Taiwan Today

Construction began July 9 on Taiwan’s first 24-hour unmanned public library using solar energy, with Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony. The library, donated to the Taipei City Government by Cheng Fu-tien, late chairman of Motech Industries Inc., will open to the public in Taipei’s Youth Park in June 2010. Hu Shiang-ling, an architect with experience in the design and construction of solar buildings, said solar panels will be installed on the roof of the building, and energy consultants from Germany helped to create optimal designs for the windows, building height and insulation, after considering temperatures, wind direction and humidity in the park. Total floor space will be 200 Pin (661 square meters). Hu said that one square meter of space in a traditionally-designed building consumes 220 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, but the same space in a solar building only uses 70 kilowatt-hours, less than one-third of the energy. Tseng Shu-hsien, director of the Taipei Public Library, said that the first floor of the building will be used as a library, with a common area, children’s area, magazine section, topical book display and a research center. Citizens will be able to use Easy Cards to borrow and return books at anytime of the day or night. The second floor will become an energy conservation exhibition center. (WFW-THN)