Algae, the new green energy for homes

(25 Apr 2013) GERMANY ALGAE HOUSE
SOURCE: AP TELEVISION
RESTRICTIONS: TECHNOLOGY CLIENTS ONLY
LENGTH: 3:39

Hamburg, Germany, April 25 2013
1. Wide of BIQ house with external algae bioreactors
2. Man taking photo of algae panels
3. Algae is added to a new panel
4. Mid of panels
5. Close of panels
6. Man taking photo of panels
7. Back of panels, bubbles in water
8. Wide low of building
9. Woman posing for photo in front of building
10. Dr Jan Wurm, project leader at ARUP talking to journalist, tilt to building
11. SOUNDBITE: (German), Jan Wurm, BIQ House project leader at ARUP
"What we do is that we create plants on the front of the fa�ade. These microalgae grow very fast, about 10 times faster than terrestrial plants. This happens in a controlled environment in these photobioreactors, which are essentially small aquariums. Now and then we remove some of the algae and get biomass and at the same time we also get heat."
12. Mid of panels
13. Close of panels
14. Mid of building
15. SOUNDBITE: (German), Dr Martin Kerner, scientist at SCC, a partner in the project
"We clearly want to find an alternative to photovoltaics modules. We want to try to find out how you can use light energy in order to produce another type of energy. Currently photovoltaics is the main competitor and we are trying to create an alternative with the bioreactors fa�ade."
16. Tilt down of machinery used to control the bioreactor fa�ade
17. Pull focus of light on machine
18. Close of computer screen
19. Man working at computer
20. SOUNDBITE: (German), Dr Martin Kerner, scientist at SCC, a partner in the project
"The main issue is that we need to reduce the cost of the equipment. Here everything was made to order but if we reach large productions then the costs would naturally also go down which will make the technology more competitive."
21. Pan low shot of building
22. Close of back of panels
23. SOUNDBITE; (German), Marietta Schwarz, voxpop
"This green colour, it feels like a piece of nature on the house. I think it looks great"
24. Close of algae in panels
25. SOUNDBITE (German), Mechthild Chelmuller, voxpop
"I'm very impressed by the design. I think it looks lovely. It bubbles, it moves, it simply looks very nice."
26. Wide of building
LEADIN
Scientists in Germany have created a residential building that will be fuelled by algae.
Two external walls covered in algae will produce heating for the building and will later be harvested and sold.
STORYLINE
This could be how our homes might look in the future.
Here algae is not only encouraged to take over the walls, it's even cultivated in bioreactor panels attached outside.
The scientists behind the project claim that this building, called the BIQ building from Bio Intelligent Quotient, is the world's first building that uses algae to create heating.
Jan Wurm, one of the designers of the building and an associate director at the engineering firm ARUP, one of the partners in the project, explains:
"What we do is that we create plants on the front of the fa�ade. These microalgae grow very fast, about 10 times faster than terrestrial plants. This happens in a controlled environment in these photobioreactors, which are essentially small aquariums. Now and then we remove some of the algae and get biomass. And at the same time we also get heat."
The algae is fed with liquid nutrients and CO2 , and with the added sunlight the process creates energy which can be harnessed to heat the building's 15 apartments.
In the end, the scientists are hoping that the design will create a steady income as well as a source of energy.
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