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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.'"

6 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. 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...

  2. 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)?

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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    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...

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  5. 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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