The Greenest Tower in the Middle East
The architects responsible for the massive construction projects currently springing up in Dubai have cooked up another good one. This tower, known as Burj Al-Taqa, will produce all of its own energy. Impressive considering it’s in the middle of a scorching hot desert. The roof will be equipped with a massive wind turbine for power, and supplemented by a gargatuan array of solar cells (161,000 sq. ft.), most of which will be floating on an island within sight of the tower:
The architects chose an ancient Persian architectural feature as their model. Hundreds of years ago, wealthy merchants erected wind towers on the roofs of their houses, an idea which was eventually exported to the Arab world. The buildings, which have now become tourist attractions, have a natural air conditioning system. Lateral openings in the towers suck in cool air like a chimney. The heavier cool air sinks down and displaces the lighter hot air, creating a comfortable temperature inside the living space despite the scorching sun.
Gerbers’s design is designed to function in a similar way: The negative pressure created by winds breaking along the tower will suck the spent air from the rooms out of the building via air slits in the façade. The plan is for fresh air to be pumped into the interior of the building by means of a duct system at the same time.
They’re really breaking ground over there in the UAE. In 10 to 12 years, I know exactly where I’ll be vacationing.
Kill-a-watt Energy Monitor
Stephen from Toolmonger just posted a deal on the Kill-a-Watt energy monitor device: $20 from Meritline. We used to have one of these when I was working at the University of Florida and it worked like a champ. It allows you to see what wattage a device is pulling, which is good for determining the real power consumption of that third or fourth PC you have hooked up. As Stephen mentions in the post, this tool allows for an easy “energy audit” of your home. And for geeks like me who’ve got tons of random devices and gadgets all over, you might even save yourself some money.
via Toolmonger