Balanswijk

Grid congestion has rapidly developed into a major obstruction for urban developments. A team of energy specialists from DEP and urban planners and architects from Bright, Urban Synergy and Generation.Energy was commissioned by Alliander to find a solution: the Balanswijk – a balanced neighborhood. Completely self-sufficient, without connection to the grid – this far-reaching premise was deliberately chosen for an experimental neighborhood.

Why
The process of making our energy system more sustainable is reaching its limits. The grid is full and space for expansion is limited. In addition, other transitions also require space. In order to develop a new neighborhood in an area with grid congestion, all the necessary energy is generated, exchanged and stored locally in the Balanswijk. This goes beyond energy-neutral throughout the year: we aim to create balance at all times. Therefor, a clever integration of necessary infrastructures is required. An integral design of this neighbourhood can achieve a sustainable, liveable, healthy living environment for its inhabitants.

Water tower An example of a new technique of energy storage is the storage of hot water as a collective facility. This is not only a technological innovation: by designing this space cleverly, a warm meeting place is also created where the neighbourhood discusses energy. This place makes the storage of energy visible and thus contributes to awareness about consumption and the social aspects of energy in the neighbourhood.

Bio(gas)hub Using a bit of gas in the system can significantly reduce the required battery storage. The district supplies enough organic material to produce biogas. Think of waste from the kitchens and sewage or from the maintenance of public space. Even the manure from a petting zoo can contribute to the digester. By creating a place where this organic material can be collected, a biohub is created. In the biohub there is room for combinations with healthy solutions such as urban agriculture and a shared kitchen and gas production.

How
Our team went through three steps using a fictitious neighbourhood of 2,500 homes:

1. The spatial and energy requirements in m2 surface area. We’ve looked at the spatial allocation for healthy, liveable neighbourhoods for living, working, recreation, greenery, water, mobility, and energy too. This results in a spatial claim for energy production by wind turbines, solar panels and batteries for storage. The area needed is almost as large as all other functions combined.

2. Combining separate spatial requirements in smart combinations of functions and multiple use of space: solar panels on roofs, a wind turbine in a green recreational landscape, charging hubs and batteries in parking buildings or stacked as a lookout tower. By applying current design insights to the Balanswijk, we have managed to reduce the spatial claims of energy.

3. Remaining challenges. We have not yet found a conclusive solutions for the spatial claim of energy storage. However, we do provide an indication of the effectiveness of various measures. The big challenge is the heating supply during “elfstedenwinters”, when it is cold for a few weeks and little sustainable energy is available. The remaining challenge can be seen in the large battery installation next to the neighborhood.

What
The Balanswijk generates, exchanges and stores all energy locally. It is a neighbourhood where residents live comfortably and healthy while taking into account the available energy to keep the neighbourhood in balance. 70,000 square metres of living space, fifteen percent water area, 2,500 (mixed) homes via the current BENG standards (Nearly Energy Neutral Buildings), and 146,000 square metres of greenery. To make this neighborhood self-sufficient, a simila sized area is needed for energy: 282,000 square metres for one wind turbine, 56,000 square metres of solar panels, 147,000 square metres for energy storage.

In the proposed design, we show how this spatial puzzle can come together in a liveable neighbourhood. The challenge still lies in seasonal storage of heat for times when there is a high demand for energy or heat, but few possibilities for energy generation. This seasonal storage has been translated into numbers of batteries for the Balanswijk. No less than half a shipping container per home. To reduce this spatial claim, four strategies have been introduced: (1) reducing energy consumption, (2) multiple use of space and (3) new energy storage techniques and (4) energy shifts at critical moments. These ensure a decrease in required storage. Examples include passive house buildings, smart (bidirectional) charging for vehicles, collective heat supply at block level and also reducing the energy consumption of residents in a severe winter.

This first Balanswijk is a version without heat source nearby, such as geothermal energy or industrial residual heat. Currently, we are designing Balanswijken with alternative heat sources.