Envisioning a green future with minimal carbon emissions at Chunxi market
Jiading is actively promoting green and low-carbon development to build a beautiful district where humans and nature coexist harmoniously.
The district government is striving to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals; promoting the development of renewable energy; creating the Yuanxiang Lake Low Carbon Development Practice Zone while accelerating the construction of three low-carbon communities.
Additionally, Jiading will undertake comprehensive “zero-waste city” construction, exploring new paths for the reduction, resource utilization and harmless treatment of solid waste.
What does a green, low-carbon future community look like?
By choosing a bag of low-carbon coffee beans shipped by sea from Indonesia, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 116 grams. Grinding coffee beans by bicycle reduces it by 6 grams and charging your phone with solar energy reduces it by 11 grams.
Beyond its tangible natural ambiance, the Chunxi market epitomizes green and low-carbon living through the integration of various environmental technologies.
Chunxi market
There is a NEXUS community in Jiading New City that consistently implements green concepts. Every corner and detail of the space reflects a sense of technology and low-carbon environmental protection. The community market, Chunxi, has already been built up and is in operation.
With its steel and wood structure, lush tropical plants, and sunlight streaming through the glass, the Chunxi market exudes a natural ambiance. Two white fans gently rotate, sending waves of comfort and ease throughout the space.
This market is one of the commercial facilities that China Vanke Group has created in the NEXUS development.
The recent Little Forest Bread Festival at Chunxi market drew a steady stream of visitors.
“Rather than calling Chunxi a sales office for the property project, it’s more accurate to say it showcases and embodies a community lifestyle,” said Wu Yiqun, chief partner in charge of building performance at Vanke’s development and operations division.
“Many sales offices today are built lavishly but are demolished as soon as the houses are sold, leading to cost waste and increased carbon emissions.”
With a core value of low-carbon and environmental protection, Vanke has been exploring the topic of the “ideal unit of future cities” since 2018. After years of research and practice, starting with the NEXUS project and expanding from specific points to broader areas, Vanke has found a sustainable development path suitable for communities.
From its inception, the Chunxi market was more than a sales office for the NEXUS project. It embraces the vision of a future market by introducing a diverse array of food and beverage brands and retail shops.
As a brand-new community public space, the market integrates art, nature and life experiences into one, providing residents with diverse shopping and leisure scenes.
In addition to the perceptible natural atmosphere, the building itself embodies the concept of green and low-carbon living, employing various environmental technologies.
A cup of zero-carbon coffee
At the Chunxi market, if you choose a low-carbon mode of transportation, you can use your travel record to exchange for a coffee pack in the Zero-Carbon Coffee area. This pack will indicate the origin of the coffee and the carbon reduction value.
“Coffee production and transportation contribute to various levels of carbon emissions,” Wu said. “We hope to subtly make everyone aware of the importance of energy conservation and emission reduction by offering coffee with a low-carbon footprint.”
Using machines to grind coffee beans into coffee powder also produces some carbon emissions. Therefore, the Chunxi market has introduced a bicycle made primarily of bamboo. Customers can grind coffee beans into coffee powder by riding the bike for one minute. After that, the coffee is prepared by steaming, adding water, and waiting, resulting in a cup of zero-carbon coffee.
Chunxi market has introduced a bicycle, primarily made of bamboo, to grind coffee beans instead of using traditional machines.
“The only step that might consume energy is boiling water, and this energy mainly comes from photovoltaics,” Wu explained.
Moreover, the concept of low material consumption is evident throughout the area. The tables and chairs are made from coffee grounds, apple peels, lemon peels, and tomato residues, while the floral boards are created from recycled cut flower remains.
“All the coffee tabletops, bar counter surfaces and coffee cups contain 30 percent coffee grounds,” explained a staff member at Zero-Carbon Coffee. “We aim to bring the concept of environmental protection to the community residents.”
A green and natural style
As a carbon-neutral building, the hardware design of Chunxi prominently features a green and natural style. The main structure is composed of 93 percent wood and 7 percent steel, replacing traditional steel-reinforced concrete materials.
This design effectively avoids the significant carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production process, combining both environmental functionality and aesthetic appeal.
In the atrium, visitors are greeted by lush southern plants, such as monstera and coffee trees. High side glass windows allow bright sunlight to pour in, making the leaves appear even more verdant and the indoor lighting bright and cheerful. As well as natural lighting, other areas of the Chunxi market use efficient LED lights, reducing the building’s lighting energy consumption by 49 percent.
The building also sets a national precedent by being the first to apply a PEDF (photovoltaics, energy storage, direct current and flexibility) system to a community commercial setting, a project included in the Ministry of Science and Technology’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).
It is a crucial approach to developing low-carbon energy, which involves the installation of photovoltaic panels and storage devices. By utilizing DC (direct current) power, it aims to transform building power systems from rigid to flexible.
After installing rooftop photovoltaic panels, sunlight can be converted into DC power for distribution throughout the building. This setup allows customers to charge their phones using accessible sockets on the steps, thereby reducing energy consumption.
Customers can charge their phones at step-embedded sockets powered by rooftop photovoltaic panels.
“Additionally, the electricity harvested and converted by photovoltaics can be stored and utilized during peak energy consumption periods,” Wu explained.
Looking at the entire NEXUS project, it follows this intelligent low-carbon design logic. It is understood that 40 percent of the roof area in the community will be equipped with photovoltaic power generation equipment, making it one of the largest photovoltaic installed capacity projects in Shanghai’s residential compound projects.
An on-site wet waste processor
How many steps are needed to process wet waste? In NEXUS community, you simply need to put the wet waste into the processor, and then open the machine door to get fertilizer — a process that takes only eight hours.
In the basement of Chunxi market, there is an on-site wet waste processing machine. Using aerobic bacteria and appropriate temperature and humidity, it can convert all the kitchen waste from dining establishments into natural fertilizer, mimicking the natural decomposition process. The wet waste processor can handle 18 tons of wet waste per day, achieving 100 percent localized processing without relying on garbage collection trucks for transportation.
The fertilizer derived from wet waste can supply fertilizer plants, support community green maintenance, or be distributed to residents for growing green plants.
Currently, the NEXUS project is applying to become the first new low-carbon and near zero-carbon community in the industry, with a design carbon reduction of 5,052 tons per year, equivalent to the carbon reduction contribution of 250,000 trees.
As Vanke’s inaugural domestic project under the Future City Ideal Unit Exploration Plan, NEXUS spans nearly 580,000 square meters. It integrates production, living and ecology while seamlessly blending commercial, office and residential functions.
Soon, the art gallery, neighborhood center and sports venue of the project will be gradually opened, collectively creating a new mixed living mode for urban residents.
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