Bahrain World Trade Center - Skyscraper with wind turbines
The Bahrain World Trade Center will be the first building in the world, that has wind turbines of a respectable size included in its structure and built in to support its aesthetics. News of this has been out for some time now, but lucky EcoGeek has received first hand pictures of the turbines getting installed and I have to say it looks as stunning as it did on the renderings from the architecture firm.
The three turbines, each measuring 29m in diameter, will produce approximately 11-15% of the buildings energy needs, which equates to 1100-1300 MWh per year. (This is about the equivalent of powering 300 homes for a year.) The buildings is facing the Gulf and is shaped aerodynamically so that the turbines fixed position is not a problem and they get enough wind.
It is kind of paradox that this is built with money that most certainly has its base in oil, but I am not complaining when something as nice as this comes out of it.
(For more pictures go right over to EcoGeek.)