IO1 Module

“Design for the future”

by Quarter Mediation
Table of Contents
Cities for the Future – Intelligent and Smart Design .................................................................. 2
Introduction............................................................................................................................ 2
Energy neutral buildings............................................................................................................. 4
Introduction............................................................................................................................ 4
Building materials ................................................................................................................... 6
Air flow ................................................................................................................................... 7
Lighting ................................................................................................................................... 9
Heat pump ............................................................................................................................ 10
Case study – Energy Academy Building................................................................................ 11
Smart grid ................................................................................................................................. 13
Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 13
Internet of Things ................................................................................................................. 15
Transition to Smart Grid ....................................................................................................... 16
Microgrids............................................................................................................................. 17
Energy optimization ............................................................................................................. 18
Distributed energy resources ............................................................................................... 19
Case study - EnTranCe .......................................................................................................... 20
Circular economy...................................................................................................................... 21
Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 21
Cradle to Cradle .................................................................................................................... 23
MVO Gids.............................................................................................................................. 25
Case study – Climatex LifeCycle “Waste Equals Food” ........................................................ 27
References ................................................................................................................................ 28
Quiz........................................................................................................................................... 32
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 34

1
 Design for the future
Cities for the Future – Intelligent and Smart Design

Introduction
The City of the Future is designed in such a way that everything – from the energy grid to the very
architecture – is interconnected and city operations are performed in order to increase efficiency and
address issues related to the environment (with a focus on sustainability), economy (with a focus on
circular economy) and society. Also known as a Smart City, the main goal the City of the Future is to
enhance the quality of life of its inhabitants as well as provide efficient solutions for the economy,
energy management, health care, transportation etc [1].

In 2014, the United Nations estimated that by 2050, around 66% of the world population will live in
urban areas [2]. Furthermore, cities consume around 75% of the total energy produced which
generates close to 80% of the world-wide greenhouse gases [3], [4]. This means that designing efficient
cities is paramount for our future, as population continues to grow, urbanization to increase and
energy sources to deteriorate.

A Smart City has four main characteristics: quality of life, sustainability, urbanisation and smartness.
While designing the City of the Future, these characteristics need to be kept in balance, and – at the
same time – their effectiveness maximised.

In order to achieve the four characteristics, a Smart City can be seen as being built on four pillars. The
first pillar, institutional infrastructure, integrates organizations from all sectors (public, civil, private
etc.) to ensure interoperation between services [4]. The second pillar, physical infrastructure, makes
sure that all resources are used in a sustainable way in order to continue the operations also in the
future. The third pillar, social infrastructure, aims to supply inhabitants with all they need to utilize and
grow their potential and live a high-quality life. The fourth pillar, economic infrastructure, makes use
of concepts such as circular economy, e-commerce and others that allow the Smart City to flourish.

By the end of this module, you will learn:

• how the City of the Future can be designed;

• which elements are crucial for the City of the Future;
• how interoperation between different services can be ensured;
• how can resources be used in a sustainable way;
• how can a sustainable life be ensured;
• what role does circular economy play in the design and development of the City of the
Future.

2
Source: https://internetofbusiness.com/global-smart-city-platform-market/

3
Energy neutral buildings

Introduction
Energy neutral buildings (or zero net energy buildings) are represented by a method of construction
and design that has as and end goal to create an energy-efficient building connected to the gird, able
to generate its own energy to compensate for the energy demand it creates [5], [6]. This means that
the energy neutral buildings have net zero energy consumption, which translated to the fact that the
total energy required on a yearly basis is nearly equal to the amount of renewable energy generated
on-site or nearby.

Energy neutral buildings efficiently make use of renewable energy generation in order to utilize as
much energy as can be produced locally. Even though achieving a complete balance between the
energy production and consumption is difficult, this is becoming an increasingly attainable objective
that is gaining more and more traction in different parts of the world [7].

Private commercial property owners are becoming increasingly interested in establishing Energy
neutral buildings to satisfy their corporate goals, while government are moving toward energy
neutral building targets in response to regulatory obligations [6].

Although energy neutral buildings are most frequently associated with commercial buildings, any
structure, including residential houses, can be energy neutral, as the principle is scalable and relevant
to nearly any type of structure, whether it is a large multi-use facility or a small home [6], [7]. The
concept can even be used to complete net-zero towns and institutions.

4
Source: https://www.energyintime.eu/nearly-zero-energy-standard-2050-eu-half-dream-half-reality/

5
Building materials
The creation of building materials and goods requires raw materials and energy in the form of timber,
stone, minerals, chemicals and electricity, oil, coal, gas respectively [8]. The manufacturing and
transportation of building materials are closely tied cause greenhouse gas emission which, in turn, lead
to related environmental consequences [8], [9].

Excessive use of energy-intensive materials and overexploitation can deplete both energy and
material resources, as well as cause harm to the environment. Also, meeting the ever-increasing
demand for buildings solely with energy-efficient traditional materials and construction methods is
not easy.

This is why there is a demand for building solutions that are long-term, environmentally friendly as
well as energy-efficient. In order to meet these goals, the most efficient use of available energy
resources and raw materials is required [8].

The following concepts represent sustainable alternatives to construction technologies [8]:

• Conservation of energy,
• Minimization of materials that require high energy input,
• Minimization of transportation and increase in the use of local resources and materials,
• Optimal utilization of local skills and decentralized production,
• Inclusion of industrial wastes in the production process of building materials,
• Reuse and recycling of wastes resulted from building,
• Use of renewable energy sources.

Some examples regarding low-carbon alternatives for building materials and technologies can be
found below [8], [9]:
• Blended cements,
• Stabilized mud blocks for masonry,
• Compacted fly ash blocks,
• Rammed earth walls,
• Low energy intensity floor and roofing systems,

Source: https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/building-sustainability-changing-the-way-we-
look-at-construction-materials/

6
Air flow
Buildings with natural ventilation have the potential to save considerable amounts of cooling and fan
electrical energy [10]. There are two types of air flow in an energy neutral building: natural
ventilation and mechanical ventilation.

Natural ventilation makes use of natural forces such as temperature and wind to facilitate air flow
and exchange of air in a building. Mechanical ventilation, on the other hand, makes use of electric
fans to direct and control the air flow in a building. Mechanical ventilation is able to provide a
constant air flow and ait exchange, regardless of weather conditions, but consumes electrical energy
and requires a periodical change of ventilation filters, which are a source of pollution. [10]–[12]

When it comes to air flow and natural ventilation in an energy neutral building, there are two main
ventilation concepts [13]:

1. Provide adequate indoor air quality without the use of electricity to facilitate air movement,
2. Improve daytime air speed and high night ventilation rates for thermal comfort in the
summer.

The biggest disadvantage is the recovering winter heat from warm indoor air. However, the key
benefit is the ability to achieve high ventilation rates for cooling in the summer without using any
electricity, which leads to more energy savings [13].

7
Source: https://www.velux.com/what-we-do/research-and-knowledge/deic-basic-
book/ventilation/ventilation-and-ventilation-systems?consent=none&ref-
original=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.nl%2F

8
Lighting
Natural lighting should be utilized in all energy neutral building designs. After optimizing and
maximizing the level of lighting achieved by natural light, task lighting should be added in areas such
as kitchen counters, bathrooms, offices etc.

Energy neutral buildings make use of natural light as much as possible by having windows
strategically placed in living areas. When it comes to artificial lighting, new and energy-efficient
lighting should be used that have the potential to reduce the energy consumption [14].

This makes light emitting diodes (LEDs) the go-to choice, as they are the most efficient and longest
lasting light sources available [15], [16]. Another advantage of LEDs – besides the fact that they save
energy and reduce lighting costs – is the fact that they also remove mercury exposure that happens
when using fluorescent bulbs [14].

The way LEDs create light differs from that of other lighting technologies. In a traditional
incandescent lamp, a tungsten filament is heated by electric current until it glows and emits light
[17]. In an fluorescent lamp, an electric current drives the gas to generate ultraviolet (UV) radiation,
which hits the phosphor coating inside the glass cover and makes it generate visible light [17].

A LED, however, is a semiconductor diode, a device that only permits current to flow in one direction,
built from a semiconductor material designed to form a positive-negative (P-N) junction structure
[16], [17]. Once a current is applied on the P-N junction, the excess electrons (which are negatively
charged) move to the positive side and the excess particles from the positive side (known as “holes”)
move to the negative side. At the P-N junction, the holes and electrons interact, which releases
energy in the form of light [17].

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/How-an-LED-Works-3-Figure-3-is-an-oblique-X-ray-
micrograph-of-a-through-hole-white-LED_fig2_267920231

9
Heat pump
Heat pumps are outside units that are part of a heating and cooling system. It is able to both heat
and cool a home. A heat pump works by absorbing heat from the cold air outside and transfers it
inside the house in the winter, and in the summer by removing heat from inside the house and
transferring it outside. Heat pumps run on electricity and – through a refrigerant agent – transmits
heat to provide comfort [18]. Also, unlike furnaces, that do not use fossil fuels for heating, making
them environmentally friendly and crucial for energy neutral buildings.

Heat pump systems represent a cost-effective way to recover heat from various sources not only in
the residential sector, but also in the commercial and industrial sectors [19]. With the increase in
energy costs, heat pumps play a key role in energy saving and cost reduction.

Advanced cycle designs for both heat- and work-actuated systems, enhanced cycle components
(including working fluid choice), and maximising utilisation in a wider variety of applications have
been the focus of recent advancements in heat pump systems [19].

When compared to electric resistance heating such as furnaces and baseboard heaters, today's heat
pump can reduce heating costs up to 50% [20]. In the summer, high-efficiency heat pumps
dehumidify better than typical central air conditioners, resulting in lower energy use and more
comfort.

Source: https://riverreporter.com/stories/the-heat-pump-basics,41466

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Case study – Energy Academy Building
Energy is an important industry in the world economy as well as in the Dutch economy. The
Netherlands is one of the world's top eight gas producers, and one of the top two in Europe [21].
Since the 1950s, energy has been at the heart of economic development and knowledge-based
activity in the Northern Netherlands [21]. In the fields of gas, steady power supply, and the
integration of renewable energy into the energy distribution chain, the region plays a leading role.

The Energy Academy Europe, a new institute in the Netherlands where education, science and
business collaborate on energy research and innovation, aspired to build on these strengths within
existing business and knowledge infrastructures in order to become an international hotspot in the
field of energy education entrepreneurship, innovation and research. The Energy Academy Europe's
goal is to make a substantial contribution to the energy transition in order to assist and expedite the
transition to a more sustainable energy future [21].

The building has a unique design with a big solar roof to accomplish the sustainable energy
principles. The almost 15.000 square meters building was completed in October 2016 in the Zernike
Campus in Groningen and received a BREEAM rating of ‘Outstanding’ [22].

The new structure is intended to encourage people to collaborate, share ideas, be creative, and
produce energy. The innovative design illustrates how a structure may make the most of natural
resources such as soil, water, air, and sunshine as a major source of energy. Its roof is covered with
solar panels which are used to capture solar energy to its maximum potential. The solar panels
provide not only electricity, but they are also arranged to ensure maximum natural illumination. This
outer layer provides the building a distinctive look, calling attention to the building's revolutionary
energy management system [23].

The Energy Academy Europe is a place for entrepreneurs, professionals, students and researchers
from the Netherlands and around the world to collaborate, inspire, and – most importantly –
stimulate the development of a more suitable and sustainable international energy supply for future
generations.

11
Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/409827634835087558/

12
Smart grid

Introduction
In the City of the Future, the smart grid is a form of digital technology that enables two-way
communication between customer and utility through the energy transmission lines [24]. Similar to
the way the internet works, the Smart Grid is made up of interconnected equipment, automated
technologies and computers that interact on the electrical grid to adapt and respond to the demands
in energy [24].

Increasing energy efficiency and accelerating renewable energy production represents one of the top
priorities for people and organisations around the world [25]–[28]. In order to achieve this goal, the
implementation of Smart Grid systems plays an important role as they do not necessarily involve the
replacement of the existing network, but it combines hardware and software elements to
significantly improve the way the current system is operating while also offering the possibility of
further upgrading [29]–[32].

Smart Grids can provide electricity using digital technology and can also integrate renewable energy
giving the possibility to the consumers to reduce their consumption during peak hours by adapting
the amount taken from the network to personal needs [25], [29]. Therefore, Smart Grid technology
can revolutionize the industry by lowering power consumption by up to 30%, which also reduces the
need to build new power plants [33].

As the fossil fuels are harmful to the environment by polluting not only the air, but also the soil,
water, vegetation and buildings, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy are used
more and more nowadays as they are environmentally friendly in comparison with the conventional
energy sources [34]. However, because renewable energy sources are intermittent, Smart Grids are
essential due to their flexibility, compatibility with the existing infrastructure, as well as safety and
high efficiency [33].

The implementation of Smart Grid systems plays an important role as they do not necessarily involve
the replacement of the existing network, but it combines hardware and software elements to
significantly improve the way the current system is operating while also offering the possibility of
further upgrading [29]–[32].

13
Source: https://blog.phoenixcontact.com/marketing-sea/2017/04/smart-grids-how-automation-
empowers-the-future-of-electricity/

14
Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT), is a recent paradigm that refers to the billions of physical objects linked
to the internet that collect and exchanging data all over the world [35]. The goal of the Internet of
Things is to have everyday objects equipped with microcontrollers and transmitters that will enable
them to communicate with each other and with the user [36], [37].

In the City of the Future, the Internet of Things can to optimize the administration of conventional
public services such as transportation and parking, upkeep of public spaces, sanitation and safety
[37]. Also, the Internet of Things can be used to establish new services, improve governmental
transparency and raise citizen awareness of the state of their city [38].

The Internet of Things can bring benefits on three main impact areas [39]:

• Transport,
• Citizens,
• Services.
When designing the architecture for the Internet of Things in the City of the Future, there are two
main approaches [40]:

1. Evolutionary approach,
2. Clean-slate approach.

The evolutionary approach refers to making modifications to the current network and reuse as many
elements as it is possible from the existing systems. The clean-slate approach, however, refers to the
creation and total reconfiguration of the network without regard for the existing structure. [39]

Source: http://comtech2.com/internet-of-things/

15
Transition to Smart Grid
The city of the Future is built on top of multiple pillars that have a crucial role in the transition
towards a sustainable urban lifestyle, namely governance, transportation, economy and energy [41].

Crating a smart City of the Future is natural outcome that arises from the Smart Grid, the energy
infrastructure being system being one of the most important components that help a city be
sustainable and create a cleaner environment for its residents [41]–[43].

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_grid

16
Microgrids
Microgrids are a form of decentralized and self-sufficient energy systems that supports a relatively
small area, such as a neighbourhoods, hospital complexes and campuses [44], [45]. Microgrids are
powered by one or more types of distributed energy, such as wind and solar generators in
combination with energy storage facilities [45].

Traditional grids move electricity form a central point across large distances via transmission and
distribution lines which can lead to a loss of power between 8 and 15% [45]. Microgrids, on the other
hand, avoid this waste of energy by generating electricity close to the consumers. Also, microgrids
are able to disconnect from the main grid and run independently. This enables them to continue to
provide electricity to their consumers in the event of a power loss caused by natural disasters [45].
Furthermore, microgrids have advanced system controllers that supervise and manage all individual
parts such as generators and batteries [45], [46].

One of the most important characteristics of a microgrid is flexibility. This refers to the fact that –
through the advanced system controllers – it can handle the addition of new elements such as extra
consumers, generation or storage units, without losing system reliability [31], [43], [47].

Source: https://microgrid-symposiums.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Americas1-
X_Dobriansky_20190727.pdf

17
Energy optimization
Energy optimization refers to how is the energy used in order to optimize advantages for people and
the environment.

When the electricity system was built, reliability was guaranteed by excess system capacity and
having energy flow in one direction from power plants to consumer [48]. Nowadays, however, the
increase in population and energy demand resulted in an unstable and inefficient system [49].

This is why, in the City of the Future, effective real-time administration and monitoring of the grid is
required. This can be achieved via the following mechanisms and technologies [48]:

• Smart metering
• Smart appliances
• Demand side response
• Dynamic real-time pricing
• Efficient management of energy sources (conventional and renewable)
• Efficient management of excess power

Smart Grids can be efficiently used by coordinating the appliances used by each household, as well as
managing the peak loads [50]. A way to do that is by implementing sensor networks able to
communicate to each other at all times together with an ICT power management algorithm, able to
control and monitor many types of energy networks such as the web-based Smart Grid (or Smart
Grid 2.0) [51]. The use of interconnected sensor networks leads to the Internet of Energy concept
where the grid is considered a data communication network consisting of Home areas,
Neighbourhood areas and Wide areas networks [52].

Source: https://www.kamstrup.com/en-en/electricity-solutions

18
Distributed energy resources
Distributed energy resources are directly linked to low and medium voltage power generation
networks and it contains power generation units, as well as energy storage technologies [53]. They
are a cost-effective alternative to large power plants and high-voltage transmission lines, as they
offer energy independence, high energy efficiency and increased system reliability [54].

Distributed energy systems offer flexibility, proximity, and networking capacity in order to meet the
challenge of sustainable development. The scalability and capacity to use diverse energy conversion
technologies and fuels are also linked to the flexibility of distributed energy systems [55].

The four main benefits of having distributed energy resources are as follows [53]:

• Higher energy efficiency

• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
• Minimization of health risks
• Conservation of resources

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364032109002561

19
Case study - EnTranCe
The Centre of Expertise Energy, or EnTranCe, is an initiative from the north of the Netherlands that
helps to accelerate the transition to clean, renewable, and cost-effective energy. The expertise
centre brings together scientists, students, entrepreneurs, corporations, governments, and social
institutions to exchange their knowledge and work towards making breakthroughs in the topic of
energy transition as well as enhancing the regional knowledge economy [56].

EnTranCe is a public-private collaboration that allows for open knowledge exchange. The notion of
open innovation is being implemented here, with innovative ideas being shared with businesses,
government agencies, and social organisations. EnTranCe accelerates the energy transition and
improves the knowledge economy in the north of the Netherlands through promoting innovation.

EnTranCe's energy study is primarily focused on towns, districts, neighbourhoods, and businesses.
This is the point at which large-scale energy providers and infrastructure collide with small-scale,
local energy efforts in order to enable a smooth transition to a stable renewable energy source [56].

Source: https://nl.linkedin.com/company/entrance-centre-of-expertise-energy

20
Circular economy

Introduction
Circular Economy explores the linear and open-ended features of modern economic systems by
detailing how natural resources impact the economy by supplying inputs for production and
consumption as well as functioning as a sink for outputs in the form of waste [57]. Within this
concept, the planet is described as a closed, circular system with limited assimilation capacity, and is
stated that the economy and the environment should coexist in harmony [57], [58]. This concept is
often described as being restorative or regenerative by intention and design [59].

Circular Economy is a popular concept promoted by the EU, national governments and numerous
businesses around the world that has been slowly gaining momentum since the 1970s [60], [61]. The
main issue, however, is that the scientific content on this topic is not well-organised, meaning that
Circular economy is currently seen as a collection of separate ideas from various fields, rather than
an established scientific concept [62]. Although the words Circular Economy and sustainability are
gaining popularity among academics, politicians and businessmen, the parallels and distinctions
between the two ideas are still unclear, the link not being explicitly stated in the literature [59]. This
distorts their conceptual boundaries and limits the usefulness of employing them in study and
practice.

The practical applications of Circular Economy have grown to include various aspects and features
related to industrial processes and economic systems, such as [58], [63]:

• Resource efficiency,
• Waste reduction,
• Employment creation at regional level,
• Dematerialisation of the industrial economy.

The ultimate goal of Circular Economy is closing loops in the industry and reduce waste to transform
resources that have reached the end of their lives into resources for others [63]. The transition to a
Circular Economy model will lead to an increase in the employment rate of around 4% and a
reduction in the greenhouse gas emission of around 70% [63], [64].

21
Source: https://kenniskaarten.hetgroenebrein.nl/en/knowledge-map-circular-economy/what-is-the-
definition-a-circular-economy/

22
Cradle to Cradle
Cradle-to-Cradle came as a solution of the transformation of human industry through ecologically
intelligent design aimed to significantly reduce negative environmental impacts.

C2C is a concept of total recycling through design. The product is conceived so that the cost of
recycling is lower than the cost of buying new material. It is at start a focus of a company to increase
competitivity by reducing the costs and transforming a product orientated approach into a service
platform. C2C is a circular paradigm in its essence with a redesign of the product (which becomes a
service), a redesign of the production platform able to recycle, a redesign of the distribution and re-
acquisition network and the development of value added services attached to a virtual product.

Circular Economy is a concept of company integration in the objective of reusing the waste of a
company as a resource for another one. The issue with circular economy is that it belongs to the
linear paradigm (vs the circular one) which intends to close a linear process with different specialized
actors in charge of recycling. In this case companies will not redesign the product in order to leverage
re-acquisition of the product and recycle everything but create partnerships resulting mainly in
finding a complementary revenue in the waste produced [65].

There is high confidence that in the near future Europe will face unprecedented negative
environmental impacts such as:

• higher risk of inland flash floods, increased frequency of coastal flooding and erosion
resulting from storms and sea level rising,
• Europe's mountainous regions will face glacier retreat,
• winter tourism will be reduced along with snow cover,
• under high emissions scenarios, up to 60% of species will be lost by 2080,
• water availability, hydropower potential and crop productivity in general will be diminished,
• health risks resulting from heat waves and wildfire frequency are also projected to increase.

Cradle-to-Cradle rather than Cradle-to-Grave is a globally recognized measure for safer, more
sustainable products made for the circular economy with a focus on remaking the way we make
things.

Cradle-to-Cradle – a holistic, economic, industrial and social framework that seeks to create systems
that are not only efficient but also essentially waste free – has a very inspiring motto: “Be beneficial
to people, planet and profit rather than less bad.”

23
Source: https://mcdonough.com/cradle-to-cradle/

24
MVO Gids
MVO Gids Noord Nederland (EN: CSR Guide) is an entrepreneurial platform and a source of
information and help for start-ups and organizations in the Netherlands that are actively involved in
corporate social responsibility and work [66], [67]. The MVO Gids app's major goal is to provide
businesses the chance to promote themselves on sustainability, and it can assist organizations that
work with youth learners in attracting and involving them in entrepreneurial education for a variety
of purposes. Furthermore, the app aids in the development of sustainability consciousness, and
members of working groups perceive more chances for sustainability in their organization [67].

The MVO Gids is developed by the CSR Alliance North Netherlands for entrepreneurs, with the aim
to:

• find and connect,

• unlock information about sustainability,
• spot start-up companies that are actively working with Corporate Social Responsibility,
• using others' best practices as an example,
• get an overview of who is doing what in the North with regard to sustainable
entrepreneurial initiatives.

The main benefits for businesses registered in the MVO Gids:

1. make business image more sustainable,

2. marketing and communication CSR as a selling point,
3. use information in procurement and tenders,
4. internal sustainability awareness and proud employees,
5. generate business through companies in the directory,
6. strengthen and expand networks,
7. leverage Regional Community with National Exposure,
8. interaction with Vocational Education,
9. easier collaboration with other entrepreneurs,
10. development and innovation in line with UN goals.

The quality of the CSR guide is guaranteed by the fact that only businesses with a CSR certificate are
accepted [68]. On the other hand, as CSR certificate is a basic certificate, it can be also achieved by
small organizations and young start-ups. In the Netherlands, the CSR certificates are awarded by the
CSR alliance and can be requested via the web portal MVOgids.nl.

The good practice on circular economy, social entrepreneurship and the MVO gids app can help
create a better link between start-ups and entrepreneurial education for different reasons [66]. First
of all, the idea of the app represents a good tool to share information on other businesses and
entrepreneurial ideas, developing awareness on business opportunities through the mobile phone, a
simple and ubiquitous tool that is part of our everyday life. As a consequence, users can learn about,
and be inspired from the positive values involved in these companies, which share their nature of
social entrepreneurships. Last but not least, the idea of circular economy can be used to attract the
target group toward a growing and ecological market [67].

25
Source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.appstones.mvo&hl=en&gl=US

26
Case study – Climatex LifeCycle “Waste Equals Food”
According to the Cradle-to-Cradle framework, products should be developed to regenerate the
environment as biological nutrients or to revive industries as technological nutrients. Rohner Textil
(now owned by DesignTex) worked with William McDonough and Michael Braungart to create a fully
biodegradable cloth that can be used in the garden after usage [69].

Due to the problematic colours used in the product, product leftovers were formerly classified as
hazardous waste in Switzerland. Using the Cradle-to-Cradle philosophy of "waste equals food,"
McDonough and Braungart looked for materials that were "safe enough to eat" to use in the fabric
[69]. Therefore, they demanded the complete component composition from suppliers in order to
determine their level of healthiness. As a result, only one supplier (Ciba-Geigy) agreed to disclose its
proprietary dye compositions. From these only 16 nontoxic colours were chosen for the fabric line
rebuilding out of hundreds of chemicals evaluated [69].

The fabric resulted from this is called Climatex® LifeCycleTM and is made entirely of natural fibres such
as wool and ramie, as well as nontoxic dyes. Regarding leftovers, they are crushed into a felt-like
material and sold as mulch to local farmers and gardeners instead of going to the landfill.

Climatex Lifecycle accounted for a third of Rohner's $8 million in revenues by 2002. Rohner Textil's
waste disposal expenses were substantially lowered since he no longer had to pay to ship trimmings
to Spain as hazardous waste, or to have them burnt in a Swiss-approved incinerator, or to have them
recycled [69]. By reducing the dye list and eliminating the requirement for dye filtration, overall
manufacturing costs were reduced.

Source: https://www.climatex.com/en/sustainability/cradle-to-cradle/

27
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Quiz

1. Select from the list below the word that does not represent a characteristic of a Smart City:
a. sustainability
b. urbanisation
c. empathy
d. smartness

2. Which of the following is a ventilation process related to air flow and natural ventilation in
an energy neutral building?
a. use of renewable energy sources
b. provision of adequate indoor air quality without the use of electricity to facilitate air
movement
c. reuse and recycling of wastes resulted from building
d. inclusion of industrial wastes in the production process of building materials

3. The acronym LED stands for:

a. linear efficient diodes
b. low energy density
c. label elementary design
d. light emitting diodes

4. Which of the following does not consists an advantage of a Smart Grid?

a. can provide electricity using digital technology
b. completely reforming the existing electrical grid is extremely expensive and time
consuming
c. gives the possibility to the consumers to reduce their consumption of energy during
peak hours
d. allows the adaptation of the amount of energy taken from the network to personal
needs

5. What is a Smart appliance?

a. appliance that can shut off in response to frequency fluctuations
b. appliance that can execute special protection schemes in microseconds
c. appliance that detect fluctuations and disturbances and can signal for areas to be
isolated
d. appliance that help saving money

6. To which of the impact areas listed below the Internet of Things does not bring direct
benefits?

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 a. transport
b. citizens
c. education
d. services

7. Traditional grids are defined as grids able to:

a. disconnect from the main grid and run independently
b. move electricity from a central point across large distances, via transmission and
distribution lines that can cause a loss of power
c. avoid the waste of energy by generating electricity close to the consumers
d. continue to provide electricity to their consumers in the event of a power loss caused
by natural disasters

8. Select from the list below the aspect that does represent a practical application of Circular
Economy:
a. computer software creation
b. local politics debate
c. waste reduction
d. school curriculum efficiency

9. The motto “Be beneficial to people, planet and profit rather than less bad” belongs to:
a. Circular Economy concept
b. Cradle-to-Cradle concept
c. Internet of Things paradigm
d. Smart Grid technology

10. Which of the following is not an aim of the MVO Gids developed by the CSR Alliance North
Netherlands for entrepreneurs?
a. spot start-up companies that are actively working with Corporate Social Responsibility
b. help start-up companies design and write their business plan
c. unlock information about sustainability
d. get an overview of who is doing what with regard to sustainable entrepreneurial
initiatives

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Conclusion
Congratulations for completed the Module “Design for the future” and acknowledging that
the main goal of the City of the Future is to enhance the quality of life of its inhabitants, as
well as provide efficient solutions for the areas related to economy, energy management,
health care and transportation.
You are now able to understand how the City of the Future can be designed and which
elements are crucial for the City of the Future. Moreover, you learned how interoperation
between different services can be realised, how resources can be used in a sustainable way
and how a sustainable life can be ensured. Finally, you are now aware of the role Circular
Economy plays in the design and development of the City of the Future and able to incorporate
Circular Economy aspects in your own enterprise.

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