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■工程師托利亞斯在節能大樓樓頂檢視太陽能板的運作。
Proponents of green energy received a boost Thursday with the inauguration of an innovative building its designers say could be among the most energy efficient in the world.
The five-story structure in southern Athens produces zero emissions, uses no fossil fuel and meets virtually all its own energy demands -- in winter and in summer -- thanks to a computerized system that draws on both solar and (1) geothermal sources. It even produces electricity on the side, some for selling back to the state.
Four years in the making, the project should give a badly needed boost to the country's promises to increase its energy efficiency and produce more power from renewables.
The building's exterior resembles any suburban block of flats, with balconies and graceful iron railings -- apart from photovoltaic glass panels and a huge mural of (2) Prometheus. The basement control room is filled with pipes, pumps and dials.
A three-way production system combines rooftop (3) photovoltaic cells, geothermal pumps and absorption chillers that convert hot water, stored in huge concrete tanks, to cold for space cooling in summer. It also includes underfloor and in-wall heat exchangers and 900 sensors that monitor carbon monoxide, temperature and humidity levels in each room.
The system covers 95 percent of its energy needs, including all its heating and cooling.
Once installation costs are paid in seven to 10 years, the building's costs will be virtually nil. Such cost savings are critical for end-users like hotels and public buildings. ■AP
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