Parking garages aren't particularly known for their architecture -- or their green design -- but a new parking garage in Chicago is breaking the mold by harvesting power from gusts blowing through the heart of the windy city. The street-facing facade of the Greenway Self-Park features 12 vertical-axis wind turbines that harvest the wind whipping through the city streets. Designed by HOK, the wind-powered garage also features rainwater collection, electric car plug-in stations and placards throughout the garage to educate parkers on sustainable living.
I ride past this garage everyday (to and fro work) and have never seen the wind turbines actually moving. Before any Leed accreditation is awarded, a build should have to show proven results that its sustainable features are working as marketed. I’m hopeful that features like this will become more ubiquitous in future development but I’m also skeptical of actual delivery matching up to the marketing hype.
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p.s. The sidewalk tree coverage is also pretty week. Developers could do a lot more with sidewalk/parkway landscaping.
I live around the corner, and so far I have never seen those things spinning. In fact, I hardly see ever of these turbines on rooftops in action. Most are just standing idle.
And seriously, trying to get a LEED certificate for something that facilitates the use of cars in city centers? I mean come on…
There’s something you might be interested in at:
http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/18/chicago-parking-garage-harvests-energy-from-windy-city-gusts/
oldtymer your link was a waste of energy. It sent me right to this page. They might not have the turbines actually working because it’s off but I hope it does work. My question is if these turbines are or are more efficient as regular turbines; assuming they work of coarse.