????我們上次造訪阿布扎比酋長國沙漠之中的在建節能之城馬斯達爾時，它不過是建筑師們紙上談兵的一項計劃。而如今，馬斯達爾學院（Masdar Institute）已經竣工，而且投入運營，比鄰而居的是西門子（Siemens）中東總部的環保節能大樓，而各類商店和餐館則如雨后春筍般涌現，其中包括一家壽司餐廳、一間書店和一家有機食品超市。迄今為止，相較于傳統的中東樓宇，馬斯達爾的樓宇已成功降低了56%的能源需求以及54%的飲用水需求。最為令人印象深刻的是這座小型城市目前完全實現了可再生能源發電。馬斯達爾的電力供應全部來自一座裝機容量為10兆瓦的本地太陽能光伏電廠以及一套裝機容量為1兆瓦的屋頂式太陽能光伏發電機組。

????馬斯達爾可持續發展部門主管納瓦爾?阿爾-霍薩尼說：“我們在建造城市的過程中不斷進行各種新技術實驗，從中總結經驗。樓宇建造的各個階段環環相扣。”實際上，整個工程的推進相當棘手。舉個例子，阿爾-霍薩尼說，他們原來想要通過搭接城市地下潛水面，而不是從異地運水入城，以達到節約用水（節省開支）的效果——這是中東地區較普遍的做法。而當工程師發現地下水的含鹽量大大超過海水時，他們便改變了方向，目前正在研究如何建造一座太陽能海水脫鹽工廠。

????馬斯達爾的節能成效在很大程度上源自于智能設計。街道的布局緩解了盛夏的日照。步道和廣場也偏離南向而建，而且配有遮陽篷和林蔭。樓宇外部采用反光率最小化的材料。阿爾-霍薩尼稱，這座城市比一般城區要涼快40度。

????馬斯達爾是阿布扎比酋長國政府將石油收益投資于綠色產業的計劃的一部分。人們可以把它堪稱一所將可持續性理念付諸實踐檢驗的實驗室。項目將比預期推遲幾年完成。目前尚不清楚所應用技術是否帶來了經濟回報。但它真正的目標是研究如何將綠色理念付諸于一座宜居的沙漠城市。

????馬斯達爾不僅僅是一座普通的城市，但很多人都忽視了這一點。馬斯達爾學院與麻省理工（MIT）協同合作，擁有337名來自全球各地的碩士研究生和博士研究生，致力于研究進一步實現能源、建筑、水資源和食品可持續發展的方法。馬斯達爾項目旗下的投資公司Masdar Capital在全球范圍內支持清潔技術項目，旨在盡早涉足有前景的新興可持續性技術。馬斯達爾還設立了一項獎金總額為400萬美元的扎耶德未來能源獎（Zayed Future Energy Prize），類似于聞名于世的埃克斯獎（X-Prize）。每年，馬斯達爾將該獎項授予在可再生能源和可持續性領域展現杰出領導力的公司和個人。誰能說得準呢？沒準有一天，這些公司和個人帶來的某些理念就會在馬斯達爾城成為現實。（財富中文網）

????譯者：Ella

????The last time we visited Masdar -- the green city being built in the desert sands of Abu Dhabi -- the project wasn't much more than an architect's scheme. Fast-forward and what you'll find is an operating university, the Masdar Institute, and nearby the energy-saving Middle East headquarters tower of Siemens, plus various shops and restaurants -- including a sushi joint, a bookstore, and an organic supermarket. To date, Masdar's buildings reduce energy demand by 56% and potable water demand by 54% compared to traditional Middle Eastern structures. What's perhaps most impressive is that the small city is currently powered 100% by renewables. Electricity is generated by a 10-megawatt solar PV plant located on-site and a rooftop solar PV installation totaling 1 megawatt.

????Nawal Al-Hosany, the director of sustainability at Masdar says: "As we build the city we're constantly experimenting with a lot of new technology, and we're constantly learning from the process. Each new phase of building enforces the next." Indeed. This is tricky business. As an example, Al-Hosany says that they originally wanted to conserve water (and save money) by tapping the water table beneath the city instead of shipping it in -- which is common in the Middle East. When the engineers found that the groundwater was many times saltier than seawater, they switched gears and are now researching how to build a solar-powered desalination plant for seawater.

????Much of the energy savings at Masdar come from smart design. Street layouts mitigate the effects of the hot summer sun. Walkways and plazas are oriented away from the south and contain awnings and shade trees. Building exteriors use materials to minimize reflected sun. Al-Hosany says the cityscape is as much as 40 degrees cooler than a conventional urban area.

????Masdar is an effort on the part of the government of Abu Dhabi to invest its oil dollars in a greener future. Think of it as a lab where sustainable ideas can be tested. The project will now take a couple of years longer to finish than first thought. And so far, it's not clear whether any of the technology being deployed has an economic payback. The goal, however, is to learn how to integrate green ideas into a livable desert city.

????What many miss is that Masdar is more than a city. At Masdar Institute, a university operated in conjunction with MIT, 337 masters and PhD candidates from all over the world are studying ways to make our energy, buildings, water, and food more sustainable. Masdar Capital, the project's investment arm, backs clean-tech projects around the world, hoping to get in early on promising new sustainable technologies. Masdar even has a $4 million award program -- the Zayed Future Energy Prize -- like the vaunted X-Prize. Each year it recognizes companies and individuals who show leadership in renewable energy and sustainability. And who knows? Maybe someday a few of those notions will end up in Masdar City.