03.07.08
A positive-energy building
A building that generates more power than it consumes. While this is typical for, say, buildings that house power plants, it’s unusual for an office building. Note that is being built in the United Arab Emirates, which also is putting a lot of money into green development. Maybe they have some idea of when Peak Oil will happen? The building:
While most green buildings strive to reduce or supplement their power consumption, there has yet to be a building that actually produces more energy than it consumes. Enter the The Masdar Headquarters building outside of Abu Dhabi — the world’s first positive energy building. Even the construction will be eco-friendly, as the first thing to be built will be a solar pier that will provide power for the rest of the assembly. The $300 million, 1.4 million square foot architectural wonder will be the centerpiece of the sustainable, car-free Norman Foster-designed Masdar City, a $22 billion development just outside Abu Dhabi. Absolutely incredible. Inhabitat shares some additional details:
“The building’s aggressive approach to sustainability enables it to offer the lowest energy consumption per square meter for its class, one of the world’s largest integrated photovoltaic systems and the world’s largest solar thermal driven cooling and dehumidification system. The complex will utilize sustainable materials and feature integrated wind turbines, outdoor air quality monitors. Compared with typical mixed-use buildings of the same size, the Headquarters will consume 70 percent less water.”
The United Arab Emirates have been heating things up lately with their green projects. In January, they announced the most ambitious sustainability initiative ever undertaken by a government, with up to $15 billion over five years going to green projects. The way it’s shaping up, the Middle East may become the green capital of the world. Meanwhile, the U.S. is still trying to figure out if it’s a good idea or not.
