Ever heard of an energy-positive office building that doubles as a small power plant?
63° north of the Earth’s equator is the world’s northernmost energy-positive office building; that is, it produces more on-site energy from renewables than it consumes. That’s what today’s #buildingheroes have done with Powerhouse Brattørkaia in Trondheim, Norway, where sunlight varies greatly between the seasons – a unique challenge for harvesting and storing solar energy.
Thanks to environmental heroes like Entra ASA, Snøhetta, Skanska & many others, Powerhouse Brattørkaia was awarded BREEAM Outstanding for its ability to give back. Check out these amazing features:
⚡ Generates over 2x as much electricity as it consumes every day, while simultaneously supplying energy to neighbouring buildings, electric buses, cars & boats via a local micro grid.
🔥 Insulation providing maximum efficiency, intelligent air flow solutions reducing the need for heating & heat recovery solutions for ventilating air & greywater. It also uses seawater for heating & cooling.
☀️ A structure made of thermal mass / low-emission concrete and a skewed, pentagonal roof and façade with up to 3,000 m2 of solar panels, positioned strategically to collect as much solar energy as possible.
🌇 An atrium functioning as a public garden with horizontal glass windows providing skylight into the canteen below, as well as large glass windows around the building providing natural daylight & a brilliant view of the city!
What an inspirational project!