Integrating Urban Wind Power in Wellington
The aim of my research is to show that a wind powered, environmentally responsive, energy producing building can be integrated in Wellington’s city centre and produce enough electricity to be economically and environmentally feasible. The building should serve as a positive icon for wind energy and allow a high degree of public interaction to promote and educate the public about the benefits of wind produced energy. With enough energy producing buildings the energy grid can be created directly inside the very cities which require the energy, leaving the picturesque untouched landscapes wind farm free. A building which has the ability to create its own energy also bears the responsibility to maximise its energy efficiency and environmental performance. The building must be environmentally responsive allowing it to respond and adapt to changing weather conditions to maximise performance. The main design goal will be environmental performance, which is the quantity of energy exchanged from external sources required to keep a building at a desirable temperature and allow all of the building’s services to operate fully. These include heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing and lighting.