Well they're renovating the Sears Tower with $350 million to add wind turbines on the lower level roofs. Not the best description, but I think you get it. But to help you,
From the New York Times article
And reading the article, I now know that it's going to be renamed the Willis Tower. How awful :(
"After the retrofit, energy savings at the Sears Tower, which is to be renamed the Willis Tower this summer, would be equal to 150,000 barrels of oil a year, officials said. The savings are expected to help redeem some of the project’s cost, which is to be financed through private equity investment, grants, debt financing and government funds."From a Reuters article:
Right downtown a pretty ambitious sustainability project is happening. Don't know about you, but it makes me smile. :)- Replace the 1973 tower's 16,000 tinted single-pane windows and create a "thermal break" between Chicago's frigid winters and hot summers and the interior.
- Install gas boilers equipped with fuel cells, which generate electricity, heat and cooling.
- Revamp the tower's 104 elevators and 15 escalators to cut their electricity usage by 40 percent.
- Conserve 24 million gallons of water with new restroom fixtures and "condensation capture."
- "Harvest daylight" by installing systems that automatically dim lighting based on available natural light.
- Install solar panels to heat water.
- Erect wind turbines on building setbacks, if possible.
- Plant green roofs that will be among the highest in the world to reduce storm runoff and the urban heat island effect.
- Replace granite plazas and walls surrounding the tower with terraced park space, trees, glass storefronts and an interactive digital display.
And a couple of announcements before I'm out. The ACES Bill passed the House by a margin of 219-212. And I also met Susie from Stanford today, which I will fill y'all in over the weekend. Oh, and also be on the lookout for a post with musings on the direction of this blog.
Thanks for reading!
Willy
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