Twisting Skyscraper Generates Its Own Electricity

Something strange may soon be dotting the skyline100 feet off the ground may sound ridiculous, but
of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. DynamicDynamic Architecture claims that since the facility's
Architecture has plans to build energy efficientfloors move independently, they are safer from
skyscrapers with independently rotating floors thatearthquakes and can be secured in high winds.
will generate electricity for the building's - and theThe cost of construction for such a tower is
surrounding neighborhood's - use.surprisingly low, with the central concrete core being
The skyscrapers are being hailed as a majorbuilt on site and housing the elevators, cables,
breakthrough in green building technology, with eachplumbing and other utilities. Each floor is prefabricated
of its 59 floors unevenly rotating around a concretein a separate factory and transported to the building
central core in the center of the structure, turningsite, thereby reducing construction time and cost.
the wind turbines that are stacked between eachThe floors are installed on the central concrete core
floor. The environmentally friendly building's windfrom the top down, with the average rate of
turbines (50, in total) are exposed to theinstallation being one floor every one to three days.
environmental surroundings, being turned by the windNot only are the wind turbines generating electricity,
and generating a total of approximately 1,200,000but solar panels will also be utilized on the building. In
kilowatt-hours of energy per year. A typical familyall, the architects plan to have an excess of $7 million
consumes around 24,000 kilowatt-hours per year.in surplus electricity each year, which can then be
That means that just one wind turbine in the rotatingsold and become highly profitable.
skyscraper can provide 0.3 megawatts of electricity.Dubai is growing at an alarming rate and is quickly
That's enough energy for about 50 families.becoming a center point for technological innovation.
According to plans, the self-powering structure willIts modern architecture is a major draw for tourists,
have 200 apartments. That means it will take just 4as well as its environmentally conscious construction.
of the 50 wind turbines to provide energy for theAlthough the skyscraper with the electricity
residential needs of the tower. The building plans togenerating rotating floors is not yet being built, they
allocate 4 other wind turbines to contribute theidea is being looked at carefully and may be put into
power of the surrounding neighborhood, and theplace sometime soon. It will be an architecturally
remaining 40 turbines to power between 5 and 10beautiful building that is also a major source of
other skyscrapers.alternative energy.
The idea of living on a high-rise floor that rotates 50 -