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Rotating Solar-Powered Skyscraper

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the backside-apartments-that-never-have-glare dept.

PieEye writes "Wired is pointing out a recent Gear Factor blog entry that highlights a new skyscraper in the works which will be solar-powered, and what's more will rotate with the sun. From the article: 'The completed tower will offer 200 expensive apartments for people who want to spend lots of money to screw up their circadian rhythm. Singh said they want to build many more such towers, with one for every time zone.'"

16 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. I am the only one ... by goodtim · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ... who thinks that building is ugly as hell?

    --
    "Flee at once, all is discovered."
  2. Energy cost? by Kamineko · · Score: 3, Insightful

    With any luck, the power generated by this scheme will almost offset the energy cost of the rotation...

    1. Re:Energy cost? by afaik_ianal · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Since they're probably paying for this with the west's propensity to guzzle oil, I don't think it's for us to tell them how to use or where to get their energy.

      If we were all driving around in solar powered cars, I doubt the concept would even be considered.

  3. wait a sec... by David_Shultz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Don't you hate that time of day when the sun is shining right into your apartment/living room, and putting glare on your monitor/tv? Isn't this going to be a problem for those apartments facing the sun (and turning along with it)?

  4. Re:for cheapskates only by bahstid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I get the feeling that you are going to be the first of a long line of people missing the point, so I thought I'd jump in here... As I understand it, the tower doesn't rotate in order to get more sunlight; it rotates because rotating a building is a cool thing to do. Constantly changing views and all that...

    The solar power part is a way to do this without condeming the tennants to a lifetime of mad energy bills.

  5. Interstructure by camperdave · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hope it rotates only 180 degrees (or less) then rotates back. Rigging plumbing, sewage, power, cable, phone, etc for full 360 degree rotation will be tricky.

    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    1. Re:Interstructure by mrchaotica · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You could build it in sections stacked on top of each other, with each section able to rotate ±30 degrees or so, then (since the bottom section would be fixed), each next higher section would have a greater cumulative maximum angle. This could then be an extra added benefit to the more expensive upper units, because they'd have more variety in the view.

      Of course, the other thing you could do is just put all the mechanical stuff in a non-rotating center column, which would make a heck of a lot more sense anyway because you've got to have at least one set of stairs for the fire escape, and putting that in the rotating part seems pretty stupid...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    2. Re:Interstructure by Surt · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I don't see much of a need for a seal at all: run all your plumbing down hill in a pipe that extends into a gap in the central column, have that gap slope downhill into collector tubes. I guess you might need to flush that once in a while.

      --
      "Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
  6. Sponsored by the local cable TV franchise by Sloppy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I guess directional antennas will have to rotate in the opposite direction.

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    As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
  7. Re:And the point is? by maglor_83 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is Dubai. They don't seem to need a point there.

  8. Re:What about the beds? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    What's worse: Dubai is an Islamic state and therefore most inhabitants will be Muslims. As a good Muslim you have to pray facing towards Mecca, which will be in a different direction all the time...
    Let's see if the architects thought of solving that problem.

  9. Sorry - you're a bit new, I assume. by Khyber · · Score: 1, Insightful

    At a *USUAL* 1600 a pound??? (I've dealt, shaddup,) that's for regular stuff. Most fresh stuff is easily confused for "dro" or "dank" because it's fresher and tastes (to them) better. your 1600 is in reality my 3-4 G's a P. My answer is *HELL YES,* not just yes, even though you said "lowball estimate." I'd have to ask if you really knew what a lowball estimate was in the drug game (try $500 a pound, pal,) Two pounds to maybe three will net you a cool (if homegrown, considering energy costs, nutritional costs, and time spent) an easy $2,000 a pound if you sell it right, PER WEEK. (this assumes a Sea of Green operation, assuming as well awesome strains like big bud.) That's (assume best situation, 3 p's sold per week @ 2,000,) six grand a week, 24 grand a month, over a quarter million per year.

    Your answer, without any apparent personal experience, is somewhat laughable. Most real dealers get far more than 1,600 per pound. No offense, but you're definitely not "in da game."

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    1. Re:Sorry - you're a bit new, I assume. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      I can see you've got personal experience.... from the way you rant and are unable to write coherently. In fact, I got a headache after reading the first couple of sentences. And you completely missed the point - the poster you replied to didn't attempt to show he were "in da game" as you put it, but only to give a conservative estimate to show it was feasible. And people says pot doesn't do you any harm... I might have believed that, if it hadn't been for the fact that every single person I know who admits to smoking it with any regularity are about as incoherent as you.

    2. Re:Sorry - you're a bit new, I assume. by x2A · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I know plenty of people who smoke it who are perfectly coherent, and plenty of people who don't who aren't. Weed doesn't make people stupid, but it can be another thing that can help create complacency in ignorance as that post seemed to demonstrate. But dude, your statements on "smoking pot" demonstrate ignorance on your part. Just because something can be involved in causing harm doesn't mean that it's the cause of the harm, rather than just the tool the person decides to use to achieve what they wanna be anyway.

      --
      The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
    3. Re:Sorry - you're a bit new, I assume. by smithmc · · Score: 2, Insightful

        Your answer, without any apparent personal experience, is somewhat laughable

      No, but your spouting off in a public forum about your illegal drug activities is somewhat laughable. As if dealing drugs, even if (as far as I'm concerned) it ought to be legal, is something to get arrogant and uptight about.

      --
      Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
  10. Re:Perpetual Shadow by x2A · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "Who's going to want to live on weekends-dark section?"

    Sounds good to me, after a long party and not getting to bed until early hours of the... afternoon, the sun can be damn annoying :-)

    --
    The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia