solarCity Linz

The solar city in Linz cadastral Pichling ( Ebelsberg ) is incurred on the drawing board district, of the approximately 4,000 people living and provides habitat. The social housing were built in low energy construction, the basic idea in planning was that fossil fuels contribute to the greenhouse effect and therefore their use should be avoided.

In 1990, Linz approximately 12,000 apartment seekers. The space Pichling offered with its generous supply of space, close to the Traunauen with small lakes and the existing residential structure consisting of single-family homes an ideal place to expand the city. The architect Thomas Herzog, who was then the Design Center Linz built, mediated contact with the internationally renowned architect Richard Rogers and Norman Foster. They designed low-cost, energy-efficient homes for the settlement and trusted execution to local architects.

Planning for the project began in 1992, and from 1999 to 1300 homes were built gradually in stages of construction within six years. The total cost of the project amounted to 190 million euros, with nearly two-thirds are attributable to the housing and the cost of infrastructure accounted for only one-third of the total cost.

Infrastructure

Center of the solar city, the town square with a bank, department store, tobacconist and coffee houses dar. To the interpersonal concerns to worry the staff of the district office and the pastoral care / community center. To families and children, the family center, two kindergartens and the school center, which includes a primary school, a secondary school and a nursery are worry. In the north of solarCity directly then there is a recreation room. Since September 2005, the solar city is served by the Linz tram to the public transport network; within half an hour so you get into the city center of Linz.

Supply and disposal concepts

In the spirit of eco-friendly housing development the supply and disposal in the overall considerations in planning the solarCity was involved.

Energy supply

The hot water is produced in solarCity at least one third of all solar energy. The remaining two thirds are covered by district heating.

Sanitation

The majority of the waste water generated is disposed of through the municipal sewage network. A stormwater management system with wells, trenches and retention basins guaranteed seepage of rain water on site.

The alternative sanitation is still in the experimental stage, currently carried out in 88 residential units and the school's disposal by means of urine separation.

Through source separation and collection of waste water from the production of concentrated urine fertilizer is made possible and the remaining wastewater can be cleaned efficiently. For now, may urine after oö. Soil Protection Act are not applied to land, and therefore must currently still be initiated into the public sewer system.

Gray water and sewage are discharged along. Kompostabscheider in the solids are then separated from the liquid. The contents of the separator vorkompostierte is used in agriculture as a fertilizer. The remaining nutrient deficient wastewater is treated in a constructed wetland. If positive flow values ​​of the wetland are present, the introduction of the treated wastewater in the Aumühlbach is sought.

Awards

• Even with a 1998 by the United Nations ( UNCHS ) announced competition to improve the living environment, the solar city has received the award for " best practice".

• An expert jury of the " bremen initiative " has the solar city in April 2001 at the second international conference " business and municipality - new partnerships for the 21st century " is selected in Bremen at the five best projects in the world in Category 1 of the " bremen partnership award".