Zia Station, 3 Lots, progress

NORTH LOT 

alt energy, solar and wind, production to feed the main train station complex, affordable housing to the west lot, and of course the electric car rental. solar design and sustainability is often invisible. adding solar panels and wind turbines are highly visible and immediately recognizable icons of green building. a giant lightning bolt and a sign on the corner will also alert passer's by of where all the solar energy goes. wind mills are not allowed within the city limits, as of yet, due to height and noise considerations, but there are quiet and less obtrusive versions. we had talked about vertical wind mills for the main complex and kevlar sheets that flex and generate power (flex sheet generation). also, was the braking coil for the train to generate electricity at the station, much like the mechanism hybrid cars use today.

MAIN LOT

depicted here by colored zone massing schematic design. the current model the main complex, now all separate buildings, is in sketchup and renderings or screen captures have not been saved as of yet.

WEST LOT

only design sketches of a house section so far and the general layout. it will be modeled out in the next week. the design will incorporate efficient design, a small footprint, solar design and green/sustainable building techniques. the homes will also include the building shell built by professionals with an open floor plan that the prospective owners could design and build themselves. this will give the new owners, or renters, an opportunity to get exactly what they need and will give pride in ownership for the home, very important for affordable housing, low-income, and section8 housing.

POWER

for the main buildings depicted here, approximate power usage is 600 kW. this includes office space, retail and especially cafe's and restaurants, which use a great deal of power, mostly for AC and appliances. for the PV panels depicted in the model, shown below, that works out to be  (5 panels/kW, or 2.5 panels/kW for the panels shown below)  1500 panels. add usage for a community center, electric car rental, electric bike rental, etc and we would an additional 2500 panels. breaking this up with added wind turbines and flex sheet generation, we will be able to compensate and accommodate all of the complex's power needs, even at peak load times. a smart grid is also a suggested alternative to maximize power usage and distribute evenly and where it is needed most.