Wind Skyscraper in Jakarta

Those of us who live in cities are probably used to seeing new office buildings or a wind-skyscraper tipping a wink to renewable energy by having some sort of wind turbine on the top. They are usually (but not invariably) pretty inefficient and often pack up after a few years because no maintenance contract was agreed, or because the design of the turbine was not a standard one as used by onshore and offshore wind farms that have proved their viability over years.

Take for example my local office block at Elephant & Castle in London (see picture below) where I can’t remember the last time I saw all three of the turbines turning, regardless of wind conditions.

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The Strata Building

But in Indonesia, there’s a new building, the Pertamina Energy Tower in Jakarta, where the building seems to have been designed around sustainability, renewable energy and wind power, rather than as a rushed after-thought.

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), the Pertamina Energy Tower will become the largest building in Indonesia, surpassing the country’s Wisma 46 with twice the height. But while you may well marvel at its 1738 foot glass facade that does indeed scrape the sky, but its “wind funnel” at its apex is capable of generating some impressive green energy.

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Jakarta’s ‘Wind Power’ Skyscraper

Skidmore Owings & Merrill describe their wind-skyscraper thus:

“Gently tapering towards a rounded top, the tower opens up at the crown, revealing a ‘wind funnel‘ that will take advantage of the prevailing winds and increased wind speeds at the upper floors to generate energy. Precisely calibrated for Jakarta’s proximity to the equator, the tower’s curved facade will mitigate solar heat gain throughout the year. Exterior sun shades will dramatically improve the workplace environment and save energy by reducing the need for artificial lighting in the office interiors.”

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Home Wind Turbine

While the Pertamina Energy Tower will be the Headquarters offices for the Pertamina oil and gas company housing  20,000 workers, the tower also has a 2000 seater arts auditorium and even its own mosque. It has been described as a city within a city.

At this time there are no details of the green energy it will create and whether it will be “energy neutral” and be capable of sustaining its own energy requirements from self-generated solar and wind power. But that’s likely to come along sometime within the next seven years of construction. It should be ready for occupation by 2020.