New Skyscraper Creates All Its Own Energy

Dubai is constructing many modern buildings, and one of them Burj al-Taq (‘Energy Tower’) will be self sufficient in producing its own power. The tower boasts a huge wind turbine on its roof and arrays of solar cells that will encompass the building and rooftops. Besides this there are an island of solar panels nearby that provides more energy to the building. Burj al-Taq's cylindrical shape is designed to expose as little surface area to the sun as possible. A protective solar shield reaches from the ground to the roof, covering 60 degrees of the giant circular building. This design helps prevents direct sunlight on to the rooms. There will be a newer designed windows (using vacuum glazing method) which will shield the interior of the tower from outside heat which can reach up to 50 degree Celsius (122 deg Fahrenheit). This new windows will transmit two thirds less heat compared to existing windows. The architect’s inspiration of the building comes from an ancient Persian architectural feature. Lateral openings in the towers suck in cool air like a chimney. The heavier cool air sinks down and displaces the lighter hot air, creating a comfortable temperature inside the living space despite the scorching sun. This will create a natural air conditioned place. Also the sea water is used to pre-cool the air circulated inside the building. There are three large cooling units inside the building which maintains the temperature inside the building to a moderate 18 degree Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Since there are long ducts that channels fresh air inside the building, it doesn’t provide any aesthetic view so they will use high quality ropes to make room for hanging gardens in the building. The building has an underground cooling center that cools the water in the pipelines running through each floor’s ceiling. This is a modern air conditioning system that cools gently without unpleasant air currents, say it is an efficient one than regular air conditioning. The Burj al-Taq is a recent trend in modern skyscrapers to build environmentally friendly buildings. Even though they have abundant oil in the region, the owners want to use natural resources.