Due to the large forces placed on wind turbines when generating power, this would probably cause too much stress on the building. The cone would just look silly too!

I was thinking of something like this. Don't the buildings experience large forces anyhow? Why not use them?

I had a very similar idea with new building technologies and some advanced mathematics the thing is perfecly posible the building is designed to move with the wind to maximize the energy efficiency of wind that flows. I though it would look something like a sea shell. The design is paramount to the problem, advanced computer modeling would be required. However this building would be very ergomicaly designed to fit the landscape, which would be chosen for its wind and wind direction, as appropriate. Perhaps on an ocean front location with stromng prevaling winds. Whilst in Feurventura I was thinking of it whilst on holiday, it really is a windy place! I had also though of some windy cities where the building are all lined up, the wind is strong wind laminate flow except for as it passed the square buildings, with some modifications the wholse city could become a wind turbine generator of sorts as the prevaling channeled down the main street and a wind generator building at the end. Before you say I wouldnt like to live in this windy city. I it posible to cover the main street in and/or uplift the wind to 30ft by the placement of wind deflectors

The building would be a dual office/power generator, I am sure many companies would like to generate energy with their office building to help give them some extra green credentials and to also be the first to streatch technology using light weight strong materials, or merhaps just a smooth metal cladding that is able to funnel and pipe the winds arround and into a bank of micro turbine/generators of a size computed to general a small amount each, the exhausted air would be returned passed back out and through into the next cyclone concentrated and through the next bank of micro turbines and so. The idea is to model the idea of thinking of the wind as a force to be resisted now it hardly presses on the building at all the wind is swept round and concentrated into a small area prehaps down to the turbines.

The building inside which could be pivoted on wheels and the whole buiding could turn slowing to face the prevaling winds. It would also be tsunami proof as the basic structure would be very strong and face sideways to the wave posiblly effectively able to breathe in! and of course as it was on wheels it could be shaken and it will still stand. You see the building structure is computer controlled and wires would be used to tighten it down when necessary and losen it again so it can sway slightly.

Perhaps that getting to ambitions for our disolutioned society (sorry I speak against the suffocating apathy of the UK!)

Also I had though th it might be posible to use natural environment to the buildings location say a estuary or mountain feature.

So the question is how much free energy is in the moving force of the wind? The momentum of the wind is limited and so the energy that could be collected from it is also... and does't compare to that of a nuclear power station. or does it?

Crazy I know, but wouldn't it be quite a sight... an ergonomic ecological building that serves two purposes.. quite something.

I have many other ideas about buildings as we don't need to use brick and build from the bottom up! Inflatable buildings, suspended buildings, DNA sprial building. Oh yes buildings should be able to hold on to each other for extra support during earchquakes. I know that metals are not strong enough to hold-up the weight of a very tall building, but hey dont we now have carbon fibre?

Better get on with the mandane and wait for an idea that is more achieveable.

Very good idea. Wind blows away solar panels!

I heard that France and Japan have Compressed Air/Electric hybrid cars!I know factories have machines that run on compressed air motors too.So why not run the compressor off the turbine into huge tanks untilthey are full and before you know it we'll have plenty of free powerand no pollution.

I have solar. My friend has wind. Wind is a lot better!

I believe the Freedom Tower proposed for the World Trade Center site will generate a portion of its electricity from the wind. Also, small wind generators are often designed to automatically align themselves with the wind. It may be cost effective to simply install these on the tops of existing tall buildings, where the wind is the strongest. Tall buildings are excellent locations for wind electricity generating facilities.

1 problem: Noise! Turbines are loud, and office buildings are better when quiet. This could prove tricky.

From what I have heard, the freedom tower people have abadoned the idea, because of the noise and vibrations from the thing. They are concerned that if you put a heavy rapidly spinning turbine at the top of a very high structure the vibrarions induced in the rest of the building will make it unpleasnt to be in if not downright unsafe.