Topic: Building low energy consumption buildings in the desert
Brian White
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8013
posted 09 July 2006 12:34 AM
I saw in the paper that dubai has a building boom. Lots of skyscrapers. And you know how in spain, they had those big tall towers where the sun heated a column of air inside and it rose up hundreds of feet and turned turbines? to generate electricity. Why not incorperate that into skyscrapers in hot countrys? You get the heat away from the building and get some energy from it at the same time. 2 ways i can think of would be thermocouples top and bottom of the column with electricity generated directly for the lift system or the big turbine at the top of the column on the sun facing side could be directly driving the frigeration system for cooling the rest of the building during the day. Any thoughts?
From: Victoria Bc | Registered: Jan 2005
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Tommy_Paine
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 214
posted 09 July 2006 07:15 AM
Maybe it would be more efficient to build something that didn't need cooling? Sunlight can be brought underground with fiber optic cables.....
The technology available for new buildings is exciting and amazing, but what frustrates me is the lack of attention paid to retrofitting older structures, particularly residential homes.
I think there would be more cost savings, energy savings and environmental savings if more research was done on efficiently retrofitting older buildings with new technology.
I would guess only a very few live and work in buildings less than ten years old.