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Eco-Friendly Goes Big in Dubai

by Evan Shamoon on May 15, 2007 at 10:32 AM




It seems that Big Business is finally realizing the power of Mother Nature – like, you know, the big bright yellow star she put in the sky that makes all the plants grow and our skin physically burn and all that. Case in point: Contractors in Dubai have finalized plans for building a skyscraper that generates all of its energy through renewable means.

On top of the tower will be a 200-foot turbine that turns wind into power, while 161,459-square-feet of solar panels will add to the electricity party. Now, it gets hot in Dubai (up to 122-degrees Fahrenheit), so it's a good thing that a massive solar shield will protect the building from the sun, and that vacuum-glazed glass will reduce the amount of heat the skyscraper absorbs.

But that's not all! The main system for cooling the air inside the tower uses a convection system which pulls in cold air at the ground level, and sucks it up through the top of the tower. Underground cooling units will use seawater and will lower the temperature inside to 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

That's some pretty impressive green technology -- next stop, energy-hogging Las Vegas?

From Engadget

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