The Transition from Oil to Free Energy…
Posted 26 May 2011, by Jason Immaraju, Day Glo (Blog), jimmaraju.com/dayglo/
Peak oil is defined as the point at which maximum oil production has been reached. This particular point is the center of controversial discussions: optimists affiliated with the industry predict that global peak oil will occur between 2030 and 2035, while other experts in the field claim that it has already peaked in 2006¹. While the official data is yet to be established, it is clear that the world is heading into the post-oil era. This issue is currently generating a multitude of discussions regarding changing the consumption attitudes of the developed and developing countries whose lives depend on the seemingly endless oil supply streaming from the invisible spigot.
Crude oil is not only the basis for transportation uses but also the integral ingredient for plastics, building materials, fertilizers, synthetic textiles and countless others. This commodity is completely integrated in our contemporary lifestyle, and petroleum-based products will inevitably become more expensive and scarce due to rising oil prices and slower rates of production.
Furthermore, oil is the source of the historical geopolitical tension that has gripped the global community. Modern warfare and threats of mass destruction all hinge on the control of oil resources. Only the elite civilizations can compete in this deadly battle, as it requires massive amounts of capital and military force to secure, develop, maintain and distribute the black gold. In addition, larger developing nations are experiencing a higher demand rate to support a growing infrastructure and transportation industries.
Locating the project on an oilfield presents a strategic opportunity to address the changing nature and attitude towards oil in the twenty-first century. The juxtaposition of a landscape full of “free energy” derived from the immediate surroundings with the precious crude oil still in the rocks below forms a speculative testing ground for shifting lifestyles. One mediator in this shift is the relatively new process of algae biofuel extraction.
Crude oil is nothing more than ancient algae remains that have been subjected to intense heat and pressure in anoxic subterranean conditions over a long period of time. Since this process is exclusive to certain parts of the planet and not broadly distributed, access is restricted and therefore gives crude oil its value. Algae biofuel, on the other hand, presents exciting opportunities to not only produce a cleaner resource unconstrained by geographical location, but also to fit into a closed loop cycle.
Michael Pawlyn, architectural expert on sustainable environments, explains the benefits of shifting our lifestyles and spaces in a recent TED talk². He explains nature as a “catalogue of products” where the waste of one organism in an ecosystem becomes the nutrient for another. This process of “biomimicry” gives value to the waste that we would usually discard and effectively motivates a more resilient and sustainable system. This shift is what Pawlyn describes as moving from a linear to a closed loop process and presents a massive opportunity in design.
The algae biofuel extraction process fits perfectly into the closed loop model as it requires simple abundant resources (usually in the form of byproducts or waste) found anywhere on the planet to operate: algae, sunlight, carbon dioxide and water infused with nutrients. This simple process can form a cyclical bond with a human and can foster a multiplicity of other connections that can form a stable alternative ecology.
Developing this symbiotic relationship between a human and algae forms the basic architectural proposition for the project: a living lab composed of various closed-loop cycles that form a resilient self-powered ecology in the midst of oil crisis. This system would invariably change the way the occupants live as well as individual subjective attitudes towards energy and the surrounding landscape.
However, the status of the crude oil still present under the oil field needs to be addressed. How does its value change and can it play a part in the new ecology developed above the wells? What do we do with this volatile compound capable of generating large amounts of energy? How will this design decision fit into the transition period from oil to renewable energy?
1. Zittel, Werner and Jorg Schindler. “Crude Oil: the Supply Outlook.” Report to the Energy Watch Group. 2007. See Page 12.
2. Pawlyn, Michael. “Using Nature’s Genius.” TED talk. http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pawlyn_using_nature_s_genius_in_architecture.html, November 2010
