 |
Green Skyscraper: The Bank Of America TowerThe Newest Green Skyscraper 
The Bank of America is going green with a swag of investments in sustainable business totaling $20 billion over the next ten years. The new Bank of America Tower under construction in New York is another major green statement and will set the standard in environmentally friendly skyscraper design. This structure has many features that will reduce the environmental cost of both building and running it. It is projected that the tower will use 50% less water and electricity than a similar size building and will contribute to a cleaner atmosphere through air filtration.The walls will be made of insulating glass, reducing the need for daytime lighting. The lighting that is used will be adjusted according to the brightness of the day so that no excess energy is wasted. The lights themselves will be of the Light Emitting Diode (LED) variety which are very energy efficient. The tower will be equipped with its own 5.1 megawatt gas powered generator that will account for 70% of the tower's power needs. This gas power plant will produce emissions that are cleaner than those from traditional coal power stations. The building will also harness the excess heat given off by the plant to produce ice which will in turn reduce the energy cost of running the building's air conditioning system in the day time. Air circulation in the building will be controlled with Carbon Dioxide monitors, ensuring fresh air to the occupants while avoiding unnecessary power usage associated with continuous operation of the ventilation system. The air will be filtered both on intake and expulsion from the building. Since the filtering process will remove approximately 95% of all particles, the system will result in the air being cleaner when it leaves the building than when it entered. Water conservation has also received a lot of attention in the design. The building will capture and use rain water as well as grey water from wash basins to flush toilets. Waterless urinals and water minimizing fixtures add to the savings. The $1.3 billion USD green skyscraper is due to be completed this year. Return from Green Skyscraper to Future Solar Power Big Projects or return to the Green Planet home page for more Solar Power Facts
|
