New York City developers are using rooftop wind turbines in an effort to attract buyers by highlighting a building’s green credentials.
A recent example is Pearson Court Square, a 197-unit apartment building in Queens which is adorned with three turbines resembling “huge carbon-fiber strands of DNA strung around a 10-foot mast,” according to the New York Times.
“We anticipated a lot of our tenants would be drawn to something different,” Ron Moelis, principal of L&M Development, the developer of Pearson Court Square, told the Times. The developer has been using sustainable design elements such as solar panels, insulated glass, and super-efficient boilers for many years. This was the developer’s first use of wind turbines.
While conventional turbines require a steady breeze of 10 miles per hour or more, helix-shaped turbines can capture winds from any direction and at lower speeds. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority helped pay about half the $100,000 installation cost and will study the turbines’ efficacy.
Some green advocates bemoan this use of funds, however.
“A tiny windmill on a big building is just silly — it might as well be a pinwheel,” said Russell Unger, executive director of the Urban Green Council. “It’s a lovely idea, if people want to pay for it and test it out, but as far as return on investment goes, it’s a waste compared to more insulation and efficient building systems.”
Related Stories
| Jan 26, 2012
Earthquake 'fuse' could save buildings during temblors
The idea is to use an earthquake "fuse" that can prevent the tiny fractures and warps that make structures unsafe after a quake and very expensive to repair.
| Jan 26, 2012
HPD open materials standard for green building materials gains momentum
GreenWizard, provider of a cloud-based product management and project collaboration software, is the latest industry participant to sign on
| Jan 26, 2012
Siemens launches smoke detection knowledge center
New knowledge center web site demonstrates efficacy of smoke detection.
| Jan 18, 2012
Chile's seismic code upgrades credited with saving lives in 2010 quake
Since 1960, when Chile suffered a 9.5 magnitude quake, the largest ever recorded; the country has steadily improved building codes to protect lives and property.
| Jan 18, 2012
Report analyzes residential hurricane codes in 18 states
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released a new report analyzing residential building codes in 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast.
| Jan 18, 2012
Death in Chicago high-rise apartment fire blamed on fire code
The death of a Chicago woman who stepped off her elevator into a blazing inferno last week has underscored the need for fire sensors in elevators.
| Jan 18, 2012
California approves open cell spray foam for energy efficiency standards
The California Energy Commission (CEC) now recognizes open-cell spray foam as an accepted insulation in its 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
| Jan 5, 2012
Building to LEED standards now an 'easy call' from cost standpoint
Once seen as a cost burden, building to LEED standards is now an "easy call," according to Dan Probst, chairman of energy and sustainability for real estate management and development firm Jones Lang LaSalle.
| Jan 5, 2012
Minnesota's GreenStep Cities program aids communities in winning grants
GreenStep Cities, a Minnesota initiative, was designed to provide greater recognition to the state's communities for achievements in meeting sustainability standards and goals.
| Jan 5, 2012
Some ADA accessibility rules change in 2012
Some changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act go into effect beginning March 15, 2012.
