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

摘要

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.