billso.com

An 80-story building in Dubai will feature floors that spin around the building’s central axis, using electric motors powered by wind and solar energy.

Occupants can control their floor through a voice command system, although this demonstration video implies that the rotation will be centrally controlled. I would have used the Clapper, myself.

The building looks like it is doing a hula, although in real life, the floors would move very slowly.

I can only wonder what the Outdoor Circle might say if a similar building were proposed on Oahu. Similar towers have been proposed for Moscow and Manhattan. The Dubai project is scheduled for completion in 2010.

There’s more information at architect David Fisher’s web site, this CNN article titled Dubai ‘shape-shifting skyscraper’ unveiled and in Dynamic Tower Skyscraper: Every Floor Self-Rotates, Powered by Wind and Sun at Gizmodo.

Google has invested US$10 million in BrightSource as part of the Internet firms’s RE>C initiative. According to news.com and ValleyWag, BrightSource builds solar thermal facilities and sells the generated electricity to commercial customers and electricity. The generation system is cost-effective during peak periods of the day.

Google’s data center use large quantities of electricity, so Google.org has been awarding grants to suppliers of renewable energy technologies such as solar, thermal and wind.

Google also announced today that it is hiring a Head of Renewable Energy to supervise the company’s research & development programs. The company already invested in eSolar and Makani Power - see this Google web page more details and links.

Cnet has a report on a cellular base station that can switch among wind, solar and diesel generators. This Gizmodo article has a few more details about E-site.

It’s an interesting concept that would be useful in developing countries. In Africa, diesel generators are often used to provide coverage. A cleaner alternative would be welcome.

As I pointed out on 29 March 2008, power isn’t the only problem that mobile phone carriers face in developing countries. Terrorists, insurgents, and other groups may target cellular base stations to knock out coverage or make a political statement. On the other hand, these same groups often rely on mobile phones.

E-sites also make sense for Hawaii. Oahu has good mobile phone coverage, but there are many parts of this island and the neighbor islands that are served by one carrier, if coverage is even available. Adding wind and solar power generation capabilities to existing base stations can also improve reliability during brownouts, blackouts, and seismic events. The wind and solar generators can be used to charge backup batteries, or to provide primary power.