Title: Exergy landscapes: exploration of second-law thinking towards sustainable landscape design

Authors: Sven Stremke, Andy Van Den Dobbelsteen, Jusuck Koh

Addresses: Wageningen University and Research, Environmental Science Department, Landscape Architecture Chair Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands. ' Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Climate Design & Sustainability Chair Group, P.O. Box 5043, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands. ' Wageningen University and Research, Environmental Science Department, Landscape Architecture Chair Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Abstract: Depletion of fossil fuels and climate change necessitate a transition to sustainable energy systems that make efficient use of renewable energy sources. Recently, the disciplines of building engineering, architecture and urban planning have begun embracing |second-law thinking| to reduce energy consumption in the built environment. Second-law thinking, however, is not yet a part of spatial planning and landscape design. This is especially problematic because the concepts of exergy and entropy are imperative to sustainable development. This paper explores the Laws of Thermodynamics and related concepts to advance the planning and design of sustainable landscapes. We propose a number of exergy-conscious design principles, each one supporting sustainable energy transition.

Keywords: engineering thermodynamics; industrial ecology; low-ex architecture; exergy-conscious; energy-conscious; spatial planning; sustainable design; landscape design; landscape architecture; regional scale; research-by-design; exergy; sustainability; energy consumption; built environment; entropy; sustainable development; sustainable landscapes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2011.038516

International Journal of Exergy, 2011 Vol.8 No.2, pp.148 - 174

Received: 13 Mar 2010
Accepted: 03 Jun 2010
Published online: 10 Feb 2011 *

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