Greenscrapers: Part Deux

Top Ten Green Skyscrapers

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5.The CIS Tower - Manchester, England 

The CIS Tower outdoes the pretty much anyone in solar. Weighing in with over 7,000 panels on the facade and 24 wind turbines on the roof, the CIS Tower will be able to produce 10% of its energy needs all on its own.

4.The Lighthouse Tower - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Dubai International Financial Centre Lighthouse Tower plans to use 4000 photovoltaic panels on the south facing facade as well as three mega 225 kilowatt wind turbines to meet its electricity needs. Other details are sparse, if it was under construction this definitely would have broken into the top three.  

3. Bank of America Tower - New York City, New York

 
The designers of Bank of America Tower, Cook + Fox Architects, are hoping to one-up the Hearst Tower by going for LEED Platinum certification. We'll see if they pull it off next year, when the building is slated to cut the red ribbon. Like the Hearst, The BOA tower will also use rainwater capture and floor-to-ceiling windows for natural lighting. Natural gas fuel cells will create on-site electricity, and sunlight-sensing LED lights will maximize efficiency. 

2. The Pearl River Tower - Guangzhou, China

Another greenscraper designed to harness winds at lofty heights, the Pearl River Tower will use internal wind turbines to keep the lights on. Fashioned like a giant wing, the tower pushes air through wind tunnels on two of the building's 71 stories. This eco-marvel of a building will also employ geothermal heat sinks, ventilated facades, waterless urinals, integrated photovoltaics and daylight responsive controls when it opens in late 2009.  

1.The Bahrain World Trade Center Towers - Kingdom of Bahrain

 Three 96-foot propellers suspended between the towers will supply the 42-storey spires with over 1100 megawatts per year. The shape of the building itself will create an accelerated airflow for the jumbo blades. Here are some virtual views of the Arabian Gulf from various levels of the building. Real views can be appreciated later this year, when the building opens.  

Well,  there you have it. The top ten. Pretty cool, huh?