Worlds tallest Green Building?

Taiwan’s Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world from 2004-2007.Now, it is looking to become the world’s tallest GREEN building.

The building’s owner, Taipei Financial Center Corp (TFC), is putting in $1.9 million to give this 101-story building a green makeover.

The renovation will occur over an 18-month period and is primarily for heating, cooling, and ventilation system upgrades. Additionally, the building may start using rainwater to flush toilets and the building’s conventional light bulbs and tubes will be replaced with energy-efficient ones.

To further reduce its greenhouse gases, beyond building design, the building’s restaurants will reportedly start using locally produced food more.

In total, financial savings from the green changes are expected to be $600,000 a year (10% of its current annual electricity costs), which means TFC will get a return on its investments in nearly three years.

As Yvonne Chan in Hong Kong reports: “The green upgrades are being carried out by engineering giant Siemens, environmental management firm EcoTech International Group and interior design consultancy The Steven Leach Group.”

Taipei 101 is looking to get a LEED certification from the US Green Building Council after this — the building already has “a waste recycling programme, grey-water recycling system and a double-glazed glass curtain wall, which shields the building’s occupants from Taiwan’s subtropical heat”.

TFC chairman Harace Lin says: “Taipei 101’s management team is expecting to make it an icon of [the] green building industry in Taiwan and worldwide” and even hopes to have it designated the “world’s tallest green building”.

We will see. I think more and more of these super skyscrapers will be looking to go green with continued concern for our environmental problems and the huge financial savings that can come from being green.

For example, Chicago’s Sear Tower is looking to green up as well and cut its electricity use by 80%, according to an announcement earlier this year.

Source: GO Media - Written by Zachary Shahan