There are so many ambitious projects on discovering and harnessing clean green sources of energy, as the present global situation is worsening in terms of the power situation due to the depletion of coal and gas reserves. It has now become imperative for nations to come together in the search of alternative and more sustainable sources of energy that is non-polluting and abundant. In line with this is a futuristic skyscraper that has the ability to convert the auditory vibrations coming from the bustle of a busy city into clean green energy. Designed by Olivier Colliez, Julien Bourgeouis, Cedric Dounval, Savinien de Pizzol and Romain Grouselle, this innovative structure would most certainly be a path-breaking building, with its potential to sustain its inhabitants independently.
The building basically functions around a concept in which the sound kinetic energy is harvested by the ‘cilia; that cover the Soundscraper which are noise sensitive and take in the noise pollution for harnessing clean energy. This design is an entry at the 2013 eVolo Skyscraper Competition. These Soundscrapers are proposed to be constructed near major roads and highways, prime locations and railway junctions which receive the greatest volume of traffic and commuter inflows and outflows, so as to harness the noise energy in abundance. The Soundscraper would have a material called ‘cilia’ which resemble hair-like elements that would cover the entire exterior of the building. However, the building would have a dual exterior that would have the façade and a metal frame that would contain the ‘cilia’. Each tower would be having 84 thousand electro-active cilia that would have the capability of picking sound waves emanating from flying planes, pedestrian traffic, trains and cars. Each one of these cilia would be equipped with Parametric Frequency Increased Generators or sound sensors. After picking up the noise, the energy harvester would convert it to kinetic energy and the transducer cells would then transform it to electricity which can then be stored or passed onto the electrical grids.
The developers and designers of the Soundscraper project believe that each of the buildings could produce energy to the tune of nearly 150 MW in a populated and busy city like Los Angeles and would therefore be able to suffice 10 per cent of the electricity needs of the city. This green energy would also reduce the carbon footprint of the city and its increased dependence upon fossil fuels which are non renewable. Hence, these Soundscrapers would be extremely viable in the busiest metropolises of the world by making these cities self-sufficient in terms of their energy needs.