it tolerable enough to drink. That is dangerous to our long term health which creates costly medical side effects. If it couldn’t get any worse, the system needs a staff of over 30 people to change the toxic filters every day which is expensive and unnecessary. This system does not make any profit and has increased the cost of living to all of the residents that it serves. Current estimates from the facility engineers project that the maintenance costs a year are over $200 million which includes payroll, replacement of filters and power consumption. That increases the cost to the consumer as well as the state taxpayer. This type of system does not generate profits, it only exists out of necessity due to no competition. 74
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Concentrated Solar Chapter 5 | Competition
The most relevant competitor to net positive systems is a small scale machine that uses similar principals. The concentrated solar system is not efficient because it does not maximize the solar energy throughout the year. The concave panel is not able to address the solar angle of the sun on a 365 day year. The small tubes are also problematic because of heat and calcification that needs maintenance. Maintenance is extremely dangerous in these fields because the solar energy can instantly burn through skin to the bone. Due to the nature of the geometry, if the panel is not perfectly aligned with the sun, it can cause laser beams in unexpected locations. It’s dangerous and it has already shown that the laser could burn straight through a vehicle on an overcast day. This makes wages and insurance for workers much higher. They also have not managed to successfully deal with the brine that is a resultant from the process. They mix it with existing sources but it does not meet equilibrium standards so they must pay fines to discharge that water. Those fines hinder them from profits and more investments.
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Chapter 5 | Competition Scale Issue This system takes a large amount of space for small returns. Scaling this system requires land which is potentially expensive. Material Stress This pipe regularly breaks down due to high temperatures and calcification. Fixed Axis This system is only optimized on a single day a year for one hour. The system is rigid which means it cannot pivot towards the sun. Change in Diameter of pipe Exit pressure, unable to generate energy from heat expansion No Brine Handling They have no plan or technology to deal with the brine issue that coststs them millions of dollars a year.
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Hydrokinetic Technolog Chapter 5 | Competition
This new and interesting technology has received some press in the past few years from 2 Australian firms who are attempting to build these systems in the ocean. Unfortunately their diagrams and drawings do not correlate with the realities of their landscape. The cliff in their diagram shows a steep and immediate drop into the ocean but in reality it is miles from the shore. That increases costs of cables, maintenance and conveyance to each system. There are also no contingencies regarding failure of a single component of the overall system. They are also largely inefficient due to their brine handling. The salt is released in immediate proximity to their intake which creates a significant concentration of salt in the exact location where they are attempting to remove the salt from the water. This kills marine life and their coral structure that is extremely important to several of their industries.
Their largest barrier is primarily their political political difficulties due to the pushback from environmental agencies. Their planned destruction of coral reefs and eminent marine deaths is not attractive to environmentalists around the world. Ultimately it is better than reverse osmosis but it does not create pure water. It needs to be filtered again when it meets the shore which defeats the purpose of attempting to purifying it off shore. 78
Once the salt is removed it is discharged next to the intake, making the water the machine is trying to purify, more toxic.
gy
This rigid pipe fixed to the floor corrodes and needs special divers to repair the shaft and terminals. Expensive & inefficient.
This steep descent does not exist in reality. Dense coral and marine life make the topography at a lower angle which is costly to build and destructive to the sea floor.
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Nano Membranes IBM
Chapter 5 | Competition
[Fake Solar Desalination]
7 Years ago IBM decided to research into water purification through filtering saltwater through nano membranes. Although their research was moving towards a solution, the financial crisis ended their research and they never made significant innovations. This system is called solar desalination but the name is a complete fallacy. It is a traditional reverse osmosis system that uses some solar panels to run the facility. IBM ultimately failed at delivering a more efficient technology because they were trying to improve a traditional system instead of creating a new system. ALL MEMBRANE AND FILTERING TECHNOLOGIES ARE A DEAD END. Filters are costly, need to be replaced by staff and are toxic after receiving so much brine. If the filters are able to be reused, the concentrated salt is difficult to process to make it viable for table salt. They have one facility in Saudi Arabia where this filtration system exists. The facility does not operate at high capacity and the project is considered an environmental stalemate. It’s roughly the same cost as a traditional system but the filters do a slightly better job at separating the salt. They have made a press release that says they are not pursuing water projects in the future. 80
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Chapter 5 | Competition
Various Small Scale Machines These machines all have 4 similar setbacks: •No attempt to handle brine •The scale is not significant to make meaningful progress to our infrastructure. •These systems are primarily working towards NGO and •Nonprofit funding overseas. •Conveyance and communication to the shore is rigid and expensive. •The projects have either remained small scale or have been discontinued.
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The Pipeline Chapter 5 | Competition
This $30 Billion pipe that will transport water from Washington to Southern California is the absolute worst case scenario. ISSUES •Once finished, it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to maintain every year from cracks, vandalism, natural decay, payroll for security, energy costs for pumps, and administration for regulating the inter state agencies between California, Oregon and Washington. •The destruction of land and resources along the path of the facility will be devastating. •An entire infrastructure will be created to power the pumps every mile of the 1200 mi journey. •High paying engineers will be paid for the lifespan of this pipeline. •The water supply in Washington is not guaranteed to be available or safe.
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What Makes our System D Chapter 6 | Disruption
•Our system handles brine in a responsible and lucrative process that satisfies even the toughest environmental and urban critics around the world.
•Geothermal energy from the ocean rapidly forces the condensation of water in a way that has not been achieved. •Dramatically reduced construction and lifetime costs. •Environmentally/Politically beneficial to all cost effective regions •It does not use filters or need component replacements. •Operates without the need of staff •Pays for itself within a year of operation due to the innovative brine handling process.
Why are we the ones who have innovated this process? •We are a specialized group of architects and engineers who have studied and lectured at the most important institutions in the world for Architecture, Environmental Engineering and Tectonic Engineering. •We have created the technology in a way no other team has done before. We are trained in macroscale projects from Type 1 residential to high rise skyscrapers. •We have created some of the best contacts in the world for designing and constructing the facilities as well as contacts in multiple agencies who approve of our system and are willing to expedite the process.
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C 6 | D P artNershiPs aNd meNtors Partnerships and Mentors hapter
isruption
Walter P Moore Engineers The most innovative facade solutions firm in the world. They have detailed and built Walter P Moore Engineers some of innovative the most iconic on the planet. They the engineers to the most The most facade buildings solutions firm in the world. Theyare have detailed and built some of respected architects in the world including Norman Foster, R enzo Piano and HOK. the most iconic buildings on the planet. They are the engineers to the most respected architects
in the world including Norman Foster,Renzo Piano and HOK. Thom Mayne [Morphosis] ThomMayne is one[Morphosis] of a handful of living architects in the world to have received all Thom international including PritzkerinPrize. He has beenreceived a personal mentor who Thom is one ofawards a handful of livingthe architects the world to have all international has guided andthe given a platform tohas ourbeen architectural tectonic research. Besides awards including Pritzker Prize. He a personaland mentor who has guided and given onetoofour the most famous architects in theBesides world, he is aone strong for abeing platform architectural and tectonic research. being of theadvocate most famous sustainable design. Hisheoffice innovates on every scale project theoffice worldinnovates and hasonthe architects in the world, is a strong advocate for sustainable design.inHis abilityscale to make some the most efficient buildings the world. every project in theofworld and has the ability to makeinsome of the most efficient buildings
in the world. Greg Otto For the Greg Ottopast 3 years, Greg has been one of the most important contacts in our rolodex. He the haspast led 3some thehas most iconic projects in important the worldcontacts including countless museums For years,ofGreg been one of the most in our rolodex. He has around the world. We have had the pleasure of working with him from the beginning led some of the most iconic projects in the world including countless museums around the of theWe structural the facade assembly. is the principal of multiple world. have hadconversations the pleasure oftoworking with him from theHe beginning of the structural global engineering officesassembly. and on the of several important organizations conversations to the facade He isboard the principal of multiple global engineering that offices are on crucial for any ambitious project in California.that are crucial for any ambitious project in and the board of several important organizations California. Ilaria Mazzoleni Ilaria Mazzoleni is one of the most respected leaders in sustainable design in the world. She Ilaria regularly teaches andrespected lectures at some the mostdesign prestigious architecture schools in Ilaria is one of the most leaders in of sustainable in the world. She regularly the world Yale and Politecnico Milano.inShe has been a teaches and Including lectures atSCI-Arc, some of Harvard, the most prestigious architecturedischools the world Including personalHarvard, mentor Yale to our improvement onathe global systems. SCI-Arc, anddevelopment Politecnico diand Milano. She has been personal mentor to our
development and improvement on the global systems. David Bergman ThereBergman are only a handful of skilled urban planners who are as knowledgeable as David. David He is the leadadesigner expert onplanners most Los Urban Projects There are only handful ofand skilled urban whoAngeles are as knowledgeable as today. David. He He is on in southern California development andHe urban isseveral the leadselective designerboards and expert on most Los Angelesfor Urban Projects today. is onplanning. several He is a tenured professor andCalifornia lecturer at USCand andurban UCLA. selective boards in southern forSCI-Arc, development planning. He is a tenured
professor and lecturer at SCI-Arc, USC and UCLA. 84 Images to the right are various projects they have built in the past 5 years. 90
greg otto Walter P Moore Engineers
ilaria mazzoleNi
thom mayNe
david bergmaN
IMStudio
Morphosis
Metropolitan Research + Economics
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Chapter 6 | Alternative Applications
Small Scale Solutions
A secondary focus in our research is designing a fully integrated small scale module that can clean enough water in disaster areas where their resources are compromised. This module design is nearly complete and we are seeking finance in developing a large scale production plan for the next 3 years. The funding for this project will be focused on optimising the solar gains from this system as well as making it as cost effective as possible. This portable module is designed to be the exact dimensions of a freight truck and it has the capacity to serve up to 500 people a day. This can be used in ocean water or freshwater that needs to be cleaned. The goal for this system is to be a package that will be delivered to recovering regions as well as locations that never had the resources such as remote locations in Africa where the majority of diseases are spread through untreated water. The implications of having free unlimited water without energy could change the lives and possibly save entire villages from outbreaks of zoonotic viruses and prevent new diseases from occurring such as MRSA or H1N1. Keeping costs down and improving the design details will hopefully change the way we combat diseases from spreading and reduce the strain on the Doctors without Borders program so they can focus on cases that could easily be prevented by having clean drinking water available.
We often do not realize that the majority of our problems could be easily fixed by preventing the problem from occurring in the first place. We have the technology and the education to make a higher quality of life available to everyone. Once we solve the most basic needs for humans and animals alike, we can then focus on education and developing global relationships with those who would never have had the opportunity to live. 96
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Chapter 6 | Alternative Applications
Facade Systems Years of facade research in thermal and induction reducing strategies have resulted in new and expressive energy generating facade systems. This unit has multiple utilities besides generating clean water. One of the most unused valuable real estate sectors is commercial facades on type 1 and 2 construction. Glass is becoming more efficient at reflecting radiation but the price is steadily climbing as well. All new facades with south facing buildings spend millions in research in shading techniques for curtain walls to reduce heating loads within a building. This system uses the solar radiation that would heat up a building and boils water within the exterior coils. This facade unit uses the phenomena of the capillary effect to move water vertically to activate a steam turbine system at each interval. When water moves to the apex of the building on the south side, the north exposure catches the energy of the water moving vertically downward in a traditional hydro turbine. •Shades the building and decreases air conditioning loads •Gives organizational structure to the exterior envelope •Generates more energy than a building consumes during work day •Makes buildings autonomous from the energy grid, making them more reliable in energy crises and grid outages. •Surplus energy is sold to the energy company making the facade unit pay for itself over time. •Gives the illusion of complexity with any applied geometries. •Reduces the need for expensive glazing units because of the shading benefits. 98
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Nearly 10,000 people die every day from water related issues such as dehydration, malnutrition, contamination, famine and lack of hygiene. Our vision for the future is to create access to water for everyone around the world that is safe and reliable. We have spent years developing the technology to benchmarks well beyond conventional systems that are built today at a small fraction of the cost. We are always interested in feedback and support to make this vision a reality. Please contact us with any comments, suggestions or interest in support. Thank you, Net+ Team
For more details please visit us at: www.nps.la Jake Johnson Director jake@jjd.la +1-925-354-8113 109
Net Positive www.nps.la
npositive1@gmail.com +1 [925] 354-8113 110