Rotating Solar-Powered Skyscraper

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.'"

Comments

Energy cost?

[Kamineko]

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

Re:Energy cost?

[afaik_ianal]

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.

wait a sec...

[David_Shultz]

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)?

Re:for cheapskates only

[bahstid]

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.

Interstructure

[camperdave]

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.

Re:Interstructure

[mrchaotica]

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...

Re:Interstructure

[Surt]

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.

Sponsored by the local cable TV franchise

[Sloppy]

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

Re:And the point is?

[maglor_83]

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

Re:Sorry - you're a bit new, I assume.

[x2A]

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.

Re:Perpetual Shadow

[x2A]

"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 :-)

Re:Sorry - you're a bit new, I assume.

[smithmc]

  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.