Lots of green news lately has circled around the topic of renewable energy. In fact, even technology news found in science environmental articles have been about solar or wind energy. That is why it is always refreshing to find topics like energy efficiency, recycling, and the like in going green news.
The Pearl River Tower building in Guangzhou, China is set to become the world’s most energy efficient facility, by incorporating wind and solar technologies into its systems.
Jaime Velez of the project’s planner Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, says that since they started the design of the building, production of electricity from natural resources had been kept in mind.
Velez says the wind technology installation included propelling wind turbines as well as wind redirection technology and wind management to help in the steadiness of the facility.
The building is energy-efficient all the way. Electricity is saved by maximizing on natural day lighting, build-up for heat will be reduced in air-conditioned spaces, sunlight will be used for heating the water source; and rainwater will be reused.
According to South China University of Technology Professor Meng Qinglin, buildings use around 40 percent of the world’s electricity, which is why buildings should be energy efficient.
Meng adds that by 2030, Chinese buildings would have used 2.6 billion tons of coal unless control on energy use is exercised.
The Pearl River Tower can lessen carbon emissions by around 3,000 tons annually, which is equivalent to electricity savings of 30.4 percent per year.
The Pearl River Tower is Skidmore’s first green-designed building. Skidmore was responsible for designing Chicago’s Sears and United Arabe Emirate’s Dubai towers. Sears, which is now known as the Willis tower, was the world’s tallest building in the world for over 20 years.
Its restrooms on the 103rd floor 1,353 feet (412 meters) above street level are the highest in the western hemisphere and only exceeded in the world by the Shanghai World Financial Center.
Meanwhile, the Dubai tower is the world’s tallest building at 1,667ft (508 meters), hailed the tallest building in the world in all four categories recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which compiles and ranks the world's tallest buildings. CTBUH ranks buildings on the basis of spire height, the highest occupied floor, roof height and pinnacle height.
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